Things Fall Apart

by

Chinua Achebe

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Reverend James Smith Character Analysis

Reverend Smith replaces Mr. Brown after the latter departs for health reasons. Unlike Mr. Brown, Reverend Smith is impatient and strict, showing no respect for indigenous customs or culture. He criticizes the way Mr. Brown interacted with the Umuofia people before his arrival, and he encourages extreme tactics to provoke change in the clan.
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Reverend James Smith Character Timeline in Things Fall Apart

The timeline below shows where the character Reverend James Smith appears in Things Fall Apart. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 22
Religion Theme Icon
Reverend Smith replaces Mr. Brown, and in contrast to Mr. Brown's policy of compromise, Mr. Smith encourages... (full context)
Masculinity Theme Icon
Religion Theme Icon
Reverend Smith encourages over-zealous converts like Enoch, leading Enoch to enrage the clan during an annual ceremony... (full context)
Tradition vs. Change Theme Icon
Religion Theme Icon
...holy war. The egwugwu burn down Enoch's compound and move on to the church, where Reverend Smith and his interpreter, Okeke, meet them. Ajofia, the leading egwugwu of Umuofia, speaks to the... (full context)
Chapter 23
Tradition vs. Change Theme Icon
Masculinity Theme Icon
...armed with a gun or a machete. When the District Commissioner returns from his tour, Mr. Smith goes to speak with him, and three days afterwards, the District Commissioner asks all the... (full context)