Things Fall Apart

By Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe is one of the most well-known contemporary African

writers.

Born 1930

Many of his novels and short stories are based in Nigeria, Africa.

Many of his characters are members of the Igbo (Ibo) tribe.

Map of Africa

Nigeria

.

Things Fall Apart (written in 1958) deals with the clash of cultures and the violent transitions in life and values brought about by British colonialism in Nigeria in late 1800s.

colonialism

• A system by which a country (like Great Britain) maintains foreign colonies (like Nigeria) in order to exploit them economically.

• The domineering country usually feels superior to the “natives” in all ways and often forces its customs and religion upon them.

• The novel recounts the life of the village hero Okonkwo and describes the arrival of white missionaries in Nigeria and their impact on traditional Igbo society during the late 1800s.

• Things Fall Apart includes Western linguistic forms and literary traditions with Igbo words and phrases, proverbs, fables, tales, and other elements of African oral and communal storytelling traditions.

Plot Summary

• The main character, Okonkwo, is a great man who has achieved much in his life.

• He is a champion wrestler, a wealthy farmer, a husband to three wives, a title-holder among his people.

• His success is driven by the fear of becoming like his father (poor and cowardly)

The society’s order is disrupted, however, with the appearance of the white man in Africa and with the introduction of his religion (Christianity).

"The conflict of the novel, shown in Okonkwo, derives from the series of crushing blows which are leveled at traditional values by an alien and more powerful culture causing, in the end, the traditional society to fall apart," (G.D. Killam).

Okonkwo is unable to adapt to the changes that accompany colonialism.

In the end, in frustration, he kills an African employed by the British, and then commits suicide, a sin against the tradition to which he had long clung.

Key Terms

Brideprice ObiKola ManslaughterCowrie shells Palm oilPolygamy ChiYams Foo fooEvil Forest UmuofiaIbo OracleIlo Alligator pepperHarmattan Priestess

Ibo or Igbo

• The name of a tribe of people in Nigeria

Alligator pepper

• It is a common ingredient in West African cuisine where it imparts both 'heat', 'pungency' and a spicy aroma to classic West African 'soups' (stews).

• Ground and blended with kola nut in a ritual to welcome visitors

White chalk

• Symbol of peace. Also used to signify personal honors and status.

Bride Price

Common in many African cultures; the bridegroom’s family pays in cash or goods for the privilege of marring a young woman. (dowry – opposite – woman’s family pays for man to marry her).

Obi

Large living quarters for the head of the family.

Umuofia

A village of the Ibo

Kola

A bean, a stimulant like tea or coffee. Served on most social occasions.

Manslaughter

unlawful killing without the intent to kill (accidental).

Cowrie shells

A sea shell, used as a form of money. The village’s distance from the sea makes them rare enough to use as money.

Palm oil

Rich yellow oil pressed from fruit of palm trees. Used for fuel & cooking.

• Palm oil comes from palm nuts which are harvested by climbing high up in palm trees.   Palm wine is also tapped in the same area on the tree.  Palm wine tappers make holes in the tree at the base of the male flower.   Using funnels made of palm leaves the tappers collect the palm wine as it drips from the tree into gourds that they hang from the palm fronds.

Polygamy

The practice or condition of having more than one spouse, esp. wife, at one time.

Chi

A person’s personal spirit (usually in the form of a wooden idol) Like a guardian angel

Yamsweet potato-- In some African cultures it was used as currency

Storage of yams

foo foo a dough-like West African dish of boiled and

ground plantain, yam, or cassava, made into balls to go with soups or stews.

cassava

Evil ForestSuperstitious natives believe that evil

spirits lurk in the mysterious forest

harmattan

Dust-laden winds originating in the desert. Usually last 3-5 days. Dusty haze usually blocks out the sun, reduces temperatures and visibility.

oracle

• A person believed to be in communication with a deity (god or gods)

The oracle of the cave

ilo

• The village green, where assemblies for sports, discussions, etc., take place

ekwe

• Ekwe - Two-pitch Ibo log drum. Available in two types of hardwood (yellow or red). Played with either a plain straight wood stick or a rubber-tipped short beater similar to a large balafon or Alo (long gong-bell) mallet. These log drums are found in the eastern part of Nigeria. Larger Ekwes are usually played with two sticks, while smaller ones are usually played with only one stick.

udu

• A musical instrument; a type of drum made from pottery

Egwugwu

• A masquerader who impersonates one of the ancestral spirits of the village