Today we finished reading the novel. Our discussion centered around the title, turning it into a question: Why do Things Fall Apart?
On one hand, we have the missionaries, and the various ways in which their actions impacted the lives of the Ibo. They presented a new system of beliefs, new ways of government, new language, and new types of people - the white man.
On the other hand, there were many challenges to the ways of the Ibo from within the clan - Okonkwo acting selfishly, Obierika questioning certain customs, Nwoye disagreeing with the values, and the Osu living lives as outcasts are just a few examples.
So did change happen because of internal issues or external pressures? Was it by individual choice or mass coercion?
What does it mean to see the story through the eyes and perspective of the Ibo, especially Okonkwo, a character we may find reprehensible?
