Things Fall Apart: Chapter 15

Things Fall Apart: Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Key Themes and Analysis

Cultural Collision

  • In Chapter 15, the theme of cultural collision becomes prominent with the introduction of the white missionaries.
  • The story of the white man riding an “iron horse”, which eventually earns the wrath of the gods, forecasts the upcoming clash of cultures.
  • The disbelief shown by the Umuofian people, especially Okonkwo, about the white missionaries’ audacity to desecrate the religious shrines shows the gap in understanding between the two cultures.

Fear and Anxiety

  • Okonkwo’s fear of losing his cultural identity and becoming weak, like his father Unoka, underpin the chapter. This anxiety is manifested in his nightmares where he battles with efulefu, the worthless men in his viewpoint.
  • Obierika’s tales of Abame and their destruction further feed into the pervasive mood of fear and anxiety.

Alienation and Exile

  • Okonkwo’s seven-year exile from his fatherland gives the readers a chance to understand the life of Umuofians in alienation.
  • Exile is also used as a narrative device to highlight the changes coming to Umuofia, which will be seen upon Okonkwo’s return.

Power and Control

  • The power and control held by the Umuofian customs and traditions over its people is evident when Okonkwo cannot shorten his exile, despite the dramatic changes taking place in Umuofia.
  • The chapter also shows how the white colonisers will soon take over this control and shift the power dynamics entirely.

Key Quotes

  • “What is good among one people is an abomination with others” (Chapter 15)
    • This quote, though relayed in a tale, reflects the cultural differences between the colonisers and the indigenous people, and is a comment on relativism.
  • “The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.” (Chapter 15)
    • This quote has a prophetic tone and foreshadows the cultural collision which is about to occur. It also highlights the theme of subjective morality and cultural relativism.
  • “Never kill a man who says nothing” (Chapter 15)
    • This quote is representative of a cautionary tale, warning against precipitate actions and judgement based on difference and unfamiliarity. Its tragic implications become clear as the story unfolds.