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Ezinma
Mr. Brown, the first white missionary to travel to Umuofia, institutes a policy of respect and compromise between the church and the clansmen. He engages in long religious discussions with Akunna in order to understand the Igbo traditions, and he builds a school and a hospital in Umuofia. Unlike Reverend Smith who arrives later, Mr. Brown avoids resorting to violence and harsh methods of enforcing church beliefs, attempting to use his understanding of the Igbo faith to convert clansmen.
Mr. Brown Quotes in Things Fall Apart
The Things Fall Apart quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Brown or refer to Mr. Brown. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 16 Quotes
He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before Him for judgment. Evil men and all the heathen who in their blindness bowed to wood and stone were thrown into a fire that burned like palm-oil. But good men who worshipped the true God lived forever in His happy kingdom.
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When Obierika visits Okonkwo, he witnesses the arrival of missionaries in Umuofia. He focuses, here, on the tenants of the Christian religion that have been evangelized in Igbo society. This description of Christianity shows how cultural and religious norms will be interpreted differently as they manifest in different societies. For instance, consider how Obierika uses the proverb “burned like palm-oil” to translate the Christian concept of Hell into symbolism that functions in Igbo society. Similarly, the tenets of Christianity are rephrased so that they juxtapose directly with Igbo beliefs. That “God lived on high” contrasts directly with the Igbo Earth Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At
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Mr. Brown Character Timeline in Things Fall Apart
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Brown appears in Things Fall Apart. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 21
...into Umuofia. Even the religion is beginning to take hold due to the efforts of Mr. Brown , a white missionary who approaches conversion in a respectful and restrained manner, attempting to...
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Mr. Brown makes friends with some of the great men of the clan, and in one of...
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Mr. Brown uses his understanding to convert more clan members to the church. He builds a school...
(full context)
Chapter 22
Reverend Smith replaces Mr. Brown , and in contrast to Mr. Brown's policy of compromise, Mr. Smith encourages extreme acts...
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...the egwugwu. Reverend Smith refuses to move, but he cannot save his church. The church Mr. Brown built is burned to the ground, and the clan is momentarily pacified.
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