Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe - Goodreads • Chinua Achebe was a novelist, poet, professor at Brown University and critic. He is best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature. • Raised by Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. He became fascinated with world religions and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service and soon moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention for Things Fall Apart in the late 1950 s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe writes his novels in English and has defended the use of English, a "language of colonizers", in African literature. In 1975, his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" became the focus of controversy, for its criticism of Joseph Conrad as "a bloody racist"

• When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe became a devoted supporter of Biafran independence and served as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved himself in political parties but soon resigned due to frustration over the corruption and elitism he witnessed. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970 s, and returned to the U. S. in 1990 after a car accident left him partially disabled. • Achebe's novels focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of values during and after the colonial era. His style relied heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He also published a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections. He became the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. • Achebe died in 2013 at age 82 following a brief illness.

Introduction by: Lame Maatla Kenalemang From her essay “Things Fall Apart: An Analysis of Pre and Post-Colonial Igbo Society”

• Chinua Achebe (1930 - 2013) published his first novel Things Fall Apart (TFA) in 1958. Achebe wrote TFA in response to European novels that depicted Africans as savages who needed to be enlightened by the Europeans. • Achebe presents to the reader his people’s history with both strengths and imperfections by describing for example, Igbo festivals, the worship of their gods and the practices in their ritual ceremonies, their rich culture and other social practices, the colonial era that was both stopping Igbo culture and also brought in some benefits to their culture. • TFA therefore directs the misleading of European novels that depict Africans as savages into a whole new light with its portrayal of Igbo society, and examines the effects of European colonialism on Igbo society from an African perspective.

• The setting of the novel is in the outskirts of Nigeria in a small fictional village, Umuofia, just before the arrival of white missionaries into their land. Due to the unexpected arrival of white missionaries in Umuofia, the villagers do not know how to react to the sudden cultural changes that the missionaries threaten to change with their new political structure and institutions. • Towards the end of the nineteenth century most European states migrated to Africa and other parts of the world where they established colonies. Nigeria was amongst other African nations that received visitors who were on a colonising mission; introducing their religion and culture that is later imposed on Igbo. • The culture of the people of Umuofia (Igbo culture) is immensely threatened by this change.

• Achebe’s primary purpose for writing the novel is to educate his readers about the value of his culture as an African. Things Fall Apart provides readers with insight into Igbo society right before the white missionaries’ invasion on their land. The invasion of the colonising force threatens to change almost every aspect of Igbo society; from religion, traditional gender roles and relations, family structure to trade. • Consequently, Achebe blames the white missionaries’ colonial rule and/or invasion for the post-colonial oppressed Igbo culture; this oppression can be seen in terms of the oppressed social coherence between the individual and their society. Furthermore, Achebe educates readers extensively about Igbo society’s myths and proverbs.

• Before Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart, all the novels that had been written about Africa and Africans were written by Europeans. Mostly, the European writings described Africans as uncivilised and uneducated persons. The Europeans, seeing that they thought of themselves as more advanced than Africans, were determined to “help” Africans shift from the old era into the modern era of civilisation and education. • Heart of Darkness, for instance, by Joseph Conrad was one of the most read novels around the time of its publication in 1899. Conrad described Africa as a “wild, ‘dark’, and uncivilised continent” (Sickels 1). Following Conrad’s novel in 1952 was Mister Johnson, a novel by Joyce Cary. Like Heart of Darkness, Mister Johnson was also quite a popular read; its reviews suggest it was a more popular read than Heart of Darkness. According to Sickels, Mister Johnson, describes the novel’s protagonist Mr Johnson generally as a “childish, semi- educated African who reinforces colonialist stereotypes about Africa” (1).

• Based on the descriptions of Africa and its people by both Conrad and Cary, it comes as no surprise that Achebe and other African writers began to emerge and tell their story of Africa and its people. Not only were Conrad and Cary’s novels a misrepresentation of Africa, they were also humiliating to its people. It is through the insights of Things Fall Apart that the world became more appreciative of Africa and its people and at the same time the truth surrounding the stereotypical ideas that once existed about Africa began to appear in a much clearer light.

