Index IntroductionTradition and Change in Things Fall ApartConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionTradition and change are at war as much as the people in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart. The events that define this war center on the main character, Okonkwo, who finds himself unable to adapt to the changes taking place in his society. His refusal to change, in contrast to his society's desire for change, is both a personal and broader tragedy. The theme of tradition versus change in Things Fall Apart is used to highlight the tragedy of both Okonkwo's isolation and the dissipation of his society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Tradition vs. Change in Things Fall Apart Tradition is an integral part of the society in which Things Fall Apart is set. Okonkwo lives with his family in the Umuofia clan, one of nine collective villages that uphold the same set of beliefs and traditions. Their lives revolve around belief in ancestral spirits, called egwugwu, and multiple deities who require sacrifices and rigorous rituals in exchange for their guidance and prosperity. Many customs define everyday life, such as the kola nut and palm wine that are offered when receiving company, and the spoken language that conveys thoughtfulness and respect. The religion, government and their traditions of the Umofians hold the tribe together due to the people's social bonds. They all believe in the same gods and spirits that support their similar thinking. Plus, their form of government keeps everyone in line, so there are no problem makers or exceptions. The people of Umuofia live happily together through happiness. They had fun together even though they could be as negative as the great horde of locusts invading their tribe. “Now everyone was walking around, talking excitedly and praying for the locusts to camp in Umuofia for the night.” - "Many went out with baskets trying to catch them, but the elders advised to be patient until nightfall." (Achebe 56) All Umofians enjoyed locusts because it is a rare sight for them, sometimes even once in a lifetime. Locusts are a delicacy for the Umofians who made sure everyone was happy with the abundance of insects. Many people went out with baskets trying to get them. An interaction involving Okonkwo's father, Unoka, and a man to whom he owed money describes the importance of language to their society: "Among the Igbo the art of conversation is considered very high, and proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten” (Achebe 4). They do not appreciate simple language, but rhetorical and formal language which, although it may be inefficient, is a custom that shows refinement and respect food is particularly important because it implies that language and communication are as necessary to life as food. Furthermore, this implies that these customs and everyday aspects of their culture are necessary to their life as they establish a community morality through which individuals. they can connect and grow as a society. In addition to these customary customs there are commandments that determine one's place in society and coordinate a series of checks and balances. Achebe illustrates the importance of this system through Okonkwo's beating of his wife, Ojiugo, during Peace Week. Peace Week is a sacred part of Igbo culture where people must live without violence of any kind for a week to receive a blessing for their crops from Ani, one of thetheir gods. The priest of the earth goddess, Ezeani, tells him that "the evil you have done can ruin the entire clan" (Achebe 30) and he must repent and pay a fine for his sins. One of the most adverse functions of Igbu customs is the separation of the osu from the rest of society. An osu is “a person dedicated to a god, a thing set aside, a taboo forever, and his children after him. He may not marry or be married by one who is born free. He was in fact an outcast, he lived in a special area of ​​the village... wherever he went he carried with him the sign of his forbidden caste: long, disheveled and dirty hair." The OSU are at the bottom of the social order, while the Council of Elders is at the top and judges society. Every aspect of life is defined by tradition, from social classes to the language spoken. The Igbo people have lived by these customs for generations and they provide structure and regulation to each individual. As is often the case, however, the severe nature of such beliefs creates gaps between the individual and the group. These gaps are what allow the colonizers to swarm and convert so many Igbos to the new religion. When Christianity arrives, it thrives precisely because it takes advantage of society's weaknesses. The osu flock to the new religion because it welcomes them as equals, as well as many other individuals deprived of tradition. In Joseph McLaren's essay “Things Fall Apart: Cultural and Historical Context,” he explains that “Achebe uses the Umuofians' abandonment of twins, which was a general practice among the real-life Igbo, and their sacrifice of Ikemefuna, a demonstration of mutual justice perhaps, to show the vulnerability or susceptibility of Igbo culture to Christian conversion. The outcasts had lost all respect in their village, either