Okonkwo, a man so stubborn to change that he could never accept Christianity and hung himself. The first time I read this book I did not see that coming. I had hoped he would have been converted and been a powerful ally to the white men. However, the white men weren't really the good guys in this story. They came in and replaced the culture of the people with their own. They should have more gradually implemented and converted the Africans. They didn't even take the time to learn their language. In the end, the commissioner considered giving Okonkwo his own chapter and then settled for a paragraph. The fact that such a man as Okonkwo would be able to be summed up in a paragraph is preposterous and the thought of it quite rude. Even the title of his book shows the lack of care for the Africans. This begs the question of Achebe's views of colonialism and Christianity. Does he have a correct understanding and justified anger at them? Does this anger also reach towards Christians? Do Christians need to rethink the way we minister and convert?
I commented on Becca and Rachael
I commented on Becca and Rachael
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It was horrible to read about this tragic behavior, yet it's even worse when one remembers that white colonists used these same strategies on a number of other races and cultures.