Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - Internal Conflict...

In Chinua Achebe’s 19th century Nigerian novel Things Fall Apart, the Ibo culture has internal problems, which ultimately cause of the downfall of the clan. These problems include a poor social system, superstitious beliefs, and a lack of suitable decision-making. These few problems are essential. One of the flaws inside the Ibo culture that eventually leads to their downfall is the social system. The weaker people join the church as a way to gain acceptance. The osu, or outcasts who lived in the Ibo culture want to feel accepted and as a result, follow the Christians. â€Å"The two outcasts shaved off their hair, and soon they were the strongest adherents of the new faith† (157). These two outcasts never have the feeling of†¦show more content†¦Another problem within the clan is the superstition. Superstition is associated with religion in the Ibo culture. The religion is closely associated with tradition. An example of religion and tradition is the egwugwu. The Ibo people do not welcome change. They have superstitions about twins being evil and needing to stay into the forest to die, and an â€Å"evil forest† where if someone lives on it, they will die within a few weeks. The evil forest is actually fo r disposing dead bodies. The villagers assume all these superstitions true. When the church arrives, the plot of land they are given is from the evil forest. â€Å"The inhabitants of Mbanta expected them all to be dead within four days† (149). The church lives past 4 days and the villagers give them up to 28 days to live. The church thrives and does not die. Villagers are baffled and do not know how to explain this. The villagers have superstitions that have become common knowledge. This common knowledge is abolished right in front of them. â€Å"Not long after, he won his first three converts† (149). The people rely too much on old traditions and superstition. These traditions and superstitions lead to the downfall of the Ibo people because they are destroyable. For the Ibo people, this is destroying what they believe to be true. Doing this would result in people not following the religion anymore just as the three people who convert to Christianity. The lack of moral decision-makingShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1756 Words   |  8 PagesThe story of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart takes place in Umuofia, a set of villages, where the Nigerian tribe and Ibo people settle. A tribesman and the protagonist named Okonkwo is the famous leader in Umuofia. Okonkwo is very brave, but he stands solo when it comes to deciding to fight. He is afraid of how people will view on him through his actions towards the society because men play big roles in their culture. With his victory against Amalinze the Cat, Okonkwo brought more fame towards