Macdonald
English 12 CP1/2
Name: _____________
Things Fall Apart PowerPoint
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"
Consider: Ray Bradbury also references a poem within his work Fahrenheit 451 that includes ocean
imagery. Why would authors be drawn to the idea of the sea?
Answer: What does Chinua Achebe want us to remember while reading his novel?
General Overview:
Okonkwo is a member of the Ibo people in the African country of Nigeria in the late 1800s (Keep in
mind: Achebe published this novel in 1959). Okonkwo is a wealthy farmer and is well respected in his
clan.
Okonkwo has a big family that follows the traditions of the Ibo people. He has three wives; a son,
Nwoye; and two daughters, Obiageli and Ezinma. He also cares for a young boy, Ikemefuma, who
has been brought to the village as a hostage.
Okonkwo believes in the Ibo traditions. He values strength and hard work and looks down on
gentleness and compassion. Okonkwo will do anything to be different from his father, who was
considered weak and died in disgrace.
But Okonkwo’s desire to succeed and to stamp out weakness leads him to commit many violent acts…
some of which bring him into conflict with his clan.
One day a senseless act changes his life. He and his family are sent away from the village.
While Okonkwo and his family are away, changes begin to take place in their village. Christian
missionaries arrive—determined to change the Ibo way of life.
After seven years, Okonkwo and his family return home. What changes will he find in the village? Will
Okonkwo be able to adjust a world that has fallen apart?
Background Information:
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Things Fall Apart is set during a period of British colonial rule of Nigeria in the late 1800s.
Nigeria became a British colony in 1886.
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Christian missionaries arrived in Nigeria in the mid-1800s, and by the end of the century had
begun a strong conversion campaign. They wanted the African people to embrace
Christianity.
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The Ibo were subsistence farmers, which means they grew crops to survive. Men grew the
important yam crop. Women grew other crops.
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An Ibo village was part of a clan network made up of about five thousand people that were:
led by a council of men that made decisions democratically AND they shared a common
market and meeting place
CONFLICTS:
Generational:
Cultural:
Gender:
Inner:
Okonkwo vs. Unoka
Okonkwo vs. Nwoye
Ibo vs. Western
Tradition vs. Christianity
Assimilation vs. purity
Okonkwo vs. his wives
Okonkwo vs. himself
TRAGIC HERO:
1. Enjoys an exalted position in society either by birth or extraordinary achievements
2. Demonstrates wisdom, moral or philosophical greatness -- sometimes physical prowess
3. Adheres to and exemplifies a code of conduct including reverence toward the laws of God and the
universe, loyalty to the family, and respect for government
4. Possesses a flaw in personality or psyche that ultimately brings about total destruction.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Okonkwo believes that strength and toughness are more important than compassion and gentleness.
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In what circumstances might this attitude help a person succeed?
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When could it cause problems?
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• Does everyone have a tragic flaw?
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• What is Okonkwo’s?
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• What is yours?
The European missionaries want the Ibo to change their way of life.
• Why do some people want to impose their culture on another?
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• Can one culture judge another by its own standards?
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• When do you think it’s acceptable to encourage a group of people to change their way of life?
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• When is it not acceptable?