Nwoye In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

When introduced to a different culture, a community will have two vastly different responses. On one hand, members may feel uncomfortable, separate themselves, and grow stronger to their own set of beliefs. However, with the introduction of another perspective, others will feel enlightened and truly captivated by the unique ideas. This concept is apparent in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, where Nwoye, the oldest son of Okonkwo, a greatly respected leader within his village, is introduced to an entirely different set of beliefs via European missionaries. While Nwoye notably struggles to agree with and find a place in the culture he was born into, he finds comfort in Christianity. The Westerners’ set of beliefs challenges the principles of Nwoye’s Igbo culture and any remaining ties to his family,
While Nwoye and Okonkwo never shared a healthy relationship, the strain on it was only heightened when it was discovered that Nwoye was correlating with the Christians. After Okonkwo’s cousin, Amikwu, explained to Okonkwo that he saw Nwoye hanging around the new church, a great fury overcame Okonkwo. Upon his son’s return, Okonkwo grabbed Nwoye with a choking grip. Okonkwo went on to interrogate Nwoye over where he had been and suggested that he would “kill him” before hitting Nwoye with “two or three savage blows” (Achebe 145). This was the last straw for both the father and son and caused Nwoye to leave and never return. Though Nwoye was saddened that he couldn’t be with his mother and siblings anymore, he was happy to finally depart from his father. Furthermore, Nwoye was delighted that his new faith agreed with and validated his actions, as “’blessed is he who forsakes his father and his mother for my sake’” (Achebe 145). This highlighted Christianity and the church as an outlet for Nwoye. Without his family, it was now the only thing he could rely