THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe, 1959
Part 1, Chapter 1 –
Characters:
Okonkwo (Major Character/Protagonist/Hero) – fairly young man, known for his great wrestling
abilities, “slippery as a fish in water” (3). His fame came from “solid personal achievements” (3) grew
since this time. He threw The Cat; tall and huge, bushy eybrows, seemed “walk on springs” (4). He has a
slight stammer and when he got impatient, he used his fist. This tells us that he has a short-temper and
may be prone to violence. Unfortunately, Okonkwo has a father that he does not look up to. Okonkwo
achieved two titles for his involvement in the inter-tribal wars. He had three wives and a barn full of
yams. He comes to look after Ikemefuna
Unoka – (Minor character) Okonkwo’s father, lazy, didn’t plan for the future, loved palm wine to
share with neighbors. He was known for using up what he had and that it was silly to die with wealth.
He owed money to many people. He had a worn look. Ironically people continued to lend money to
him. Unoka could play the flute. He died with no title and never paid back his debt.
Note – Although Unoka tends to borrow more than he can pay back, this situation reveals that the
culture of the Ibo value helping and giving to those in need.
Okoye - “a great talker” (7), has a wealth of kola nuts (valued like our money). Also a musician,
played the ogene, he was wealthy with a barn full of yams, three wives, and honored at the _______.
He wanted Unoka to pay back his loan. Okoye speaks in proverbs. He does not get his money but leaves
Unoka with something to think about.
Ibo - The name of the people and tribe of the story.
Ikemefuna – a young boy, who came to Umuofia to settle a dispute between tribes
Chapter 1 Summary: Setting – Nigerian tribe during 1940s called Umuofia. It is the season of the
harmattan, the dry wind that came from the north, sunny time. Time of flying kites
Exposition – Setting the stage - The story opens with the background to Okonkwo and his family.
We learn that wrestling is an indicator of reputation for this culture and that a man’s reputation is based
on what he does. The people could be a tribal culture. There is a mention of Okonkwo’s father, whom
he was embarrassed because he was a loafer. Therefore, this culture does not respect people who are
lazy or loafers. The narrator reveals that this culture is generous and continues to help Unoka even
though he does not pay back his debts. The history story of Unoka is when a wealthy man went to talk
to Unoka about the croweries he was owned. Unoka offered him kola nuts. They played music together.
Okoye wanted his money. Unoka laughed at him and told him the reason why. Okoye left without any
payment of what was owed to him.
The chapter ends with the story of how Ikemefuna came to Umofia. Umofia is the name of the village.
Ikemefuna was sacrified to the village by the neighboring village in order to avoid a war.
Personal Reflection:
Men are judged by their worth, not by their father’s worth. I like that Okonkwo managed to gain a good
reputation after being shamed by his father’s character. I understand how it is embarrassing to have a
father that isn’t accepted by the culture. The cultural elements that I see in this chapter are:
-
Reputation comes from the person’s worth and not their family
A wealthy man is someone who has many wives and many yams
It is the custom to share kola nuts when welcoming a visitor
If a boy washes his hands, he can eat with kings means that royalty is obtained by anyone
who can clean themselves up.
I noticed the custom for entertaining a visitor. “He who brings kola, brings life.”
When a visitor arrives, the hut owner:
-rises and shakes hands,
-brings out a small wooden disc contains a kola nut, some alligator pepper and a lump of white
chalk
- pinch of snuff (alligator pepper ?)
- visitor painted his big toe with the chalk
- drew a line on the floor
- hut owner offers the visitor to crack the kola nut, with an custom argument,
- while the other prays for protection against their enemies
I also notice how the writing is different than what I normally read. I think this has to do with the
proverbs that are mentioned. They are the “palm oil in which words are written.” I liked that this
culture values conversation. So the proverbs are used as the basis for what makes the others words tast
good.