Not all members of the Igbo clan in Umuofia dislike the changes taking place. The Europeans are bringing wealth to the village as they begin to export palm-oil and palm nut kernels.
The white missionary, Mr. Brown, takes time to learn about the Igbo form of worship, often discussing religion with one of the elders of the clan. The two men debate the forms, actions, and attitudes of their respective gods. Mr. Brown restrains overeager members of his church from provoking villagers who cling to the old ways. Through his gentle patience, Mr. Brown becomes friends with some of the clan leaders, who begin to listen to and understand his message.
Mr. Brown urges the people of the clan to send their children to his school. He tells them that education is the key to maintaining control of their land. Eventually, people of all ages begin to listen to his message and attend his school. Mr. Brown’s crusade gains power for the whites and for the church, but his diligence takes its toll on his health. He is forced to leave his congregation and return home.
Before Mr. Brown goes home, he visits Okonkwo to tell him that Nwoye—now called Isaac—has been sent to a teaching college in a distant town. Okonkwo drives the missionary out and orders him never to return.
Everything about the changed community of Umuofia displeases Okonkwo. His homecoming was not what he had hoped; no one really took much notice of his arrival. He can’t even proceed with the ceremonies for his sons, because the rites are held only once every three years, and this year is not one of them. The dissolution of the old way of life saddens him as he sees the once fierce Umuofians becoming more and more “soft like women.” He mourns for the clan, “which he saw breaking up and falling apart”—a phrase that again recalls the book’s title.
