Adapting to Change Cesar Chavez once said, “The preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” Respecting other cultures is very important if you want to have peace in your own culture. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Western missionaries introduce new thoughts and beliefs into Ibo society. The changes introduced into Ibo society caused a serious conflict between the two cultures and ultimately led to the downfall of the Ibo culture. Throughout the book there were several complex relationships. However, the most complex would be the father/son relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye. When the missionaries arrived, Nwoye gained a sense of belonging and comfort and this allowed him to show his true feelings that he had kept hidden. Chinua Achebe used Nwoye to point out that changes in a culture can be positive. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay After converting, Nwoye felt a sense of identity. When Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, Nwoye never recovered from the loss of what seemed like a brother. When Nwoye found out what had happened to Ikemefuna, “He didn't cry. It simply remained inert” (Achebe 65). Nwoye felt overwhelmed by emotions; he felt betrayed by his father for taking part in something so horrible, but he knew that Okonkwo only did it to maintain his reputation for being masculine. She had to keep her abundance of feelings to herself, otherwise she risked appearing too feminine for her father's tastes. When Western missionaries brought their culture to Ibo society, Nwoye realized that it was more suited to their religion; a religion where he didn't need to hide his feelings or be forced to make decisions he knew were unethical. Although the introduction of Western culture brought conflict to many people in Nwoye's life, the missionaries provided Nwoye with an outlet that he could use to release his anger and frustration towards his father and the entire Ibo culture. Nwoye's fractured relationship with his father while growing up made him feel like he didn't belong in Ibo culture. His childhood was filled with terrible memories that turned him into a despondent individual, which was underlined when Achebe wrote: “At any rate, so it seemed to his father and he tried to correct him by constantly tormenting and beating him. And so Nwoye was turning into a sad-faced young man” (23). Okonkwo did not tolerate Nwoye's differences and, as a result, abused his son both emotionally and physically. Nwoye's father made him feel like an outsider in his own family, and because of this, Nwoye was afraid to be himself from a very young age. When Nwoye found out he would be leaving his home to attend a Christian school, Achebe wrote: “Nwoye did not fully understand. But he was happy to leave his father” (145). The missionaries gave Nwoye a safe haven where he was free to be himself and not hold back any of his emotions out of fear, which was a great relief for him. Nwoye's change in character helped shape the book Things Fall Apart as a whole. The arrival of the missionaries aroused much curiosity within the tribe. The curiosity of the Ibo people, especially the Nwoye, has led to conflicts within families and between friends. All the conflict caused by the missionaries shaped the outcome of the book by emphasizing that change comes with conflict but can be both beneficial and harmful. For example, when Nwoye began to question his identity, it caused him to.