Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, set in modern day Nigeria, tells the story of a boy, Nwoye, in the Igbo tribe with his father, Okonkwo. As part of Igbo tribe, Nwoye’s life is steeped in oral culture, from both his parents. While his mother teaches him about peace and resolutions, Okonkwo demands Nwoye to display dominance to achieve masculinity. Nwoye learns knowledge and draws lessons from years of oral tradition, which influence his every step and path. Storytelling influences Nwoye’s character throughout the novel by making him value peace whilst putting on a mask of indifference to appease his father, highlighting the importance of oral tradition in sculpting one’s personal and cultural identity.

The story from Nwoye’s mother emphasizes the importance of peace, which teaches him to keep his emotions under control to avoid conflict. The story is about a quarrel between the Earth and Sky, where Earth eventually sends an emissary to “plead with the Sky, and to soften his heart with a song of suffering of the sons of men… At last Sky was moved to pity” (Achebe 53); thus the sky let rain fall. This story of the Earth and Sky shows reconciliation with a happy ending. Whenever Nwoye’s mother sang this song, Nwoye felt swept away to this scene, making him feel more connected to the underlying lessons of peace and reconciliation. From his mother’s stories, Nwoye learns that when there is conflict, asking for forgiveness avoids the harsh consequences of conflict — which he takes as a win-win solution to any fight. As a result, Nwoye does not resort to violence or arguments often, preferring a more peaceful life.

However, Okonkwo feels upset at Nwoye for his pacifism, narrating his own experiences with violence to increase Nwoye’s masculinity. Okonkwo’s stories about violence conflict with Nwoye’s kind-hearted, gentle nature; however, Okonkwo’s use of violence to degrade and shame Nwoye for his unacceptable weaknesses makes Nwoye emulate his father’s masculine values to avoid familial conflict. Thus, Nwoye exclusively listens to Okonkwo’s stories of bloodshed and violence, like: “how, years ago, [Okonkwo] stalked his victim, overpowered him and obtained his first human head” (Achebe 54). Narration from Okonkwo’s childhood reminds Nwoye of his father’s expectations on masculinity that he is supposed to demonstrate through the specific blueprint his father gave him from stories of war heroes. The pacifist values Nwoye learns from his mother influence him to accept his father’s teachings and take Okonkwo’s abuse without complaint. Nwoye puts on a front of fearlessness and an act of having no weaknesses to appease his father’s violent behavior. For instance, Nwoye hides his crestfallen feelings about his step-brother’s death, to avoid Okonkwo’s wrath. The pressure Okonkwo puts on Nwoye to achieve his standards of masculinity forces Nwoye to act like he has no weaknesses.

Nwoye’s enlightenment on the values of peace and violence are both taught through years of storytelling from his parents. His mother’s wisdom teaches Nwoye to keep peace in the rocky family dynamics, especially with Okonkwo’s fiery support for violence. The way Nwoye interacts with his father, using the insight he learned from his mother ties back into the novel’s overarching theme of learning through oral tradition.