Relationship Between Character and Society in Things Fall...

Society and its Characters Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart tells the story of the African Igbo society which was dominated by European imperialism. Achebe uses his own personal knowledge of African culture to portray the Igbo tribes as a complex society with well-established beliefs and traditions. The heart of this novel is not in its context, however, but in its characters. Achebe creates complex characters to live in the vastly changing society of the Igbo tribes. It’s evident in the actions and beliefs of Okonkwo, Obierika, Mr. Brown, and Reverend Smith that Achebe was trying to make a statement about the interrelationship between character and society in the novel. Okonkwo is the novel’s most complex character. His†¦show more content†¦While society is changing, Okonkwo is resisting that change. This relationship with society demonstrates his tragic flaw: his fear of weakness. Because he possesses this flaw so powerfully, his suicide cannot be seen as an act of weakn ess or cowardice. It was an act of defiance that was necessary for the people of Umuofia. Contrary to Okonkwo, Obierika’s interrelationship with society can be characterized by its open-mindedness rather than it’s complexity. He contradicts Okonkwo in almost every aspect, despite their close relationship. He â€Å"was a man who thought about things†, and it is evident several times throughout the novel that Obierika questions Igbo traditions and culture. When Okonkwo was exiled, Obierika was the only one to ask why. â€Å"Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently? He remembered his wife’s children, whom he had thrown away. What crime had they committed? The earth had decreed that they were an offense on the land and must be destroyed† (Achebe, 124). Obierika’s uncertainty with the Igbo tribal law suggests early on that he may not show resistance to the societal changes coming in from the west. When the European missionaries come, Obierika keeps an open mind. When Okonkwo wants to fight them, Obierika explains that the damage had been done. â€Å"How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The whiteShow MoreRelatedEssay about Role of Women in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe1453 Words   |  6 Pages The role of women in society has grown and changed tremendously with the development of the world. Within the American culture, women’s rights have expanded to the extent of being able to vote for who runs our country or even possibly being the person that does run our country. Although the American culture has somewhat promoted the growth of a woman’s role in society, does not mean women receive the same respect in other cultures around world. 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