Things Fall Apart
By Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe is one of the most
well-known contemporary African
writers.
Born
1930
Many of his novels and short
stories are based in Nigeria,
Africa.
Many of his characters are
members of the Igbo (Ibo) tribe.
Map of Africa
Nigeria
.
Things Fall Apart (written in 1958)
deals with the clash of cultures
and the violent transitions in life
and values brought about by
British colonialism in Nigeria in
late 1800s.
colonialism
• A system by which a country (like Great
Britain) maintains foreign colonies (like
Nigeria) in order to exploit them
economically.
• The domineering country usually feels
superior to the “natives” in all ways and
often forces its customs and religion upon
them.
• The novel recounts the life of
the village hero Okonkwo and
describes the arrival of white
missionaries in Nigeria and
their impact on traditional Igbo
society during the late 1800s.
• Things Fall Apart includes
Western linguistic forms and
literary traditions with Igbo
words and phrases, proverbs,
fables, tales, and other
elements of African oral and
communal storytelling
traditions.
Plot Summary
• The main character, Okonkwo, is a great man
who has achieved much in his life.
• He is a champion wrestler, a wealthy farmer,
a husband to three wives, a title-holder
among his people.
• His success is driven by the fear of
becoming like his father (poor and cowardly)
The society’s order is
disrupted, however, with the
appearance of the white man
in Africa and with the
introduction of his religion
(Christianity).
"The conflict of the novel, shown
in Okonkwo, derives from the
series of crushing blows which
are leveled at traditional values by
an alien and more powerful
culture causing, in the end, the
traditional society to fall apart,"
(G.D. Killam).
Okonkwo is unable to adapt to the
changes that accompany colonialism.
In the end, in frustration, he kills an
African employed by the British, and
then commits suicide, a sin against
the tradition to which he had long
clung.
Key Terms
Brideprice
Kola
Cowrie shells
Polygamy
Yams
Evil Forest
Ibo
Ilo
Harmattan
Obi
Manslaughter
Palm oil
Chi
Foo foo
Umuofia
Oracle
Alligator pepper
Priestess
Ibo or Igbo
• The name of a tribe of people in Nigeria
Alligator pepper
• It is a common ingredient in West African
cuisine where it imparts both 'heat',
'pungency' and a spicy aroma to classic
West African 'soups' (stews).
• Ground and blended with kola nut in a
ritual to welcome visitors
White chalk
• Symbol of peace. Also used to signify
personal honors and status.
Bride Price
Common in many African cultures;
the bridegroom’s family pays in cash
or goods for the privilege of marring
a young woman. (dowry – opposite
– woman’s family pays for man to
marry her).
Obi
Large living quarters for the head of the
family.
Umuofia
A village of the Ibo
Kola
A bean, a stimulant like tea or coffee.
Served on most social occasions.
Manslaughter
unlawful killing without the intent to kill
(accidental).
Cowrie shells
A sea shell, used as a form of money. The
village’s distance from the sea makes
them rare enough to use as money.
Palm oil
Rich yellow oil pressed from fruit of palm
trees. Used for fuel & cooking.
• Palm oil comes from palm nuts which are
harvested by climbing high up in palm
trees. Palm wine is also tapped in the
same area on the tree. Palm wine tappers
make holes in the tree at the base of the
male flower. Using funnels made of palm
leaves the tappers collect the palm wine
as it drips from the tree into gourds that
they hang from the palm fronds.
Polygamy
The practice or condition of having more
than one spouse, esp. wife, at one time.
Chi
A person’s personal spirit (usually in the
form of a wooden idol) Like a guardian
angel
Yam
sweet potato-- In some African
cultures it was used as currency
Storage of yams
foo foo
a dough-like West African dish of boiled and
ground plantain, yam, or cassava, made
into balls to go with soups or stews.
cassava
Evil Forest
Superstitious natives believe that evil
spirits lurk in the mysterious forest
harmattan
Dust-laden winds originating in the
desert. Usually last 3-5 days. Dusty
haze usually blocks out the sun,
reduces temperatures and visibility.
oracle
• A person believed to be in communication
with a deity (god or gods)
ilo
• The village green, where assemblies for
sports, discussions, etc., take place
ekwe
• Ekwe - Two-pitch Ibo log drum. Available
in two types of hardwood (yellow or red).
Played with either a plain straight wood
stick or a rubber-tipped short beater
similar to a large balafon or Alo (long
gong-bell) mallet. These log drums are
found in the eastern part of Nigeria. Larger
Ekwes are usually played with two sticks,
while smaller ones are usually played with
only one stick.
udu
• A musical instrument; a type of drum
made from pottery
Egwugwu
• A masquerader who impersonates one of
the ancestral spirits of the village