Things Fall Apart, Chapters Seventeen, Eighteen, and Nineteen

The First Missionary House in Nigeria at Badagri

Often people believe that there is no progress unless there is first change. You might even ask yourself, “Can progress be made without conflict?” Similarly, is the progress that comes from conflict always positive? It depends on who you ask; if you ask the Ibo, you might get an answer that indicates they thought life was just fine as it was. Ask the British, and you might hear something like, “Those savages needed us to straighten them out.” Even some of the Ibo open themselves up to the change. Is progress made through British colonialism? Or was life fine just as it was?

Essential Question

• Can progress be made without conflict?