In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, a new perspective of the complex Ibo lifestyle is revealed to contradict the false stories that other western writers have written about African cultures. Achebe depicts Igbo culture, western colonialism, and complementary gender roles through specific customs and distinctive accounts of the Igbo natives; altogether, the values and traditions of the Igbo culture are most prominently displayed throughout the novel.
The Igbo culture is conveyed more prominently in the novel through the detailed descriptions of religious practices and family life. Respect to the Ibo fertility goddess, Ani, is an essential religious practice in Igbo culture. They believe that Ani holds the power to send blessings for a successful season of crop production. During the sacred Week of Peace, which banned violence to honor the goddess, Okonkwo beats his wife and is scolded and punished for his failure to respect the gods. “Take away your kola nut. I shall not eat in the house of a man who has no respect for our gods and ancestors” (30). This emphasizes the importance of the gods to the people of Umuofia and how no one wants to be affiliated with a traitor because of the harsh punishments the gods can bring upon the people. Additionally, the Umuofia are like one large connected family who supports one another. The bond between the community is shown when a citizen from Mbaino kills an Umuofia daughter. “ ‘Those sons of wild animals have dared to murder a daughter of Umuofia’ The crowd then shouted with anger and thirst for blood” (11). Their unhappiness together illustrates the value of every person in society. In this situation, a daughter was killed, but in Igbo culture, girls were not treated as importantly as boys. Yet the community still came together to seek revenge. This shows their strong tie as a society. Throughout the novel are many more traditions; however, these specific cultures that Ache...