Things Fall Apart Detailed summary critical analysis Chapter 21 to 25-Part VII: a tragic novel by Chinua Achebe
"Things Fall Apart" Detailed Summary: Chapter Twenty One:
"There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo"; perhaps, it was "for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia". It meant prosperity for the people. Mr. Brown, a soft spoken and moderate missionary, had wielded great influence on the lives of the surrounding clans. He had made friends with the influential elders of different clans, among these was Akunna who argued with Mr. Brown over the singular existence of God Almighty: ""We also believe in Him and call Him Chukwu. He made all the world and the other gods". Mr. Brown tried to convince him God exists alone without any help or support. He told Akunna that they believe in false gods "It is because you do so that you imagine He must need helpers. And the worst thing about it is that you give all the worship to the false gods you have created."
Akunna tries to communicate that the Africans believe in the supreme God, Almighty but "we appear to pay greater attention to the little gods but that is not so. We worry them more because we are afraid to worry their Master". Mr. Brown went from house to house preaching and asking people to get their children educated otherwise they would be slaves in future. Gradually, his words began to have effect. The missionaries also paid visit to Okonkwo but he drove them away. The clan seemed to have ignored Okonkwo's return except for the marriage proposal of his two daughters. "Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just a personal grief He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart".
"Things Fall Apart" Detailed Summary: Chapter Twenty Two:
Mr. Brown was replaced by Mr. Reverend James Smit. He was a different personality when it came to dealing with the blacks: "He saw things as black and white. And black was evil. He saw the world as a battlefield in which the children of light were locked in mortal conflict with the sons of darkness". There was a convert named Enoch, he had great abomination for the clan. He always used to quarrel with them. Once he challenged the egwugwu to touch a Christian. The egwugwu touched him and Enoch tore open the mask of egwugwu and killed the man hidden inside. The egwugwu went away but cam at night to kill Enoch. The priest, Mr. Smith, had hidden Enoch in the parsimony. The clan asked Mr. Brown that they cannot spare the church building, it must be destroyed.
The priest communicated to them that they must go away but the clan refused saying: ""We cannot leave the matter in his hands because he does not understand our". The clan did not harm Mr. Smith but destroyed the church building.
"Things Fall Apart" Detailed Summary: Chapter Twenty Three:
When the commissioner returned from the tour, the priest informed him of all that had taken place. He called for the elders of Umuofia. Since the elders had been visiting the commissioner earlier; therefore, they went to meet him. Once there, the commissioner arrested them trickily. The commissioner asked them to pay a fine of 200 cowries and he would let them go. He left them alone for some time. When the commissioner left, his messengers began to mock the tribesmen. They shaved their heads and made fun of them. They were given nothing to eat or drink for two days. On third day of their prison, the elders began to talk. Okonkwo said that they should have killed the white ma. A messenger overheard and came to punish them. He wanted to know the name of person seeking to kill a white man. The message was sent to Umuofia that their elders would be set free as soon as fine of 250 cowries was received. The people of Umuofia got afraid and decided to pay the fine.
"Things Fall Apart" Detailed Summary: Chapter Twenty Four:
The commissioner released the elders as soon as 250 bags of cowries were received. Back home, Okonkwo wanted revenge badly. He wanted to slay the white men. A meeting was to be held early next morning to decide over the state of affairs. Okonkwo attended the meeting. Several speakers had their say but Okonkwo could feel that they were not likely to act. Suddenly, six messengers of the court arrived. Okonkwo recognized one and killed him. The meeting was ended but Okonkwo knew "that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape". He went silently to his house.
"Things Fall Apart" Detailed Summary: Chapter Twenty Five:
When the commissioner came to arrest Okonkwo, he had already hanged himself but the villagers of Umuofia refused to touch him because it was an abomination of earth to commit suicide. They requested the commissioner to help them bring him down. The commissioner asked his men to bring him down. During this Obierika went on to say to the commissioner that they are responsible for doing so to Okonkwo: "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself and now he will be buried like a Dog."
