12 AP English
Unit: Things Fall Apart
Study Guide
Directions: This study packet is meant to guide your reading and help you note important
events in a rather involved novel! You need not complete any of the questions to turn in
EXCEPT for the final page[s] of overall discussion questions—the marked ones—are due
the first full day of class.
Part I; 1-3
Vocabulary: imperious emissary incipient
Content
1. How does Okonkwo differ from his father? What traits seem to dominate Okonkwo’s personality?
2. Identify Ikemefuna.
3. Describe the dispute between Umuofia and Mbaino.
4. Identify Nwoye.
5. How did Okonkwo gain a “financial” start in the world? What happens during his first year of
planting?
Analysis
1. Describe the structure of the novel, its plotline. Of what does this remind you—and why do you think
the works are similar in structure?
2. Note the various italicized words. Why are the words italicized and why are such words included?
3. Providing specific supporting examples, describe elements of the culture that seem similar to Western
culture.
4. Providing specific supporting examples, describe the status/role of women in the culture.
I; 4-7
Vocabulary: brusqueness valediction dynamism arduous poignant harmattan harbingers
Content
1. What is the Week of Peace and what occurs during this period? What had Okonkwo done during one
such week?
2. Identify Ekwefi and Ezinma.
3. Identify Chielo.
4. Why are the people happy about the arrival of locusts?
5. What is to be done with Ikemefuna? What advice does Ezeudu give to Okonkwo?
6. Summarize the information that Nwoye recalls when returning home after harvesting yams.
Analysis
1. Analyze the motivation for Okonkwo’s actions regarding Ikemefuna. How does this situation affect
Nwoye?
2. The Evil Forest has been mentioned several times to this point. Analyze this symbolically—and then
relate the setting and/or events in that setting with previously read works.
I; 8-13
Vocabulary: succulent malevolence
Content
1. Identify Obierika.
2. What was Obierika’s role in Ikemefuna’s demise?
3. Summarize the story of Ndulue and Ozoemena.
4. After the bride price is set, the men discuss other tribes’ customs. During this discussion, what “tribe”
is referenced?
Things Fall Apart Study Guide
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5. Summarize the story of Ekwefi and her children; include information regarding Ekwefi’s relationship
with Ezinma.
6. What are egwugwu?
7. What occurs with Ezinma and Chielo?
8. Describe the market of Umuike.
9. Summarize the events of Ezeudu’s funeral and how those impact Okonkwo.
Analysis
1. Analyze Achebe’s motivation in including Obierika and the story of Ndulue and Ozoemena.
2. Analyze the presentation of Obierika and Okonkwo [be sure to consider information regarding Ndulue
as well as information after the funeral of Ezeudu. Literarily, what type of characters are they?
3. Multiple times Okonkwo states that Ezinma should have been a boy. Why? What is the importance of
this statement?
4. Of what does the story of Ezinma and Ekwefi remind you?
5. The information involving the Egwugwu points to a system of justice as do the events during Ezeudu’s
funeral; explain this.
6. Why is the information regarding the Umuike market?
II, 14-16
Vocabulary: coiffure
Content
1. Describe Okonkwo’s new situation in Mbanta.
2. Identify Uchendo.
3. Summarize the fate of the Abame clan; include the statement so of the oracle.
4. What is Okonkwo and Uchendo’s reaction to the story of Abame?
5. What group arrives in Umuofia and who joins them?
Analysis
1. How does the situation in Mbanta again demonstrate a social structure and society in Africa?
2. What draws Nwoye to the missionaries? Why is this important?
3. What are efulefu and why are they attracted to the missionaries?
4. Note the statements regarding interpreters and language. Why is this included?
II, 17-19
Vocabulary: impudent miscreant degenerate
Content
1.What land is given to the missionaries?
2. Identify Nneka.
3. Describe Okonkwo’s reaction to his son’s behavior and Uchendu’s reaction to Okonkwo.
4. Identify Mr. Kiaga.
Analysis
1. Analyze Okonkwo’s attitude toward Nwoye.
2. Describe the situation involving the outcasts or osu.
3. Explain the importance of Okonkwo’s statement: “Let us not reason like cowards.”
4. Analyze the impact of white settlement/religion/government on the clans—consider, too, the why of
this impact—what allows for the impact.
III, 20-22
Vocabulary: abomination
Content
1. What occurs at the opening of part III for Okonkwo?
2. Describe the changes in Umuofia when Okonkwo returns.
3. Who or what are Ashy-Buttocks?
Things Fall Apart Study Guide
4. Identify Mr. Brown.
5. Describe Okonkwo’s response to Mr. Brown.
6. What happens to Mr. Brown?
7. Identify Mr. Smith.
8. Summarize the events involving Enoch, the egwugwu.
Analysis
1. Summarize Okonkwo’s plans regarding his return to Umuofia; compare this to western cultural ideas.
2. Summarize Obierika’s statements regarding the state of Umuofia; compare these statements to the
statements made at Okonkwo’s farewell at Mbanta.
3. Explain: “He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
4. Summarize the information provided in the opening paragraph of chapter 21. Why is this information
included?
5. Analyze the relationship of Mr. Brown and Akunna. Why is this included?
6. Analyze the passage: “It seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for a great evil was coming—its
own death.”
7. Analyze the role of language in the episodes leading up to the burning of the church. What occurs and
why do you think this information is included?
III, 23-25
Vocabulary:
Content
1. Describe the treatment of the leaders of Umuofia by the District Commissioner. Include both the
capture and treatment of the leaders.
2. Once its leaders return, what actions does Umuofia take?
3. What occurs during the community meeting?
Analysis
1. Evaluate the actions of the District Commissioner after the destruction of Mr. Smith’s church.
2. Evaluate the actions of Okonkwo in chapter 25 and the response of his clan.
3. Analyze the following characters and relationships in literary terms: Okonkwo, Mr. Smith, Akunna,
Mr. Brown, Obierika .
3. Analyze and evaluate the actions and thoughts of the District Commissioner at the novel’s conclusion.
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Things Fall Apart Study Guide
REQUIRED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS TO BE COMPLETED FOR FIRST FULL
DAY! As discussed last year, life is a web, a circle, all things connect. Thus, multiple
questions reference previous works—surely, you did not forget them!
12 ?s; 36 points
1. Multiple elements in the novel should have reminded you of Beloved. Explain several similar
elements and what you think accounts for such similarities.
2. In Elie Wiesel’s Night, Moshe the beadle [means teacher] tells a young Elie, “every question
possessed a power that did not lie in the answer.” Explain the meaning of the quote and then
apply this thinking to specific characters in Things Fall Apart.
3. In part, Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart as a response to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
Analyze how Achebe’s novel responds to Conrad’s portrait of Africa, especially as regards
language, government, religion and culture in general.
4. Compare the structure of this novel to that of Ceremony and/or Beloved.
5. Explain elements of post colonialism you note in Things Fall Apart.
6. Analyze the presentation of women in this work; compare the presentation to other works,
particularly Heart of Darkness.
7. Critics often present Things Fall Apart as a racial conflict. What do you think? Is the novel
primarily one of black versus white tensions . . . or if not . . . then what?
8. Analyze/evaluate the character Ezinma. Why is she included? What is her significance?
9. Find and analyze foil and parallel characters in the novel.
10. Consider the symbolic meaning of the following: the locusts and fire, which is continually
associated with Okonkwo.
12. All novels have themes—all of the conflicts, characters, symbols etc. are used to develop
particular ideas. REMEMBERING THAT A THEME IS A NON-CLICHÉ, STATEMENT
ABOUT A TOPIC—THAT IT IS NOT A SINGLE WORD—write two or three possible
theme statements for
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