Things Fall Apart is a grueling book for young readers. This is hardly the fault of the book as much as the worldview of the reader. In my case, this is the book that I didn’t like at first, but as I grew up and develop a better perspective regarding the issues that revolve around Africa, I started to realize that this is the greatest book ever written about Africa.

Chinua Achebe is Nigerian novelist, critic, poet, and a professor. Born in a Christian family, he saw the effect of Christianity on traditional Igbo societies. In his book, he described the clash of Christian and tradition value in the colonial era. He made sure that the people reading the book understood the nuances of the Igbo Oral Tradition in order to contrast them to the changes made by Christian influences.

Chinua Achebe mentioned that things fall apart is a reaction to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, which is another book on Africa this time written from the Western perspective. There are a lot of parallels between the two books, but the main viewpoint of Things Fall Apart centres on the understanding of the traditional culture whereas Conrad settled on describing the savagery of the people. In the view of Conrad and the Heart of Darkness, the cryptic language of the Africans is akin to animal sounds. In contrast Achebe describes mature society only understood by Africans, but also undermined by a lot of influences. Things Fall Apart discusses Heart of Darkness in a different place, a different time, and a different perspective.

Things Fall Apart is a straight up narrative. Many African readers can sympathize with the tribal life in the village and how these traditions are being corrupted by outsiders. Missionaries here are depicted as powerful cultural catalysts that clashes with the native’s way of life. Achebe emphasized how this clash eventually led to the downfall of the culture. This depiction mirrors the cultural wars that are happening today, constantly tearing the core society and humanity of the people.

Things Fall Apart is also a story on change. The main character, named Okonkwo is a highly regarded village hero. However, he was grounded with the traditional culture and was privy to change which eventually led to his downfall. Readers are left to judge if it is Okonkwo’s fault that he was not able to adapt with the times. Most readers will agree that while change is inevitable, the tribe is put in a precarious spot. What if they were just left alone and not be bothered with? Things Fall Apart eventually submits to the fact that as much as people want to preserve traditional value, it is futile to resist change.

This book will definitely impact the reader. For many, the hardships of Africa seem like an abstract and random event. Things Fall Apart tells us that there is a deeper reason for all these. The book pierces through African readers by encouraging them to stand strong through change.