Colonialism and Post Colonialism • Colonialism as defined by OED refers to “the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically”. Therefore, post-colonialism is sometimes assumed to refer to “after colonialism” or “afterindependence” (Ashcroft et al. 12) describing the wide range of social, cultural and political events arising specifically from the decline and fall of European colonialism that took place after World War II (Mc. Ewan 18). • Post-colonialism expresses the opposite idea of colonialism. Hence, postcolonialism literature is a consequence of colonialism. Through literature we understand the primary focus of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: a novel written by an individual who grew up under colonial rule in response to the effects of colonialism on his culture, Achebe writes back at the writings of European writers and the misrepresentation of Africa in their writings.

• One scholar has suggested that although most countries have gained independence from their colonisers, they are still indirectly subjected in one way or another to the forms of neo- colonial domination (Ashcroft et al. 2). [The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside]. • Post-colonialism continues to be a process of hostility and reform. • Post-colonial literature does not show the colonised as victims of colonialism, but rather it shows that they are confused about their sense of belonging. Most colonised individuals do not know whether to follow their own culture or the culture of the coloniser. Because of this they find themselves combining some of the elements of the two different cultures which make them move back and forth in between their present and past lives, hence their confused sense of belonging. This back and forth movement in most instances leads to a miscommunication that can be meaningful.

Setting

Igboland The Igbo people, are an indigenous linguistic and cultural people of southern Nigeria. The Igbo homeland is divided into two sections by the Niger River (East and West). Umuofia and Mbanta are 2 of the 9 fictional Villages made up of the Igbo people in Things Fall Apart Nigeria is located on the west coast of Africa. More than two hundred ethnic groups — each with its own language, beliefs, and culture — live in present-day Nigeria. The largest ethnic groups are the mostly Protestant Yoruba in the west, the Catholic Igbo in the east, and the predominantly Muslim Hausa-Fulani in the north. This diversity of peoples is the result of thousands of years of history; as traders, nomads, and refugees from invaders and climatic changes came to settle with the indigenous population, and as foreign nations became aware of the area's resources. The events in Things Fall Apart take place at the end of the nineteenth century and in the early part of the twentieth century. Although the British did not occupy most of Nigeria until 1904, they had a strong presence in West Africa since the early nineteenth century. The British were a major buyer of African slaves in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Things Fall Apart : Questions

Chapter 1 • How does 18 year old Okonkwo bring honour to his village? • When Okonkwo is angry and cannot speak because of his stutter, how does he get his point across? • Who is Okonkwo’s father? Describe him. • Explain why Okonkwo does not have any patience with his father. • Why does Unoka’s neighbour, Okoye, visit him? How does Unoka react? • Unoka changes the topic to music when Okoye is talking to him about war. Why might this be? • The Ibo people consider conversation to be very important. What form of conversation do they regard most highly? Explain. • Why is Okonkwo considered one of the greatest men of his time?

Worth mentioning • Palm Oil: • “Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (7). • Language is very important in Igbo culture and taking one’s time with it demonstrates respect. Instead of Okoye just demanding that Unoka give him his money, he takes his time using proverbs to get to his point. On the other hand, once Okoye asks for his money, Unoka laughs at him which is disrespectful. Think about what this says about Unoka’s character. • is a type of edible vegetable oil that is derived from the palm fruit, grown on the African oil palm tree. Oil palms are originally from Western Africa, but can flourish wherever heat and rainfall are abundant. Today, palm oil is grown throughout Africa, Asia, North America, and South America.

Palm Oil

Proverbs • A proverb is defined as a “condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people” (“Proverb, ” Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus). According to “Akporobaro, a proverb is a brief common statement that is usually adopted by cultures to teach its people about the principles of right and wrong using as few words as possible. He goes further to describe it as a means by which ideas can be vividly expressed and illustrated” (Alimi 124). • Most of the text in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart chiefly features in the use and explanations of the complicated Igbo myths and proverbs that the Europeans fail to acknowledge. Throughout the novel Achebe craftily uses his characters to speak in proverbs when they address one another. The use of proverbs is very important in conversations as the Igbo believe them to be a fountain of wisdom and of respect. • From the onset of the novel Achebe makes readers aware of the importance of proverbs in conversation. When Okoye pays Unoka a visit to ask him to settle his debt, and although Unoka is late with the payment, Okoye does not lash out at Unoka about his overdue debt. Rather, the neighbours share a kola nut, give thanks unto the ancestors and then go on to discuss the debt by speaking in proverbs (3). This maintains good relations between the two neighbours even though they are discussing such an issue that usually causes conflicts between people. - Kenalemang

Kola Nut • The kola nut is the fruit of the kola tree, a genus of trees that are native to the tropical rainforests of Africa. The caffeine-containing fruit of the tree is used as a flavoring ingredient in beverages – Wikipedia

When a host invites someone into their home the kola nut is broken and eaten. It is a symbol of hospitality and respect: “I have kola, ” he announced when he sat down, and passed the disc over to his guest. “Thank you. He who brings kola brings life” (6).

