Mr. Brown is the first parish leader of the Christian church at Umuofia, and Achebe uses him as a vehicle to represent a milder version of colonialism and evangelism. Mr. Brown has a clear respect for the Igbo people and is interested in learning more about their spirituality and culture, as is evident through his debates with local elders. While his motives behind this respect are questionable, as his respect could be interpreted as a façade to better attack native spirituality, it is without question that he does not see the need to act violently, nor hasten conversion. Mr. Brown also demonstrates an understanding of some of the injustice colonialism has and will continue to have on the native population. Perhaps less subtle than his motives, his name ‘Mr. Brown’ even suggests that he exists between the black people of Africa and the white people of Britain. He implores that the people of Umuofia visit his school so that they may learn to read and write, a skill that is extremely important if they are to succeed in the British model of civilisation. We can already see how colonial instruments abuse their power, when the wardens of the town mark up the bail of Okonkwo and the egwugwu from 200 to 250 cowries and taking the extra for themselves. It is precisely this that Mr. Brown alludes to and seeks to prevent through more passive forms of colonialism like education.
