Uchendu On Truth: Ch. 15-16

"There is no story that is not true" (p. 122). These words spoken by Uchendu suggest that there is always some degree of truth in every idea and ideology, even if the whole is not completely correct. Considering Uchendu's appreciation of story-telling as a method of communicating important truths, his open-mindedness towards even seemingly outlandish stories is natural. Although Uchendu's statement may appear to claim that truth is only relative to each culture and people, it is also a fair interpretation to consider his words a testament to the limitations of human understanding.

In this same passage, Uchendu highlights how customs can vary widely from region to region. This observation illustrates how easy it is for the truth to be obscured in the midst of countless and diverse ideologies. Thus, Uchendu is warning his companions not to rashly dismiss a story that sounds strange since even incorrect facts can give the mind clues towards the truth. Later, readers see the conflicts between the Westerners and Africans up close. It is interesting to notice how quickly each side dismisses the other's customs. Such ill-advised behavior brings to mind Uchendu's cautioning, "There is no story that is not true".

Nwoye's conversion to Christianity is an event which seems to substantiate Uchendu's claim. Nwoye embraced the new religion mainly due to the fact that its message of love and mercy resonated with something already within his heart. Most notably, the frustration and despair awakened in Nwoye as a result of his perception of his culture's shocking actions (such as killing Ikemefuna and discarding twins) are appeased by the message of love found in Christianity. Thus, even though Nwoye did not immediately understand Christianity as a whole, he quickly found answers for many of his deepest questions in the strange, new religion.