Chapter 2 • What is used to inform all the men of the Umuofia to meet in the market place the following morning? • What do the people of Umuofia fear in the night? Why? • What souvenir from war did Okonkwo drink palm-wine from? • What exactly is the emergency that the great orator announces at the market place? What ultimatum is dispatched to Mbaino as a consequence for what occurred? • Explain why Umuofia is feared by all its neighbours. • Okonkwo of Umuofia is the emissary of war to Mbaino. What does Mbaino give him as an offering?

Chapter 2 continued • What are things that Okonkwo fears most? • What is the one passion that rules Okonkwo’s life? • Why is Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, causing him great anxiety? • How does Ikemefuna react to living with Okonkwo?

Chapter 3 • Under what circumstances will the people of Umuofia consult Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves? Where does Agbala live? • What reply did Agbala give when Unoka consulted him about why “he always had a miserable harvest”(16)? • What is the shameful death Unoka endures? • Who is the first man Okonkwo works for as a share-cropper? • What does Okonkwo bring with him to share with the wealthy Nwakibie and his family before asking for yam seeds and share cropping privileges? • Anasi is Nwakibie’s first wife, which makes her the ruler over his other wives and the only one who can wear his titles. What are the titles worn by Anasi?

Chapter 3 continued • Why does Nwakibie trust Okonkwo to farm his yam seeds? • What is the only way a young man can build a barn of his own if his father has no yams? • How is the weather during Okonkwo’s first share-cropping season growing for Nwakibie? • Which crops are considered women’s crops by the people of Umuofia? • How does Okonkwo react to the disastrous growing season that destroys all his yams and the yams of his people?

Chapter 4 • Why did an old man say: “Looking at a king’s mouth, one would think he never sucked at his mother’s breast” (26) when referring to Okonkwo? • “Okonkwo knew how to kill a man’s spirit” (26) – Why does Okonkwo insult Osugo at a meeting by calling him a woman? • Achebe writes that “when a man says yes, his chi says yes also” (27). Explain the concept of a “chi”. • How long is Ikemefuna in Okonkwo’s care? Did Ikemefuna adjust quickly? How does Okonkwo treat him? His wife? Explain. • How does Ikemefuna feel after 3 weeks of illness? How does Okonkwo feel about Ikemefuna after his illness?

Chapter 4 continued • Why does Okonkwo beat his second wife, Ojiugo, during the Week of Peace? Why do the people of Umuofia observe the Week of Peace? • What was Okonkwo’s punishment for committing a “nso-ani” during the week of peace? The punishment for breaking the sacred peace changes through the years. What happened to a man that broke the Week of Peace in the past? • What is the custom in the village of Obodoani if a man dies during the Week of Peace? • What does every man and his family do after the Week of Peace? • What are the women’s duties after the yams are planted? • During the rainy season, how do the people of the village pass the time?

Chapter 5 • Explain the Feast of the New Yam. Why do men and women look forward to the Feast of the New Yam? • How do men and women prepare for it? Children? • What drives Okonkwo into a fit of rage on the first day of the festival? How does he expel his rage? • What kind of influence does Ikemefuna now have on his siblings? • What is the significance of the beating of drums in the village playground, the ilo, where all the great ceremonies and dances of the village take place? • Ezinma offers to bring Okonkowo’s chair to the wrestling match for him. Why does he say no?

Chapter 6 • Why is the big, ancient, silk-cotton tree in the playground considered sacred? • Who is Chielo and why is she important? • Speaking to Ekwefi, Chielo says of Ezinma, “I think she will stay. They usually stay if they do not die before the age of six” (48). What might they be talking about?

