The meaning of this motif is quite obvious in the very first act. Simply, it means that appearances are often deceptive, and that things are different from what they appear to be. This line also points towards the play’s concern with the inconsistency between appearance and reality. Though it is a knotty and difficult idea, nevertheless it suggests that in this world, you can never be sure whether it is a mirage, an apparition, or a dagger.
In Things Fall Apart, the arrival of the missionaries best illustrate the struggle between tradition and change.
While many resist the changes the missionaries bring, many like them. The missionaries bring new goods to the village and export village goods, bringing money into the village. This trade, however, has its drawbacks. Meanwhile, conversation between village elders and Mr. Brown allows them to understand one another. Mr. Brown tries to encourage the elders to educate their children, explaining this will bring hope for their futures.
Although many welcome these changes, others -- including Okonkwo -- are resistant. He and a few others do not like this change and even openly resist it. They value their traditions and do not want them altered.
Therefore, of the many themes in the novel, the one represented by the arrival of the missionaries is "the struggle between tradition and change."
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