A book or a text that has been significant for you in some way.

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A Book or A Text That Has Been Significant for You in Some Way
I was not always an ardent book reader myself – who would? With the presence of movies that take averagely two hours or so. They are convenient and entertaining which was ok with me, I was in my comfort zone. Not until a friend persuaded me into reading a novel, “Things Fall Apart” by the renowned author, Chinua Achebe. For a first book to keenly read, I took an interest in African literature; the culture was vividly described, and I found it original and unique in a sense. I felt and noted the impact the story can impart on somebody; it captures every detail that puts you into the atmosphere and period of the story. This feeling is unique to the narrative stories and cannot be found anywhere even in the movies or plays.
To tell a story about traditions of a community requires a personal touch and knowledge to express the delicate aspects. By the time I finished reading Chinua’s narrative about his culture, I thought to myself, why would people want to abandon such interesting traditions for the modern day stereotypic cultures. He explained the traditions that governed and kept the people of his tribe in check, through his main character Okonkwo, so passionately, that it made me wonder how they were formulated and preserved across generations. (Achebe, 28). The culture of the Igbo people was clearly elaborated that I believed I could live among them and perfectly blend in.

It was united with its locality and its environment in a delicate nature and so pure that I got saddened and discouraged when they were invaded by the missionaries.
Every community has certain strongholds and activities on which they are based on. The Igbo people were very organized despite their distributed power, where there was no definite leader. I understood the importance of signature virtues in a society and Furthermore the change and impact the strict observance of such virtues can bring in a community. The rigidity and the firmness of consequences for breakage of such values were equally applied to all the members of the community. This novel taught me the importance of keeping a permanently predefined structure whereby; no one is permanent in his role, but flexible enough to fit and adjust to the roles available. The breakage of the Igbo virtues and beliefs by welcoming the missionaries explained the reason for the crumbling of supposed firm structure.
In a group or a unit, every participant if given an equal opportunity and favorable conditions, they can each pave paths for themselves depending on their decisions. I admired the way Achebe describe his characters, from the determined and rigid Okonkwo to the reasonable Obierika (Achebe, 39). I believed that during the period of the novel the Igbo culture gave every individual an equal chance to build their status from scratch. Therefore, the decisions made by a person were critical in how they life’s eventually turned out. The decisions made were either short lived or long lived. For instance, the case of Okonkwo, his rigidity, and choice to reject the missionaries was successful at the beginning but ultimately led to his downfall. Obierika, on the other hand, being reasonable, anticipated the positivity of idea and finally succeeded by being modest in his choices.
The comprehensive nature of the novels in describing cultures, hence makes the readers knowledgeable on the aspects and beliefs of people around them. From the story, I learned that all the people are not the same because of the difference in opinion and character. I, therefore, appreciate the fact that every individual has a role to play as do I, and that each job or task or duty is as important despite the size or nature. The cultures and principles of all the individuals should be respected and equally appreciated.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. “Things Fall Apart. 1958.” Portsmouth, NH, and Oxford, England: Heine¬ mann (1986).