Things Fall Apart: Chapters 20,21 "A Whole New World"

Things Fall Apart: Chapters 20,21 "A Whole New World"

"But apart from the church, the white man had also brought a government. They had built a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in ignorance" (Achebe 174).

Okonkwo finally returns to his village after 7 long years of exile only to find that the old village he remembered has basically been torn to shreds by the imperialists. The imperialists have brought in a new form of government not based off of titles and small decisions made by elders and oracles. The new form of government uses court systems and laws to keep people in order. The new government completely overthrows the old African culture, and now the imperialists have almost converted everyone in the old village. For the few that have not converted, they are completely outnumbered by the new Christians and no longer have any advantage to staying in their religion. The white men have almost completely taken over now...