Chapter 7 • What hopes does Okonkwo have for his son, Nwoye? • Achebe describes the arrival of locusts as, “They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass; they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under them… (56). What could the locusts be foreshadowing? • Okonkwo is sitting in his obi with Ikemefuna and Nwoye, eating dried locusts, when Ogbuefi Ezeudu come with a message. What is the message? • After speaking with the elders of the nine villages, what does Okonkwo tell Ikemefuna about what is going to happen to him? • Okonkwo and the men of Umuofia take Ikemefuna deep into the forest and kill him with machetes. Who gives the final blow and why? • What happens to twins born in Umuofia?

Locusts

Locusts in the bible Exodus 10: 3 - 15 • So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians— something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now. ’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

• So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

Locusts – Kimberley Meyers • Locusts are large, flying grasshoppers. They are usually found on their own, but periodically, population explosions cause locusts to migrate in swarms. These swarms can cause severe damage to crops as the locusts land eat the vegetation. • Depending on your familiarity with the Bible, you might know that swarming locusts are described as one of the twelve plagues the Bible says were set against Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrew slaves go free. In the Bible and other texts, locusts are often associated with destruction and famine.

Literal Locusts • In Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses a swarm of locusts on both literal and allegorical levels. On the literal level, an actual swarm of locusts descends on Umuofia. The villagers are just living life as usual when it happens. 'In this way the moons and the seasons passed. And then the locusts came. ' • The insects give no warning, they just arrive suddenly, from where exactly, no one knows. This phenomenon is met with delight. Most of the villagers have never seen a locust swarm; they've only heard stories from the elders. Locust swarms tend to arrive suddenly and then disappear for years upon end. • Even though locusts' eating abilities are well known by the villagers, there isn't alarm. The harvest is over, and there is enough for the people to eat. The locusts eat up the wild grasses, and the villagers actually eat the locusts! Because of their rarity, the locusts are quite the delicacy. • So, that's the literal level--what about the allegorical one? Despite the seemingly harmless nature of this event, it foreshadows, or warns, of a future event that doesn't turn out to be so harmless. This foreshadowing helps move the plot forward and create anticipation in the reader's mind

Allegorical Locusts • An allegory is a literary device that conveys meaning through symbolic figures, objects, imagery, or events. In other words, allegory figuratively treats one subject through the inclusion of another subject. In Things Fall Apart, the locusts are an allegorical representation of the white missionaries that are about to descend on the village. • The locust swarm seems to come out of nowhere. The village is basked in a 'hazy feeling of sleep, ' but then 'suddenly a shadow fell on the world. . . 'At first, a fairly small swarm came. They were the harbingers sent to survey the land. And then appeared on the horizon a slowly-moving mass like a boundless sheet of black cloud drifting towards Umuofia.

Allegorical Locusts continued • Similarly, the white missionaries appear out of nowhere, and they too show up in small numbers. A solitary white man is the first 'locust' to arrive and survey the land. No one in the tribe had ever seen a white man like this, and they consult their oracle. It tells them 'that the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among them. ' This doom and gloom prophecy sounds a lot like the destruction that is often associated with swarming locusts themselves. • The oracle actually uses the word 'locusts' to describe the arriving white men. 'They were locusts, it said, and that first man was their harbinger sent to explore the terrain. And so they killed him. ' Notice the repetition of the word 'harbinger', too. Achebe doesn't want the reader to miss the allegorical connection that he's creating between the locusts and the missionaries

Chapter 8 • How does Okonkwo act for two days after Ikemefuna’s death? • What did Okonkwo tell himself about his part in Ikemefuna’s death. • Why did Obierika say that Okonkwo should not have had a part in Ikemefuna’s death? • How does Okonkwo speak highly of Ezinma in this chapter? • Describe the meeting to determine Obierika’s daughter’s bride price. • Explain the significance of the conversation the men had about foreign customs. • How do they describe men, who they say are “white like this piece of chalk” (74)?

Chapter 9 • Ekwefi wakes Okonkwo early in the morning pounding on his door. What is she anxious to tell him? • Nine out of ten of Ekwefi’s children die in infancy. After the second death, Okonkwo goes to the medicine man to find out why this is happening. What explanation does the diviner give? • Describe the burial of Ekwefi’s third child and the reason for it. • Explain the concept of an ogbanje. • What does the medicine man dig up from under the orange tree that makes people believe that Ezinma will live to adulthood? • How does Okonkwo cure Ezinma’s iba?

