Clash of Civilizations in 'Things Fall Apart'

Things Fall Apart illustrates the conflict occurring during the period of British colonization of Africa. Things Fall
Apart explores the struggles between the old traditions of the Igbo community and the effects of Christianity on the people
of different calibers within that society. The novel is told from the perspective of the native people of Ibo. The novel takes
place in Umuofia, in Nigeria, in an area where their culture is indigenous to the Ibo people. In "Things Fall Apart" it seems
that the African Ibo culture was strong and functional, such as in its religious beliefs and customs, government, economic,
and social coherence. The order of Ibo society became interrupted and began to unravel when the white missionaries
entered Africa and introduced Christianity.
The colonial religion first attacked the outcasts, or osu, of the Ibo society in order to expand on the ideas of
Christianity and how their belief system was not an accurate portrayal. The traditional belief system had been corrupted
by the impact of the missionaries and there was encouragement of disavowing the traditional beliefs of the Ibo society.
There were changes due to the entrance of the white man, it was no longer the same society that had been known to the
Ibo people. The missionaries who came to Umuofia set out to reach everyone in order to convert him or her to Christianity.
Kiaga approached two outcasts and told them they must shave their hair in order to let go of their heathen beliefs. The
Christians even lived in the Evil Forest in order to prove that their belief system was not accurate.
The colonizers used religion as a tool of Conquest in Things Fall Apart. In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua
Achebe, the white men who come to Umuofia find success in conquering the village by challenging Ibo religion. Because
the first white men to appear in Umuofia were missionaries, the slaughter of Ibo society began with the challenging of the
highly-regarded religion of the Ibo people. The white men began their religious assault by openly denouncing the many
gods worshipped by the Ibo in order to convert them to the new faith. After accomplishing this, the white men set out to
prove that the Christian religion was superior to all others by defying the powers of the Ibo gods when they built their
church upon the cursed ground of the Evil Forest. With the Ibo religion being proved powerless, the converts began
challenging their former religion by killing the sacred python, revered by the people of Umuofia. By attacking the
fundamental teachings of the natives religion, the Christians were able to effectively conquer the Ibo people.
One of the main themes of the novel is change. It is also seen through religion. The tribe has lived for thousands
of years in an untouched and unviolated existence. The arrival of the missionaries and the conversion of many to the
Christian faith make it very difficult for some to cope with. Especially those who choose not to convert, and have to watch
as their friends/family take a different path. The Clan has a different perception when it comes to the gods. Whereas the
Christians believe in only one god, the Ibo have various gods who they worship. There is one supreme god, but they call
him Chukwu because "he made all the world and the other gods." They also worship other gods such as the Oracle of the
Hills, the sacred python, and the chi, (or personal god). Two of these are animate gods, in the form of a woman and a
reptile. This illustrates another difference between the two religions as the Christian's god is inanimate. The Umofians had
a religion that worked out great for them, but when the white men came, they took over their religion and forced them
to believe something else. Thus, the colonial religion has brought a change into the system of religion in Ibo society.

Courtesy of: Prof. Ali Raza Fahad Dept. of English Govt Postgraduate College, Gojra