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.

Written in English; Translated into more than 50 languages

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.

Significance of TFA• Shows rich, positive

view of African culture

• Gives Africans a vision of their past

• Different from typical African novel told from European point of view

• Precursor to pluralism• Affirmation and

acceptance of diversity• Title implies cultural

breakdown is not limited to Ibo society; it is universal

• To refuse to accept change is to be destroyed by it

Significance of TFA• Shows rich, positive

view of African culture

• Gives Africans a vision of their past

• Different from typical African novel told from European point of view

• Precursor to pluralism• Affirmation and

acceptance of diversity• Title implies cultural

breakdown is not limited to Ibo society; it is universal

• To refuse to accept change is to be destroyed by it

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).

Key Terms

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

Quotations• Okonkwo knew how to kill a man's spirit." • "Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the

emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.“

• "No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and children (and especially his women) he was not really a man.“

• "A man could not rise above the destiny of his chi. The saying of the elders was not true - that if a man said yea his chi was also affirmed. Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation."

Ibo or Igbo• The name of a tribe of people in Nigeria

 "I am Evil Forest. I kill a man on the day that his life is sweetest to him.

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.

Chinua Achebe aka Albert Chínụ̀ álụ̀mọ̀ gụ̀ Àchèbé)• Achebe is a social novelist who believed in the social potency of

literature• Ibo childhood but university educated• Taught at several universities in Nigeria, Massachusetts, and

Connecticut• Paralyzed from auto accident• Since 2009, he has been the David and Marianna Fisher University

Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Nigerian Politics• 1914 Nigeria is

created as a political entity

• 1861: Official British control

• 1866: Nigeria becomes separate British colony

• British traded in palm oil; missionaries converted

• Colonialism was ending when TFA was published

• Nigeria gained independence in 1960

"Every day I tell you that jigida and fire are not friends. But you will never hear. You grew your ears for decoration, not for hearing. One of these days your jigida will catch fire on your waist, and then you will know." (Akueke's mother)

Jigida beads: worn around the waist

Bride Price

Common in many African cultures; the bridegroom’s family pays in cash or goods for the privilege of marrying a young woman.

Dowry (a European custom) – opposite – woman’s family pays for man to marry her.

ObiLarge living quarters for the man.

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).

A Female Crime

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 forestTwins are leftto die in the Evil Forest.Uchendu is taken here to die after he gets the “swelling sickness.”

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.

Diala: free adult malesosu: religious outcasts; priests to the godsIbo treated osu with contemptohu: slaves captured in war Chukwu: common god of allChi: each person’s protective ancestral spirit; each person, clan, and village had one

Terms

Terms Continuedagbala: woman or man with no titlekotma: court messengerogbanje: child who repeatedly dies and returns to its mother’s wombiwi-uwa: a stone which connects a changeling to the spirit worldcowry shells: moneyefulefu: worthless manfoo foo: pounded yamobi: male living quartersiba: a feverochu: murdernso-ani: abhorred religious offenseagadi-nwayi: old womanekwe: a wooden drumkola: a a stimulant similar to coffee

The Ogbanje

A changeling child that cycles between two worlds: the physical and the spiritual. Ezinma, Okonkwo’s daughter with his second wife, Ekwefi, is one.Only a medicine man can communicate with it.The iyi-uwa, the stone that is buried upon the ogbanje’s birth, can be foundand destroyed to break the cycle of dying and being reborn.

Generally, if the child lives past six, he or she will survive.Chielo, the village priestess, helps save Ezinma.

Main God Is ChukwuCreator of the worldand of lesser deitiesThe will of the deities is revealed through the oracles.Ani: earth goddesswho regulates life

Egwugwu: Represent the ancestral spiritsChielo: Priestess of Agbala

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

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

village

Major Characters• Okonkwo (Oh-kawnkwoh): The central character• Unoka (OO-no-kah): Okonkwo’s father• Nwoye: (Nuwoh-yeh): Okonkwo’s oldest son, age 12 at the book’s beginning• Ikemefuna (Ee-keh-meh-foo-nah): A boy of fourteen given to the village

(Umoufia) (Ooh-mooh-fyah) by a neighboring village to avoid war• Ekwefi (Eh-kweh-fee): Okonkwo’s second wife• Ezinma (Eh-zeen-mah): Daughter of Ekwefi and Okonkwo• Ojiubo (Oh-jee-ooh-boh): Okonkwo’s third wife• Obierika ((oh-bee-air-ee-kah): Okonkwo’s best friend in Umoufia. The father of

Maduka (son) and Ekuwke (daughter)• Chielo (Chee-eh-loh): A village widow who is also the priestess of Agbala• Agbala (Ah-bah-lah): The Oracle of the Hills and Caves. She influences all aspects

of life in the village• Mr. Brown: The first white Christian missionary in Umoufia• Mr. Kiaga (Kee-ah-gah): The native interpreter for the missionaries• The Reverend James Smith: A strict, stereotypical white Christian missionary, he

takes over the church after Mr. Brown’s departure• The District Commissioner: A stem, stereotypical white colonial administrator of

Umoufia

Style and Point of ViewOmniscient narrator with deceptively simple style of an African storyteller

Use of the fable and proverb to convey symbolic meanings

“Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.”

Use of foreshadowing and flashback to reveal character and plot

ThemesContinual and inevitable changeNo culture is static; refusal to change or to adjust will not stop the process.Balance of traditional masculine and feminine valuesOkonkwo represents a traditional view of masculine power: he is physically strong,courageous and hardworking but incapable of compassion and humilityThe dynamic between the individual and the societyIndividuals derive strength from the societies to which they belong

Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe1958