These Missionaries are Ruining Everything!

(#2) Read 25 books

1. Room by Emma Donohue
2. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
4.A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
   A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
   A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
   A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. The Shack by William Young
7. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
9. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 

I'll be honest (you deserve as much, loyal readers) and say that I chose this book in part because it was so short and I am getting down to reading crunch-time. However it is still a "classic" and I still wanted to read it at some point, so it all works out.

Things Fall Apart is the story of the fictional Nigerian village of Umuofia and specifically of the respected tribesman Okonkwo. It centers around the clash of native culture and Western colonialism.

We first learn about the people of Umuofia and their life and customs. The people live in small villages that form larger groups. The entire economy is based around yams. Okonkwo has three wives who live in three separate huts behind his own, larger hut. Everyone seems relatively happy with this state of affairs (although Okonkwo beats his wives a little too much for the taste of the Umuofia people).

After some ill-omens fall on Okonkwo's family and he accidentally commits a crime, the whole family is exiled for seven years. When they return to Umuofia they find that white missionaries have moved in to spread Christianity. Okonkwo is shocked and horrified to find that they are being relatively well-received.

This book had very simple, almost allegorical language that seemed to be reflective of the language of the Umuofia people, who often explain life problems by relating a story about a snake and a crocodile. I would say that the story seems a bit derivative, but the more I read about it I realize that it is actually viewed as an archetype of the African/English colonialism novel. So I guess the fact that I've heard this story before should be viewed as a compliment to Achebe.

While parables aren't necessarily going to get me excited, what I did like about this story was the even-handed way in which the ideas were presented. Sure, colonialism ruins the original culture and shows the nature of white greed and supremacy. We get it. But the simple language of the book presents the ideas to us plainly and allows us to come to our own conclusions.

Achebe also presents the idea that some people are happier after the missionaries come in. Okonkwo's own son feels unhappy about some of the village customs that the Christians eliminate, such as leaving newborn twins out in the forest to die because they are bad luck.

And in some ways, though Okonkwo is the protagonist of the novel, we are left feeling like his attitude is the most rigid of all. He clings to old ideas even when the rest of his tribe has abandoned them. 

I guess it all comes down to personal choice and mutual respect of different cultures. What a novel idea.