In what ways does the story of Things Fall apart not fully embrace the Igbo culture.

Achebe writes a brilliant novel about the arrival of the
white man in Africa and the conflicts that arise as a result of the unresolved
differences between the two cultures. He constructs the novel around the story of an
Igbo community in Nigeria, of which he is himself a descendant, yet he has also been
raised as a Christian. The conflict that perhaps he felt was pertinent in his life –
that of preserving Igbo traditions and culture while adhering to the Christian faith –
are laid out in the novel without any particular resolution or complete preference of
one culture over another.

In his collection of essays
Morning Yet on Creation Day, he states that his intention is to
remind the African reader that they had a culture long before European colonization, and
African people must regain their identity and dignity by fully realizing their rich
history and culture. In Things Fall Apart, this is his main task,
and as a European reader I became fascinated with the culture and traditions that Achebe
describes in the novel.

The sense of community is striking,
and provides a stark contrast to the individualistic attitude that European culture
perpetrates. The novel revolves around one man who stands for the whole community –
Okonkwo – a strong African who believes strongly in his community. By tracing his story
from glory to eventual doom (as we know from the title that things will fall apart with
the arrival of the white man), we are also tracing the history of Igbo
culture.

The establishment of a Christian missionary in
Umuofia, which is the name of the community in the novel, is not wholly downplayed. On
the contrary, Achebe does not idealize Igbo culture to the extent of leaving out the
negative issues. Rather, he presents the reader with the downside of certain traditions,
such as the killing of all twins upon birth. As a result, Christianity proves to be an
attractive and positive establishment that embraces individuals who were somehow
downtrodden in Umuofia.

I would argue that Achebe’s main
argument in Things Fall Apart is to find a balance
between cultures. Okonkwo is an extremist, and his downfall could be seen
as a result of his intolerance towards the new faith. Achebe heavily insists upon
dialogue, as shown in some parts of the novel, and this novel cleverly tries to seek a
balance which the characters in the novel failed to reach.