Why is it that Things Fall Apart became a success?

By Maria Susana Cabrera

One of the things that calls my attention is that a great number of people have read and loved Things Fall Apart. Maybe, one of the predominant reasons for that  is because the book is a reflection of their own history. Different people from all over the world get to relate with the story. As the writer mentioned ''the story resonates and is universal''.

 It resonates because during the colonization process, the power of one dominant culture over the other is something that has happened many times in the past.

For example, we as a Latin Americans, specifically Chileans were colonized by Europeans. Natives were taught Spanish, Christianity and customs. The shock of that new culture, of that new vision eradicates little by little the nature and the beauty of our Mapuche, Diaguita, Selknam people, among others.

The influence of the Spanish culture over ours was so immense and lasting that even today we can see that we are more Spanish than Mapuche like. The main religion in Chile is Christianity, the main language is Spanish, we drink ''once'', something very European.

I believe that as well as Achebe's vision, we are ashamed of our origin, we are ashamed of having last names that coming from Mapudungun. we feel abased, and at the same time discriminate people for being Mapuche, or from other ethnicity. we discriminate people because of their physical appearance, hair color, complexion etc.

We are very much like Nigerians; we were colonized, 'civilized', taught and forced to believe that the European vision of the world was the right one.

I invite you to reflect and bring the story behind Things Fall Apart into our own history as a Nation.

You will be surprised to see that most of what we are today is not a reflection of our own culture.