Things Fall Apart
By, Chinua Achebe
Published in 1958
Robert Tate
Summary
• Things Fall Apart is the story of how African Tribes
literally fall apart when English Missionaries come
into their tribes and attempt to teach them
Christian ways.
Event 1
“One night Ekwefi and Ezinma were in their hut and
Ekwefi was telling her daughter a story when a
voice interrupted them. Chielo, priestess of Agbala,
came into their hut to take Ezinma because Agbala
wanted to see her. “ (chap. 11, pages 95-101)
This can be related to my life because sometimes
when I’m at work and my co-workers and I mess up
and order, someone has to go and tell our boss,
which is usually me…
Event 2
During the second year of Okonkwo's exile, Obierika
comes to visit and brings news of the destruction of
Abame by white men. Apparently a white man came to
Abame and the elders consulted the Oracle about what
to do with him. The Oracle told them that the white man
would break their clan and spread destruction among all
of them. It also said that more white men were on their
way, so the people of Abame killed him.(136-140).
I play a lot of online computer games. Usually what people
will do on those games is invade another persons area and
kill everyone. And it is usually expected or can be
“foretold” by someone that can see them coming.
Event 3
The drums woke Umuofia in the early morning to tell that Ezeudu had died. All
the clan came to the great man's funeral and an egwugwu would appear
every now and then from the underworld. Because Ezeudu had been such an
important man to Umuofia, cannons were shot and rifles fired in his honor.
During one such salute, Okonkwo's gun had exploded and killed a young
boy in the middle of the funeral crowd. Although Okonkwo's crime was
female (accidental) in nature, he was forced to flee from his home because
killing a clansman was a crime against the earth goddess. Okonkwo and his
wives and children gathered up their things and left Umuofia to spend seven
years in Mbanta, where Okonkwo's mother had lived before she married
Unoka. (120-125)
There have been times in which I have done something terribly
wrong at my house and ive been sent to my grandmas for a week.
Quote 1
"'When did you become a shivering old woman,' Okonkwo asked
himself, 'you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor
in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to
pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo,
you have become a woman indeed.'" (56).
when I first started working at Texten Printing supplies, I had to
have people teach me how to use everything. I was organizing a
stack of printing blankets and I heard one of my co-workers
complaining that since I was new he felt as if he was doing a
women’s job by teaching me how to use the cutting blades and the
printers and all of the other stuff.
Quote 2
“ Every year, before I put any crop into the earth, I sacrifice
a cock to Ani, the owner of all land it is the law of our
fathers. I also kill a cock at the shrine of Ifejioku, the god
of yams. I clear the bush and set fire to it when its dry. I
sow the yams when the first rain has fallen, and stake
them when the young tendrils appear.” (17)
I can relate to this because I am a very hard worker and I am
very religious. I work hard to maintain my family’s house
and I also try to do the very best I can religiously.
Quote 3
"'Beware Okonkwo!' she warned. 'Beware of
exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak
when a god speaks? Beware!'" (86).
This quote shows that Okonkwo is persistent in
what he attempts to do. I also am very persistent
in stuff that I want to do or want to get. There
was one year when I was little that I asked for
months for the same thing for Christmas even
when the answer was no. I eventually got it.
THEME
Digression is one of Achebe's main tools. The
novel is the story of Okonkwo's tragedy, but it is
also a record of Igbo life before the coming of
the white man. The novel documents what the
white man destroyed. The reader learns much
about Igbo customs and traditions; depicting
this world is a central part of the novel.