
In the book, parallels are also drawn between Christianity and Igbo cosmology to show how religion greatly influences their perspectives.Īlso see: Reasons for the Colonization of Africaħ. The central lesson in the several ways this theme is explored is that religion has its way of shaping how people in a given community perceive several concepts from death to criminality to the essence of life itself. Role of religion in shaping behavior: Another major theme explored in the book ‘Things fall apart’ is that of religion and its influence. Recommended: Best side hustles for students while in schoolĦ. With this book, the writer succeeds in teaching you about the futility of fighting change. He took it upon himself to strike, and when he realized there was very little he could do in the scheme of things, he took his own life. On arriving in Umuofia after being exiled, Okonkwo was appalled by the absence of violent resistance on the part of his clansmen. Conflict of Culture & Consistency of Change: Another vital theme from the book is that change is not only unavoidable, it is also largely unpredictable. This means that different people can influence you differently.


The above, when compared to the influence Okonkwo’s clansmen had on him throughout the book, you can learn the very important lesson that the outcome of influence is more dependent on the quality of the company than it is on the extent of the pressure itself. Nwoye only started showing signs of vibrant ‘ boyhood’ after he found friendship in the boy who called Okonkwo father. He did not envision the influence the slave boy was going to have on his son.

He feared that his son could end up like his ‘ weak’ father. Before the arrival of Okonkwo’s surrogate son, the great wrestler was worried that his first son might be too weak and introverted for the world. The first is the influence Ikemefula had on Nwoye, Okonkwo’s first son. Weight of Peer Influence: The theme of peer influence is both portrayed in a positive light and a negative one. Recommended: Important lessons to learn before 30.