Chapter 10 • Describe the communal ceremony. • What appears out of the egwugwu house? What IS an egwugwu? • What does the law state in Umuofia if a woman runs away from her husband? • What is the decision of the egwugwu after hearing the case for Mgbafo's family against Uzowulu?

Chapter 11 • What is the significance of the story of the birds and the turtle? • What did Chielo want? • What did Ekwefi do? Okonkwo?

Chapter 12 • Okonkwo's friend, Obierika, is celebrating his daughter's uri. What is the purpose of a uri ceremony? • What is the significance in the amount of wine the family brought?

Chapter 13 • Describe Ezeudu's funeral. • How did the author describe the man's life? • What happened during the frenzy? • What was the result of Okonkwo's action? • What was the reason for the clan's actions against Okonkwo? • What did Obierika think about after this calamity and what was the conclusion?

Part 1 Review • In your groups, review your assigned questions. • Break your questions down to be sure you address each part. • As you begin to answer your questions, be sure to support your opinion by referring back to the text. • Create a Power. Point or Prezi presentation as you will be going through your questions and answers with the class (about 15 minutes). • Send the presentation to me at melanie. riley@peelsb. com so that I can post it to the Weebly.

Things Fall Apart Part 2 Questions

Chapter 14 • Where does Okonkwo take his family to live? • How does Okonkwo feel about his circumstances? • Why does Uchendu feel pressed to speak with Okonkwo about the concept of “Nneka”. Explain the significance of “Mother is Supreme”.

Chapter 15 • Who comes to visit Okonkwo two years later? • Briefly retell the story of destruction of Abame. • What was Obierika’s reaction to the story?

Story of Abame and “kill yourself”

Chapter 16 • What event does Obierika describe two years later on his next visit? • Who does Obierika find among the missionaries? • What was the iron horse?

Nwoye

Chapter 17 • Where did the missionaries in Mbanta build their church? Why were they given that particular piece of land? What happened to them? • What was it about Nwoye’s actions that disturbed Okonkwo so much?

Roaring Flame

Chapter 18 • What group wanted to be admitted to the Christian church? What happened? • Describe the incident with the sacred python.

Chapter 19 • What did Okonkwo do before he left Mbanta when his exile ended? • What was the one elder’s message to those at the forest?

Things Fall Apart Part 3 Questions

Chapter 20 • How did Okonkwo feel about his return to the clan? • What message did Okonkwo give to his sons and daughters after Nwoye left the family? • Describe the changes that had come to Umuofia in the seven year that Okonkwo was in exile. • Okonkwo asked Obierika why the people had lost their power to fight. What was Obierika’s reply? • How did many of the other villagers feel about these changes? • Explain the following quotation: “The white man was very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (176).

Chapter 21 • What was Mr. Brown’s conclusion about the religion of the clan? How did he act to gain converts? • Explain the following quotation: “In this way Mr. Brown learned a good deal about the religion of the clan and he came to the conclusion that a frontal attack would not succeed” (181). • Explain some of the similarities between the religion in Umuofia (Chukwu) and Catholicism. • Nwoye’s name was changed to Isaac. What does Isaac mean? • What is the significance of a name change? • About what was Okonkwo grieving?

Chapter 22 • Where did Mr. Brown go and who is his replacement? What does his replacement think of the job of his predecessor? • What is Baal? • Explain the concept of pouring new wine into old wine skins (185). See Matthew 9: 17 in the Hebrew Bible. How does it relate? • Describe the conflict started by Enoch. What is the significance of the name Enoch? Is it a Umuofian name or a Christian one? Explain. • What was the result of the action taken by the egwugwu? • What is

Chapter 23 • How did Okonkwo end up in prison? • How did Okonkwo feel upon his return from prison?

Chapter 24 • What is a “War of blame” (200)? • Why did the men meet in the marketplace? • Explain the foreshadowing: “There was an immediate silence as though a cold water had been poured on a roaring flame” (202). • What happened in the marketplace?

Chapter 25 • What happened to Okonkwo? • What did Obierika tell the Commissioner? • What was the Commissioner’s reaction to the incident? • Explain the significance of the title of the Commissioner’s novel: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger