Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
CHARACTER LIST
PART I
Akueke (70-1) – half-sister of Maduka; daughter of Obierika; being married off to Ibe
Akukalia (20) – friend of Nwakibie
Amadi (74) – a leper
Anasi (20) – first wife of Nwakibie; middle-aged; “strongly built”
Ani (36) – earth goddess and mother of fertility
Chielo (49, 100) – current priest of Agbala; widow with two children; fond of Ezinma
Chika (17) – priestess of Agbala (the Oracle) in Okonkwo’s early years
Ekwefi (37) – Okonkwo’s second wife; Okonkwo nearly shoots her; ran away (from Anene
(109)) to marry Okonkwo; admired his prowess at wrestling when
Okonkwo beat the Cat
Ezeani (30)—priest of the earth goddess Ani; punishes Okonkwo for beating Ojiugo during
Week of Peace
Ezinma (38) – also called Ezigbo, which means “the good one”; daughter of Ekwefi and
Okonkwo
Ibe (72) – marriage to Akueke is arranged
Igwela (21) – oldest son of Nwakibie
Ikemefuna (12) – the young man given to Umuofia in exchange for the murdered wife of Udo
– wife of Udo; killed in Mbaino by neighboring/warring clan
Machi (74) – witty man at meeting of Obierika and Ukegbo to discuss bride price
Maduka (47) – son of Obierika, Okonkwo’s good friend; wins wrestling match impressively
Mgbafo (87) – woman, on trial, was “reclaimed” by brothers because her husband allegedly
abused her
Nkechi (45) – daughter of Okonkwo’s third wife, Ojiugo
Nwakibie – Wealthy Umofian; Okonkwo works under him to get his start
Nwayieke (35, 95)) – an old woman who lives near the udala tree; “has three teeth and always
smokes”; pounds foo-foo late at night
Nweke (141) – son of Obierika
Nwoye – Okonkwo’s oldest son; strong relationship with Ikemefuna; converts to Christianity;
called Isaac
Obiageli (43) – sister of Nwoye; daughter of Okonkwo’s first wife
Odukwe (91) – brother of Mgbafo; speaks on behalf of her at the “trial”
(Ogbuefi) Ezeudu (31) – oldest man in Okonkwo’s village; dies/funeral (121)
(Ogbuefi) Ezeugo (10) – orator
(Ogbuefi) Idigo (20) – friend of Nwakibie
(Ogbuefi) Udo (11) – wife killed by warring neighbors; he gets a virgin bride in exchange from
the clan in Mbaino
Ojiugo (29) – Okonkwo’s third wife; beaten during Week of Peace
Okoye – wealthy neighbor of Unoka; Unoka owes him much money
Osugo (26) – another village male; Okonkwo alludes to him as woman and is insulted
Obierika (65) – good friend of Okonkwo; leader in the village
Unoka – Okonkwo’s father; not respected by Okonkwo for has lack of fastidiousness
Okonkwo – main character; not the head of the village, but an up-and-comer (especially early in
his adult life)
Okonkwo’s first wife – never mentioned by name; mother of Nwoye
Okafo and Ikezue (50) – accomplished wrestlers
Ofoedu (67) – delivers news to Obierika and Okonkwo that Ndulue and his wife, Ozoemena,
both died on the same day in the village of Ire
Ukegbo (72) – father of Ibe; meets with Obierika to discuss bride price
Onwumbiko, Ozoemena, Onwuma (77) – children of Ekwefi who die in infancy
Okagbue Uyanwa (78) – medicine man who tries to help Okonkwo and Ekwefi; digs up
Ezinma’s iyi-uwa (stone that links to spirit world)
Uzowulu (87) – husband of Mgbafo who is accused of beating wife (Mgbafo); wishes to get
bride price back
PART II
Uchendu (129) – Uncle (mother’s younger brother) of Okonkwo who welcomes Okonkwo into
the village in Mbanta (place of exile)
Amikwu, Njide, Akueni (131-2, 135) – children of Uchendu
Mr. Kiaga (150) – interpreter for first missionaries in Mbanta; runs Mbanta mission
Nneka (151) – first woman to go to the missionaries; has had twins in the past
Amikwu (151) – cousin of Okonkwo; sees Nwoye with missionaries and reports to Okonkwo
Okeke (159) – says Mbantans should ignore missionaries; draws ire from Okonkwo; displeases
Mr. Smith because of his condemnation of Enoch (chap. 22)
Mr. Brown (159) – white missionary
Okoli (161) – kills the sacred python; dies shortly thereafter
Nneka, Nwofia (162) – children born to Okonkwo while he is in exile in Mbanta
PART III
Ogbuefi Ugonna (174) – first man with titles to go to Christian church
Ashy-Buttocks (174) – Ibo nickname for court messengers; “kotma”
Aneto (176) – hanged by colonizers for killing Oduche
Nnama (176) – given Aneto’s land by colonizers because he is a sympathizer.
Enoch (178) – his father is the priest of the snake cult; Enoch allegedly kills and eats sacred
python
Akunna (179) – talks about religion with Mr. Brown in a reasonable, thoughtful manner; allows
one of his sons to be education in the missionaries’ school
Chukwu (180) – “Overlord” of Ibo religion
James Smith (184) – takes over for Mr. Brown; sees his mission work in a very different light
than Brown
Ajofia (189) – the leading egwugwu of Umuofia; addresses Mr. Smith in chapter 22
Ogbuefi Ekwueme (193) – is speaking in the District Commissioner’s office when the Umuofian
men are arrested
Egonwanne (200) – Okonkwo is critical of him for being a coward; Okonkwo looks to challenge
him in the final Umuofian meeting
Okika (203) – speaks at length at the final meeting; urges fighting the white man and their Ibo
recruits
PLACES:
Umuofia – Okonkwo’s village (region)
Mbaino – neighboring village – antagonistic to Umuofians
Mbanta – Okonkwo’s mother’s village; place of Okonkwo’s seven-year exile
Abame – village that is massacred after killing of white missionary on a bicycle
Umuru – headquarters for British government in the region