through their own doing or through misfortune, and saw the new religion as an escape from shame and humiliation. Eventually, Okonkwo's son Nwoye also joins the Christians. Nwoye was never a good enough son by Okonkwo's standards; he acted too much like a woman, which reminded Okonkwo of his lazy father, and for this reason Okonkwo was especially harsh on Nwoye. Okonkwo "had no patience with failed men" (Achebe 2) and it is clear that Okonkwo scared Nwoye into submission because Nwoye's attraction to Christianity initially stemmed from songs describing "brothers who lived in darkness and fear , ignorant of the love of God.” Just like the ostracized members of the clan, Okonkwo's son abandons his family and faith to convert to Christianity and gain his freedom. After Nwoye's betrayal of the clan, Okonkwo exclaims that “you all have seen the great abomination of your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will raise his head among my people. If any of you prefer to be a woman, let him follow Okonkwo is so disappointed in his son who denies Nwoye as a son and degrades him to the role of a woman. Just as Okonkwo loses his son to the new religion, the Igbu, ​​as well as their traditions, are losing themselves in the same way Okonkwo who hosts him when he moves to Mbanta, states that "It is true that a child belongs to his father. But when a father beats his son, he seeks sympathy in his mother's hut. A man belongs to his homeland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is pain and bitterness he finds refuge in his homeland. Your mother is there to protect you. Uchendu's aphorism is representative of the Igbu civilization losing members to colonizers. The Igbu are the homeland and the colonizers are the motherland, while the child is representative of the individuals in the society who seek the freedom and security of the new religion. This revelation does notit only reflects the loss of Igbu tradition, but also represents the reason for it. The Igbu, ​​especially Okonkwo, refuse to doubt any of their faith to the point of believing that the converts were "the excrement of the clan, and the new faith was a mad dog come to devour it." Unfortunately, this refusal to change only strengthens the temptation of the freedom the colonizers offer and accelerates the tragic loss of Igbu culture. The loss of Igbu culture is seen predominantly through Okonkwo's point of view, which serves to highlight its tragic aspects. Okonkwo's father was not an upstanding member of his clan, nor was he very successful, which led Okonkwo to do everything in his power to become an honorable and hard-working man. Despite his best efforts, however, even Okonkwo falls short of all the standards set for him. He beats his wife in a time of peace and takes part in the killing of Ikemefuma despite Ogbuefi's warning. In Matthew Bolton's essay "'You Must Not Stand in One Place': Reading Things Fall Apart in Multiple Contexts," he states that "like Oedipus and other tragic heroes of the Athenian playwrights, Okonkwo is a flawed man. Yet he is destroyed not so much by these flaws as well as the broad and impersonal forces of history to wholeheartedly embrace Igbo culture at a time when this culture was being dismantled and abandoned.” His larger personal tragedies are mostly due to his overly ambitious compulsion to become a leader of his clan, which often backfires and gets him into trouble .Ogbuefi warned Okonkwo not to land any blows on Ikemefuma, but still hit him to demonstrate his manhood. Later, at Ogbuefi's funeral, Okonkwo's gun accidentally explodes and kills Ogbuefi's son, which can be seen as. Okonkwo's punishment for hitting Ikemefuma. This incident is a small tragedy in itself because not only was Ogbuefi's innocent son killed, but Okonkwo also has to spend 7 years in exile. This punishment is especially cruel to Okonkwo because “his life had been governed by a great passion: to become one of the lords of the clan” (Achebe 114) and his punishment distances him from his clan. Okonkwo's character also presents the broad tragedy that the novel encapsulates: the loss of Igbo culture to Christian colonization While Okonkwo worked in an attempt to gain authority and respect in his clan, the lowest of his clan were gradually converting. He is blinded by his devotion and fails to see that his clan members no longer feel the same dedication to their beliefs. It is only when he becomes the sole rebel against the colonizers that he realizes that his tribe is lost, and his subsequent suicide is his last tragic act, "In Igbo belief. it is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it shall not be buried by his clansmen. His body is evil, and only strangers may touch it" (Achebe 178). ). Okonkwo realizes that his clan is converting, but he will not join them, so he commits suicide. His suicide is tragic not only because it goes against Igbo beliefs, but because it embodies the complete loss of these beliefs. Okonkwo is devoted to tradition and customs and would never willingly buck them, which suggests that his suicide represents his loss of faith as well as the end of his culture. Bolton insists that “in his prime, Okonkwo embodied the ideals of Ibo culture, and his death does not serve to restore the. 2014.