THINGS FALL APART
BY CHINUA ACHEBE
About the Author: Chinua Achebe
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Born Nov 16, 1930, in
Ogidi, Nigeria
Member of Ibo Ethnic
Group
Father belonged to
Anglican church
Childhood was
combination of African
and Christian traditions
Achebe’s School Years
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Attended Government
College in Umuahia
and University College
in Ibadan
Read classical British
literature
Bothered by
representation of
Africans in European lit
Achebe’s Work
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Achebe created a new form: a novel with an African
aesthetic
Common theme: Africans seeking freedom from
European influence
Wrote several novels, a children’s book, and a
collection of poetry
Worked as a radio broadcaster
Supported Biafran’s independence from Nigeria (which
caused a civil war)
Started a literary journal and publishing house to
encourage new writers
Heart of Darkness (1902)
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Written as response to
Joseph Conrad’s Heart
of Darkness
Conrad portrayed
Africans as savages
 Set during British
exploration and
colonization of Africa
 Natives are treated as
slaves
 White man is more
civilized and attempts to
bring order
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Things Fall Apart (1958)
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Written in English
Combines novel form
with African oral
traditions
 Story-within-the-story
 Achebe
uses Igbo
myths, proverbs, and
stories to explain
relationships in novel
The Story of Okonkwo
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Okonkwo
 Powerful
man in his
village of Umuofia
 Has three wives, which
shows wealth
 Had a difficult
childhood
 Embodies the ideals of
his society
Village of Umuofia, circa 1950