Things Fall Apart Envelope Topics
Created by Marie Miller
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 1: Fear and superstitions are pervasive throughout the novel. How does fear
affect the actions of the Ibo community? Okonkwo? Of Nwoye? How does fear
influence Okonkwo's relationship with others?
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 2: Achebe's characters tell traditional folk tales and intersperse their
conversation with Igbo words, phrases and proverbs/sayings. How do these tales
and proverbs reinforce the meaning of the story and what do they suggest about
Igbo culture, traditions, and values?
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 3: The novel frequently contrasts ideas of the feminine with what is
considered to be masculine, either by Okonkwo or by the Ibo community. What
behavior or attitudes does Okonkwo consider to be masculine? What is the role of
women in the community? How are marriages arranged and how is family life
organized? How does the extended family structure support Okonkwo, especially in
part 2?
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 4: Throughout the novel Ibo religious beliefs are mentioned, such as the
influence of one’s chi, ancestor worship, and the pervading influence of the Oracle
Things Fall Apart Envelope Topics
Created by Marie Miller
of the Hills and Caves. Examine Ibo religious beliefs and practices and how they
influence Ibo practices and, ultimately, the conflict with the Europeans.
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 5: Explore how Ibo life is structured and organized. What important
ceremonies do they celebrate and what is their purpose? How does farming
influence their lives? How do the Ibo resolve disputes? How do these traditions
come in conflict with the European culture?
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 6: Consider how father/son conflicts shape the character of Okonkwo and
later contribute to his downfall, as well as how father/son conflicts contribute to the
character development and fates of Nwoye and Ikemefuna. How do the family
tensions depicted in the novel reflect the breakdown of Ibo society as Christianity
takes hold?
Instructions: As you read the novel, be alert to passages and quotations that address, or
are relevant to, the topic below. On index cards or pieces of paper, cite or paraphrase the
quotation, including page and chapter number, speaker name, and the context (what was
going on at the time), so that you will be able to locate the passage at a later date. Place
the index cards or slips of paper in the envelope and bring to class each day.
Topic 7: Examine the clash of cultures between the Ibo and the white colonizers. As
the new religion takes hold, what aspects of Ibo religion and culture are threatened?
How do the Christians establish footholds in Mbanta and Umuofia and attract
elements of the Ibo society? How do the new legal, religious, and governmental
practices and institutions differ from and threaten those that preceded them?