Things Fall Apart ... Fast

After I had finished reading Things Fall Apart, one of the first ideas that struck me was how quickly things did fall apart. In the span of 38 pages, Okonkwo went from a man who sought to restore his former glory, to a dead man, hung at his own volition. In some ways, this rapid plot seems rushed by Achebe. On the other hand, perhaps the rapidity of the climax and the denouement is a stylistic choice by Achebe to symbolize how fast the white men conquered Africa.

An apt comparison can be made between the white Christians and a virus. A virus comes in, infects the host, and then makes more of itself, spreading rapidly. In the same way, the white men infected Africa, invading with few, who were added with more of themselves and also converted Igbo, and spreading throughout the entire continent. 

The African’s being arrested by the white men for transgressing against the white man’s laws marks the final surrender for Africa. When the white men first came, they were powerless and were required to live in peace due to a lack of numbers. However, as the numbers grew and more and more Igbo were converted, the balance of power slowly started to tip. As stated in Things Fall Apart, “[the kotma] guarded the prison, which was full of men who had offended against the white man’s law” (174). Once the indigenous people were compelled to follow the laws of the newcomer, it marked the conquering of Africa.