Chapter 21
What turns out to be the real underlying reason for the white man’s success in Umuofia?
The Europeans have brought commerce to the village, and a great deal of money is flowing into the village.
How does Mr. Smith’s arrival portend trouble for the clan?
Whereas Mr. Brown was respectful and tolerant, finding similarities between his culture and the Ibo’s, Mr. Smith sees only the extremes and the differences. To him, the Ibo culture is primitive and evil—something to be eradicated
Explain Mr. Brown’s method of conversion and why he is successful?
Mr. Brown listens to the people of Umuofia and engages in dialogue with them. He does not merely preach, but finds similarities between his new religion and the Ibo traditional religion on which to base his evangelism
How does Enoch create the conflict between the church and the clan? How was this event foreshadowed earlier in the novel?
The egwugwu are some of the most respected spirits in the clan. No one is allowed to see their faces. On one occasion, Enoch rips the mask off of one of the egwugwu and all of the people are able to see him. This has never happened before in the life of Umuofia, and the tribe does not know what to do in response.
In Chapter Ten, the narrator suggests that the women may have recognized Okonkwo as one of the masked egwugwu, but no one thought about it. Clearly, it is important to maintain the masquerade.
How does Umuofia respond to Okonkwo’s return? Why?
The clan barely notices Okonkwo’s return. It is a vastly different village from the one Okonkwo left, and the position he once held no longer even exists.
Explain the importance of the following line: “It seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for a great evil that was coming—its own death.”
This statement is important because it is a reiteration of the theme that “things fall apart.”
The end of the previous chapter repeated the idea as well, and the incident with Enoch and an egwugwu seems to be the catalyst for the final upheaval.
What does Mr. Brown’s visit to Okonkwo emphasize about relations between the Ibo and the Europeans?
Mr. Brown visits Okonkwo to share with him the “good news” that Nwoye, now called Isaac, has been sent to a seminary-school. He thinks Okonkwo will be happy to receive this news.
This indicates that even well-intended Europeans did not understand the hearts and attitudes of the people they intended to convert
How are Enoch and Okonkwo similar?
While Enoch and Okonkwo do not believe the same things, they both protect their beliefs with violence.
How is the theme of the novel repeated in the last paragraph of this chapter?
The theme is repeated as Okonkwo thinks about the destruction of his clan. Just as the final words of the eldest man in Mbanta expressed fear for the younger generation, Okonkwo mourns that his clan has fallen apart.
In the last paragraph, the phrase “falling apart” is repeated, as well as the idea that Okonkwo views those who are unwilling to fight as women: “He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women.”
What is the inevitable result of Mr. Smith’s inability to understand and communicate?
The spirit of the village is willing to compromise and out of respect and affection for Mr. Brown , and allow Mr. Smith to stay and even worship his own God; but Smith is unyielding in his desire to eradicate the village’s traditions. As a result, the village spirits demand the destruction of the church, which they see as an abomination.