Things Fall Apart-Chinua Achebe

It’s been a very long time since I picked up a physical book, sat tight and let myself get immersed in a compelling narrative. Thanks to WhatsApp and daily feeds of news digests, there has been this nagging feeling that my attention span for quality reading had nosedived to unfathomable nadir. In one of such random browsing, I stumbled upon TimeMagazine All Time 100 novels and was immediately excited with the prospect of finding my lost way back to some active reading. Picked up a random book in this list from King County Library that has an enviable collection and boy, what a read it turned out to be…

“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe presents an engrossing read of the life of the tribal “Okonkwo” from Ibo Village in Nigeria. The narrative is covered in two segments-The former painting a vivid picture of the culture and beliefs of Ibo tribe and the latter delving into how this tribe embroils in an identity conflict with the arrival of Christianity that challenges the very core of their beliefs. The story of Okonkwo is narrated brilliantly in this backdrop that makes it a fascinating read. Okonkowo who is a strongman in his village is a zealous protagonist who embodies valor, industrious nature and a never say die attitude. Okonkowo faces several hurdles in his life and overcomes them successfully while staying grounded in his defining virtues. The rest of the story delves into what destiny had in store for Okonkowo when everything he believes in is gradually eroded with an alternate faith that provides a fresh narrative to the definition of God.

I loved this book for the simple style of writing that helps reader become one among the customs and traditions of Ibo tribe. Chinua Achebe paints a vivid picture of the unwritten rules that the tribe follows in their day to day affairs such as cultivation, marriage, social gatherings, festivities and death. There are interesting episodes on “egwugwu”-a masked representative of the ancestral spirits which delivers justice and  ”Agbala”-the holy spirit represented by the priestess. Ibo tribes also believes in “Chi”-one’s personal god that brings luck. The saying goes in Ibo tribe that if a man says “yes” to his life his “Chi” also says “yes”-meaning the luck favors one who works really hard. One of the most remarkable elements that was fascinating to uncover was the similarities between the beliefs of Ibo tribe and that of in Hinduism. “Egwugwu” reminded me of “velichappadu” -who is an incarnated spirit of god prophesing the future for the devotees. Chelio -one of the priestess who carried a child on her shoulders and walked the entire night to meet “Agbala” in a cave had an uncanny resemblance to “Bikram and Betal”.

The highlight of the book is the conversation between Akunna-one of the village elders and Mr. Brown the head of the Christian missionary on their respective beliefs. Mr. Brown talks about the one and only supreme god in Christianity who created the heaven and earth. Akunna equates this god to “Chukwu”-who according to the Ibo tribe created world and all other gods. These minor gods - carved in wood are the messengers of Chukwu and are worshipped by the tribe.(The unmistakable parallel in Hinduism being the devatas who control the forces of nature such as “Indra”-the god of sky,”Varuna”-the god of water,”Agni”-the god of fire etc. who are invoked during rituals and roll up to the “supreme godhead”).The tribe approach “Chukwu”-the supreme god through these minor gods(one of them being a sacred Python who according to them is the emanation of the god of water-akin to Adishesha in Hindu mythology)just like a great man is approach through his deputies. This dialogue between Akunna and Mr. Brown is a beautiful illustration of how the different religions converge in terms of a common underlying theme despite being seemingly different.

“Things Fall Apart” is a brilliant portrayal of how a riveting story on the internal conflict of a human being could be woven in the backdrop of a society’s fundamental transformation. Achebe is cited as “one of the 1000 makers of 20^th century” by London Sunday times for his outstanding contribution to African Literature. The sheer magic of Achebe’s imagination in “Things Fall Apart” is a tall testimony for this acknowledgement.