The Conflicting Methods of Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith: Who is primarily responsible for the fall of Umuofia? (Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe)

Christianity, in its entirety, is the largest holiness in the world and continues to seek convinces everyday. In Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart, Mr. brownness and Mr. Smith play the affair of white missionaries who share that exact aim: to transmute the indispensables of Umoufia into Christianity. However, the harsh and uncompromising methods of Mr. Smith conflicts with those of Mr. Brown, who can be described as serene and peaceful. These opposing approaches take a part in the chaos that emerges and understanding their roles in Igbo society can t curiositying readers determine who is primarily responsible for the come across of Umoufia.

The apparitional views of the Umuofians play a large role in the drop of Umuofia because righteousness is the foundation of their society; everything the Umuofians did was based on their religious views. later quickly recognizing that, Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith used more strategies to castigate to gain influence in the Umuofian order and to replace the innates? religious views with their own. As one of the first missionaries in Umuofia, Mr. Brown realised that ?a frontal attack on the clan would not succeed? (166) and he fan out his Christian views in a peaceful and affable manner. This brought him great respect from the people of the clan. In fact, he was even ?presented with a carved elephant tusk, which was a mansion house of great dignity and rank? (164). This gift symbolizes the villagers? approval of him and possibly of the Christian religion. From this position, he was able to open a hospital and a school which brought many new converts; the awakeness that those who be Mr. Brown?s school would learn how to read and put out and the distribution of generous ?gifts of singlets and towels? (166) attracted many people to enroll into the school. all told in all, Mr. Brown uses his passive mind-set to convert the inwroughts to Christianity. This is foreign the strict and uncompromising Mr. Smith, who harshly imposes his religion upon the natives and allows for no erroneousness in the comprehension of Christian beliefs. As the replacement for the blistery Mr. Brown, Mr. Smith ?condemned openly Mr. Brown?s policy of compromise and accommodation? (169). He assumed that Mr. Brown was interested in ?nothing but numbers? (169). Believing ?Narrow is the direction and few the number,? he quickly becomes ?distressed by the ignorance which many of his flock showed? toward Christianity (169) and rather than converting Umuofians, Mr. Smith actually suspends one of the converts. non to mention, he wasn?t able to form beneficial relationships with the clan in the way Mr. Brown has done. Therefore, Mr. Smith is unlike Mr. Brown in the way he is successful converting the Umuofians and gaining influence in the clan.

When Mr. Brown first arrived in Umoufia, he not solitary(prenominal) had to promote Christianity and its views but he also was faced with the native beliefs of the Umuofians. The manner used by Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith toward native beliefs was decisive in how Christianity was perceived by the Umuofians. Mr. Brown was aware of this because he ?was very firm in restraining his flock from fire the ira of the clan? (163). Right from the beginning ?he make friends with some of the great men of the clan? (163) which positively touched the opinions of the natives toward Christianity. One of these friends was Akunna, who talked with Mr. Brown frequently about each opposite?s faiths through an interpreter. These discussions provided Mr. Brown with information about the religion of the clan and allowed him to conclude what actions he should take. It was indeed this info that encourage him to create a school and a hospital because he knew that if he appealed to the natives and worked with their belief system, rather than against, he could easily derive them over to Christianity. That is exactly what he did and if it wasn?t for his poor wellness to cause him to leave, Mr. Brown would?ve most probably accomplished the goal he set out. On the other hand, Mr. Smith couldn?t pick up where Mr. Brown left off; he disagreed with the way Mr. Brown converted the natives because they knew little of his religion and unplowed some of their old customs duty.



An example of this intolerance toward clan customs is expressed when he hears that a child of a convert is ?declared an ogbanje, plaguing its mother by dying and entering her womb to be born again? (170). This indigenous myth, in his opinion, was ?spread by the Devil to lead men astray? (170). His rejection of native beliefs is a result of close-mindedness toward religion and causes him to be ?filled with wrath? (170), thus suspending the woman from the church. Another example of Mr. Smith world bigoted toward religious customs is shown in the case of Enoch, an ?over-zealous convert? (170). ?During the annual ceremony which was held in honor of the earth idol? (171), the egwugwu, a group of masqueraders who impersonate the ancestral spirits of the village, occupy allowed the Christian women who?ve gone to church to go home. Although they were already get-go to withdraw, Enoch swanks aloud that they wouldn?t dare touch a Christian ?whereupon they all came back and one of them gave Enoch a good bias the cane? (171). Enoch rips of his mask, which in Umuofia is equal to killing the ancestral spirit. The bordering day, the egwugwu burned the church to the ground. If they haven?t ?liked his fellow? (175), they would have harmed Mr. Smith as well. These examples prove that Mr. Smith?s rejection and prejudiced approach toward the Umuofian customs caused the Umuofians to abandon their peaceful ways, which is shown by the burning of the church, thus disapproving Christianity.

Primarily, Mr. Brown is to blame for the downfall of Umuofia. He was able to socially connect with the Umuofians, as if he was on their side. The relationships he made with the natives supplied him with the status he unavoidable to appear likable and genial. However, it was their own foolishness that conclusively brought the fall of Umuofia; to think Mr. Brown had good intentions was critically false because in the end, both missionaries wanted the same cruel thing. Therefore, the naive Umuofians brought the end to themselves.

Works CitedAchebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Fawcett, 1985.

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