THINGS FALL APART
WHAT ARE WE READING?
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Things Fall Apart (TFA)
– It’s only 206 pages long
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Fun Facts About TFA
– Written by Chinua Achebe
(pron. CHIN-wah AH-chay-BAY)
– Published in 1959 in response to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of
Darkness
THINGS FALL APART
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Story set in 1890 in Nigeria
THINGS FALL APART
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Location for story is the
Nigerian coast near Port
Harcourt
Land of the Igbo tribe
Action takes place in villages
of Umuofia and Mbanta
PLOT LINE
Deals with a Nigerian tribe (Igbo) that is colonized by
British missionaries
 As a result, the Igbo’s way of life begins to “fall apart”
 Story examines one person’s life – Okonkwo’s – and his
adjustment (or lack thereof) to the colonization efforts
by the white Christians
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POINT OF VIEW

Story is seen through the eyes of the Igbos
– This was a big deal because usually only heard about
colonization from British writers, e.g., Conrad
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Achebe does not use stereotypes to portray Africans nor
white Europeans
MAIN CHARACTERS
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Okonkwo – Protagonist. Clan
leader of Umuofia. Despises
father, thinks he’s lazy. Tragic
flaw: he’s afraid to look weak
like his father. As a result, he
brings trouble & sorrow to
him & his family
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Nwoye – Okonkwo’s oldest
son. Okonkwo thinks
Nwoye is lazy like his
Okonkwo’s father (Nwoye’s
granddad). Nwoye converts
to Christianity.
MAIN CHARACTERS
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Ikemefuna – a boy given to
Okonkwo by neighboring
village. Becomes the son
Okonkwo wishes he had.
Okonkwo won’t show
affection to Ikemefuna for
fear of looking weak.
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Ezinma – Okonkwo’s
daughter by his 2nd wife. She
is Okonkwo’s favorite child.
She’s sickly. Okonkwo
wishes Ezinma was a boy.
OKONKWO’S FAMILY TREE
Okonkwo’s THREE wives:
 First wife – nameless. Mother of
Nwoye & Obiageli
 Ekewfi – 2nd wife. Village beauty.
Ezinma’s mother
 Ojiugo – 3rd & youngest wife.
Mother of Nkechi.
Okonkwo’s Children:
 Nwoye – son
 Obiageli – daughter
 Ezinma – daughter
 Nkechi – daughter
 Ikemefuna – “adopted” son
OTHER CHARACTERS
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Unoka – Okonkwo’s father. Lazy,
coward, spendthrift. Always in debt.
Good musician, however.
Obierika – Okonkwo’s best friend.
Uchendu – Okonkwo’s uncle.
Mr. Brown – First white missionary.
Respectful of tribe’s value system.
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Rev. James Smith – Replaces Mr.
Brown. Strict. Shows no respect for
tribe’s way of life.
District Commissioner – Racist. In
charge of white colonists in Nigeria.
Mr. Kiaga – Native who became
Christian. Recruits Nwoye & others
to Christianity.
Digression is one of Achebe's main tools. The novel is the story of Okonkwo's tragedy, but it
is also a record of Igbo life before the coming of the white man. The novel documents
what the white man destroyed. The reader learns much about Igbo customs and
traditions; depicting this world is a central part of the novel.
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Social disintegration
Towards the end of the novel, we witness the events by which Igbo society begins to fall
apart. Religion is threatened, Umuofia loses its self-determination, and the very centers
of tribal life are threatened. These events are all the more painful for the reader because
so much time has been spent in sympathetic description of Igbo life; the reader realizes
that he has been learning about a way of life that no longer exists.

Greatness and ambition
Okonkwo is determined to be a lord of his clan. He rises from humble beginnings to a position
of leadership, and he is a wealthy man. He is driven and determined, but his greatness
comes from the same traits that are the source of his weaknesses. He is often too harsh
with his family, and he is haunted by a fear of failure.
LITERARY DEVICES
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Themes
– Tradition vs. change
– Definitions of masculinity
– Language as sign of cultural differences
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Symbols
– Locusts
– Fire
– Drums
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN
READING
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Let go & enjoy the story
– Don’t sweat what you don’t understand
– Keep reading, trust that it will make sense by the end
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Don’t worry about pronouncing the names correctly
Relate the story to today – What other cultures seem strange to
us? What other cultures are we trying to change to be more
“American”? How are we like the Igbos?
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN
READING
Think about their ceremonies and figure out what
similar ceremonies we have today
 Psst…there’s a glossary in the back of the book
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– It explains the Igbo words
– Use it! It will help your comprehension
– Trust me on this one…