The Conflictual Image of Christian Missionaries in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

With the missionary operations in Africa that started in late 15th and early 16th centuries, and continued for hundreds of years, Christianity has become one of the most common religion of Africa and an inseperable part of African literature. In this study, we aim to reveal what kind of missionary images and representations were made in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (TFA and shed light on the conflictual Christian missionary images and representations. Achebe made numerous references to missionaries and their activities in his country directly or indirectly. According to the representations of Christian missionaries examined, missionaries in TFA present a paradox. On the one hand, they appeared in Achebe’s fiction as people who built mission schools to educate the local children, and thus contribute to the development of literacy and civilization, and convert people in the regions they were found. However, on the other hand, they were presented as mischief-maker causing disagreements and breakup among the family members and tribes.