Things Fall Apart
In Things Fall Apart Nwoye is the son of Okonkwo and he changes his name to Isaac due to the conversion from his old Ibo religion to Christianity. The Ibo culture is the culture in the village of Umoufia. The missionaries come in and sway Nwoye to convert causing his father to be very disappointed. Nwoye’s response to the introduction of western society reflects Achebe’s theme.
Nwoye changes because he converts to Christianity and changes his name. When he does this he disobeys his father. “...He had just sent Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, who was now called Issac, to the new training college for teachers in Urumu...Okonkwo had driven him away with the threat that if he came into his compound again, he would be carried out of it.” (Achebe, 182). Okonkwo said this because he was very disappoined with Nwoye's decision. Nwoye converts because he is very different then his dad and does not want to be like his dad. His dad essentially drives him to converting religions because of him constantly criticizing Nwoye and trying to make him someone he isnt. “...If you split another yam of this size, I shall break your jaw. You think you are still a child. I began to grow a farm at your age.” (Achebe, 32)
Nwoyes conversion to christianity reflects the theme of Chinua Achebe saying that cultural conflict is bad by creating tension. Once the missionaries came into the village of Umoufia it all went down hill for Okonkwo by causing his son to convert religions and later Okonkwo killing himself. “The society of Umoufia, the village in Things Fall Apart, was totally disrupted by the coming of european government, missionary christianity, and so on.” (Bacon, 187). The clash of the cultures reflects the theme that when two cultures collide tension is bound to happen.
The most prominent theme in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart revolves around two cultures colliding and creating tension. The theme shows Nwoye's response to the introduction of western society. Many...