Things Fall Apart was written from an African perspective about Africa to show the world a more clear perspective on Igbo culture than what had been written by European colonizers. The ways in which characters think and act in their cultural environment shows the complexities of their culture. Africans were not simpletons banging rocks and sticks together like many racist colonizers would like to portray them. They had their own society based off of complex religion, familial ties of kinship, and gender roles. Their interactions with white missionaries shows they were not savages all wanting blood, but a peaceful people that when pushed and feel their way of life threatened fight back. The savages in Africa were the people like James Smith in the story who refused to open their eyes to other people’s way of life and accepting that their way of life is their choice. Using the book as a way to see a portion of African culture, instead of just The stories the Igbo people told defined life as they knew it and gave them answers to things that related to them in their physical location and their cultural setting. The story of the tricky tortoise and how his shell received lines instead of being smooth gave a reason for an everyday reality in the Igbo life. Mr. Brown was a good and understanding missionary who wanted to the people. He brought them his faith, but also knew that without learning English and how to read and write the people whom he wanted to would be swept away by the power of Europe. This is why he encourages them to go to school. He wants to arm them with the knowledge they will need to survive in the events that are yet to come. However, by encouraging them to learn a written language it is also taking away from the importance of the Igbo oral traditions which is seen by Okonkwo and others as a threat to their very way of
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