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Language In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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In order to give his people back the pride that they once had, Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart. Language is also a very important element to Igbo. It gives them a sense of belonging and they also use it as a means to preserve their culture and heritage. And although language is important to Igbo, it ultimately leads to the fall of their society. Igbo is a society that also appears to be sceptical about change. They refuse to send their children to school where they stand a chance to be able to read and write in the English language. Despite Mr Brown’s efforts to show the villagers that they need to learn English because they are now being ruled by the District Commissioner and other white missionaries who only communicate in English, the villagers …show more content…

This decision came after the sacrifice of Ikemefuna who was 16 | P a g e almost a brother to Nwoye. Nwoye was totally against the decision made by Igbo to kill his brother, hence he protests against this act by joining the church and choosing to attend school. His father on the other hand is not at all pleased with Nwoye’s decision to join Christianity. Although Okonkwo is disappointed in his son’s choice he does not act on it. It is then assumed that Okonkwo somehow expected this kind of behaviour from his son as he always saw Nwoye as “weak and woman-like” (Strong-Leek 2). However, Okonkwo ends up disowning his son, Nwoye after he abandons the Igbo religion. The decision by Okonkwo to disown his only son for following another religion is yet another example of Igbo’s inability to deal with change, especially that which has not existed within the Igbo language. By abandoning his own religion, Nwoye disrespects his father in the worst possible way. However, because Okonkwo is unaware of the Christian culture he cannot act against his son. It is apparent that committing suicide is Okonkwo’s way of going against Christianity. This act not only costs him his life but it also takes away the respect Umuofia once had for

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