World History Honors Summer Reading: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Assignment:
 Please keep a journal noting major characters and events throughout Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall
Apart. You will also want to note vocabulary words that you are unfamiliar with throughout the novel.
You may find the guiding questions listed below helpful.
 Copies can be found at the local library and even bought used on Amazon for as little as $.01 (plus
shipping).
Assessment:
 There will be a QUIZ assessment within the first three days of school, so thorough note taking will
be key to one of your first classroom assessment.
 Quiz will consist of multiple-choice and open-ended comprehensive responses.
 Thorough understanding of content, characters, events and vocabulary will be addressed on quiz
Background: Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria (West Africa) on November 16, 1930. Although he was
raised as a Protestant, he was raised in this traditional village. Achebe considers himself part of a generation that
is in transition between the traditional village ways and the modern world. Things Fall Apart was Achebe’s first
novel published in 1958. It has been translated into at least 50 languages, and sold over 10 million copies
worldwide.
Purpose: Enhance reading comprehension skills, develop point of view skills, enrich vocabulary, extend critical
thinking skills.
A. Part One, Chapters 1-4
1. What made Okonkwo famous?
2. Who was “improvident”? What dis that mean about this character?
3. Where does the story take place?
4. How influential was the oracle in Umuofia?
5. What was Okonkwo’s greatest fear? What was his greatest passion?
6. Why did Okonkwo become so upset with Nwoye (his son)?
7. What did Okonkwo bring back to Umuofia from Mbaino?
8. How did Okonkwo begin his prosperous career?
9. How did Ikemefuna react to living with Okonkwo’s family?
10. What happened during the Week of Peace?
11. What was the significance of yams?
B. Part One, Chapters 5-7
1. What purpose did the Feast of the New Yam serve? What are other important details about this
celebration?
2. Who was Okonkwo’s favorite child? What did he often say about the child?
3. What intolerable action did Okonkso do just before the Feast of the New Yam?
4. What sport did the villagers enjoy watching during their feasting?
5. What influence did Ikemefuna have on Nwoye?
6. How did Okonkwo react to Ikemefuna’s and Nwoye’s relationship?
7. What were the “harbingers sent to survey the land?”
8. What did the villagers do about the coming of the locusts?
9. What did the village decide to do with Ikemefuna and why?
10. Who struck the last blow to Ikemefuna, and why?
C. Part One, Chapters 8-10
1. What did Okonkwo do when he remembered his father’s weakness and failure?
2. What did Okonkwo tell himself about his part in Ikemefuna’s death?
3. What did Obierika tell Okonkwo about his part in Ikemefuna’s death?
4. Describe the meeting to determine Obierika’s daughter’s bride price.
5. What did the Umuofia men think of the white men?
6. Describe the relationship between Ekwefi and Ezinma.
7. What are ogbanje? How did this relate to Ekwefi’s?
8. Describe the burial of Ekwefi’s third child, and the reason for it. What did the medicine man say?
9. Explain the significance of Ezinma’s iyi-uwa.
10. How was Ezinma’s iba illness cured?
11. What was the purpose of the ceremony described in Ch.10?
D. Part One, Chapters 11-13
1. Why did Chielo take Ezinma to Agbala?
2. What did Ekwefi do?
3. What did Okonkwo do when Chielo took Ezinma to Agbala?
4. What purpose did the uri ceremony serve?
5. Describe Ezeudu’s funeral.
6. How did the author describe a man’s life?
7. What happened during “the frenzy”?
8. What was the result of Okonkwo’s action?
9. What was the reason for the clan’s actions against Okonkwo?
10. What did Obierika think about this misfortune? What did he conclude as to why this occured?
E. Part Two, Chapters 14-19
1. Where did Okonkwo take his family to live and how did he feel about this? What part did chi play?
2. What was Uchendu advice to Okonkwo about the Mother Supreme/
3. During Okonkwo’s second year of exile, who came to visit him and for what purpose?
4. How was Abame destroyed? What was the iron horse? How did Obierika react?
5. What event did Obierika describe to Okonkwo on his next visit (two years later)?
6. Which of the Christian missionaries was Obierika surprised to see?
7. Where were the missionaries in Mbanta permitted to construct their church? Why were they given
that specific piece of land? What happened to the missionaries and their converts?
8. Which group sought to be admitted to the Christian church? What was the result?
9. Describe the occurrence with the sacred python:
10. One in particular elder gave a foreboding message at the feast. Describe his message:
F. Part Two, Chapters 20-25
1. Describe how Okonkwo felt about his returning to his clan in Umuofia?
2. What did Okonkwo give to his children after Nwoye left the family? How did he threaten them?
3. What changes had occurred in Umuofia during Okonkwo’s seven years exile?
4. Okonkwo asked Obierika why the people had would not fight. How did Obierika reply?
5. Why did some villagers welcome these changes?
6. What was Mr. Brown’s conclusion about the religion of the clan? How did he act to gain converts?
a. Did Mr. Brown’s strategy work? Why or why not?
7. Why was Okonkwo grieving?
8. Describe the conflict started by Enoch regarding the egwugwu. Why was this so devastating?
9. Describe Okonkwo’s emotions when he returned from the prison:
10. What happened in the marketplace? What did Okonkwo do after this?
11. What reason did Obierika give the Commissioner for Okonkwo’s decision? How did the
Commissioner’s respond?