things fall apart response

Hello there! I've just finished reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, so here's a little response and analysis of Part 3, since I found it the most intriguing part of the book.

Imagine somebody coming into your home and telling you that everything you do, everything you say, and everything you believe is wrong? What if they tried to force you to follow their rules, their lifestyle, and their belief system? That is exactly what happens to Umuofia in Part 3 of Things Fall Apart. This final section of the story outlines how Okonkwo returns to his homeland after seven years in exile, only to find that Christianity and the white man have divided his village against itself. In the introduction to what becomes one of the main conflicts of the book, Okonkwo comes home determined to rebuild his home and family and regain his title as one of the most powerful men in the village. However, he is faced with many drawbacks due to the colonization of his people. His eldest son has run away and become a Christian missionary. A new leader of the Church is designated to the village, this one much more forceful and extreme than the first. Tension builds between the clansmen and the Christians, and Okonkwo's plan for power and title begins to fall apart.

A prominent theme in this part of the book is resistance to change. Okonkwo is positively outraged about the desecration of his clan's traditions and lifestyle. He seeks revenge. He resists compliance to the new religion. He is kidnapped, beaten, and held hostage. In the end, both sides of the conflict go so far that Okonkwo finds it necessary to kill one of the Christian messengers. When the Christians come for him, they find that he has already met his own demise. I believe Okonkwo's suicide was a final symbol of his loyalty to his clan. He  killed himself because he felt that he'd rather die than have to watch as his tribe was destroyed. Even in death, Okonkwo was still resisting the colonization of his people. It was an interesting way to end the book, and it left the reader with an image that made it hard to forget the book and its many controversial themes.

I will be doing a review of this book and posting it on The Dynamic Lit Duo soon!

Also, the word of the day iiis:
vitriolic (adjective) [Latin]
very caustic; scathing; bitter or acidic
Example: Upon reading my sister's diary, I found that her language referring to me became surprisingly vitriolic when she described how I'd ruined her favorite shirt.

Later,

GlamingoGirl