1. Chinua Achebe

2. I believe in the complexity of the humanstory, and that theres no way you can tellthat story in one way and say, this is it.Always there will be someone who can tellit differently depending on where they arestanding this is the way I think theworlds stories should be told: from manydifferent perspectives. 3. AlthoughI did not set about it consciously in that solemn way, I now know that my first book, Things Fall Apart, was an act of atonement with my past, the ritual return and homage of a prodigal son. 4. In an interview in the 1994-95 issue of The Paris Review,Chinua Achebe states that he became a writer in order totell his story and the story of his people from his ownviewpoint. He explains the danger of not having onesown stories through the following proverb: "until the lionshave their own historians, the history of the hunt willalways glorify the hunter." Critics and Achebes ownessays have portrayed Things Fall Apart as a responseto the ideologies and discursive strategies of colonialtexts. 5. Chinua Achebe is one of the most well-knowncontemporary writers from Africa. His first novel, ThingsFall Apart, deals with the clash of cultures and the violenttransitions in life and values brought about by the onsetof British colonialism in Nigeria at the end of thenineteenth century. Published in 1958, just beforeNigerian independence, the novel recounts the life of thevillage hero Okonkwo and describes the arrival of whitemissionaries in Nigeria and its impact on traditional Igbosociety during the late 1800s. 6. He also fiercely resents the stereotype of Africa as an undifferentiated "primitive" land, the "heart of darkness," as Conrad calls it. Throughout the novel he shows how African cultures vary among themselves and how they change over time. 7. Balance of traditional masculine andfeminine values Continual and inevitable change The dynamic between the individual andsociety Irony (situational) 8. Chapters 1-13 9. Okonkwo:(Oh-kahn-kwoh) Protagonist main character Clan leader in Umuofia Good warrior and farmer Doesnt want to be thought weak like his father sohe over-compensates Nwoye:(Nuh-woh-yeh) Okonkwos oldest son He is a sensitive boy (likes to listen to mothersstories) Okonkwo thinks he is weak like Unoka 10. Ekwefi: (Eh-kweh-fee) Okonkwos second wife the mother of Ezinma, her only living child. Ezinma: (Eh-zeen-mah) Daughter of Ekwefi Okonkwos favorite daughter Okonkow often wishes she had been a boy 11. Ojiugo:(Oh-jee-ooh-goh) Okonkwos third and youngest wife Okonkwo beats her during the Week of Peace Obiageli: Daughter of Okonkwos first wife Unoka: (Ooh-no-kah) Okonkwos father Weak and irresponsible 12. Ikemefuna:(Ee-keh-meh-foo-nah) Given to Umuofia by another village Village has Okonkwo keep him Lives with Okonkwos first wife He and Nwoye become very close Okonkwo actually kills him after Umuofia decidesto have him executed 13. Obierika: (Oh-bee-air-ee-kah) Okonkwos close friend Often a voice of reason Maduka: Obierikasson Wins a wrestling contest Okonkwo often wishes Nwoye were more like Maduka Nwakibie: Wealthy clansman in Umuofia Lends Okonkwo 800 seed yams to help Okonkwoget his start 14. Chielo: (Chee-eh-loh) Village widow; priestess of Agbala Has a close relationship with Ekwefi and Ezinma Calls Ezinma my daughter Agbala: Oracle of the Hills and Caves 15. OkagbueUynawa: Medicine man Okonkwo consults him when Ezinma takes ill OkagbueEzeudu: Oldest man in village; highly respected by clan; tells Okonkwo to have no part in Ikemefunas death; dies in chapter 13 16. a. How does Okonkwo make a living? b. Why does Okonkwo dislike his father? c. How did Ikemefuna come intoOkonkwos village? d. What character traits does Okonkwovalue most? e. Who is Nwoye? 17. 1. Okonkwos desire to be strong,wealthy, and respected comes from bothhis cultural experience and his feelingabout his father. Which affects him more?Note passages from the novel. 2. What is ironic about Okonkwosfeelings for Ikemefuna, compared to hisfeelings for Nwoye? 18. 3. What can you tell about Okonkwoscharacter from his participation in thedeath of Ikemefuna? Explain. 4. What feature of Okonkwos characterpersuades Nwakibie to give him the seedyams? 5. The exposition of a novel provides thereader with important backgroundinformation about the characters, theirsetting, and their problems. How is thescene in which Okonkwo visits his friendsObierika a vital part of the exposition? 19. 6. Explain the most influential role that awoman holds in the Umuofian village. 7. When a man says yes his chi saysyes also. Explain the concept of chi.What is the meaning of this traditionalproverb? Do you think this proverbcontinues to offer wisdom or presenttruth? Why? 20. a. Why does Ekwefi become bitter aboutlife? b. Who do the egwugwu represent? c. Why have Mgbafos brothers takenback their sister from her husband? d. An ogbanje is a child who repeatedlydies and returns to its mothers womb.How can humans overcome this cycle,which the Ibo consider wicked? 21. e. What announcement does Chielomake, and where does she take Ezinma? f. What joyous ceremony takes place theday after Chielos announcement? g. Who is killed at the funeral of Ezeudu? 22. 1. How does the story of Okonkwosrelationship with Ekwefi and Ezinma develophis character in a direction not previouslyseen in the novel? 2. Ekwefi tells Ezinma the story of thetortoise and what happens when he tricksthe birds at their feast. What might this storysymbolize about Okonkwo? 3. Ekwefi defies the priestess by followingher and Ezinma to the Oracles cave. Whattraits that the Ibo associate with masculinitydoes this behavior reveal? 23. 4. When a child accidentally lets loose acow, the childs parents uncomplainingly paya heavy fine. What conclusion do you drawfrom this about the Ibo way of life? 5. Situational irony occurs when whathappens is the opposite of what is expectedor appropriate for a given situation orcharacter. What is ironic about Okonkwoscrime and his banishment to Mbanta? 6. How does Okonkwos best friend Obierikajustify his participation in the burning ofOkonkwos compound? 24. Chapters 14-25 25. Uchendu Okonkwos uncle (on mothers side) Houses Okonkwo during Okonkwos 7-year exile Mr. Kiaga Native convert who arrives in Mbanta Converts Nwoye and others 26. Mr. Brown First missionary to Umuofia Non-aggressive and shows respect toward Igbobeliefs Befriends tribal leaders, builds a school andhospital. Akunna Leader in Umuofia Discusses religion with Mr. Brown Inadvertently shows Mr. Brown that working withIgbo belief instead of against it will work best inUmuofia (not a frontal attack) 27. Reverend Smith Missionary who replaces Mr. Brown Sees the world as black and white More aggressive and does not respect any Igbobelief Represents the stereotypical white man in Africa Enoch fanatical Christian convert to the Christian Rips off the mask of an egwugwu during aceremony to the earth goddess 28. The District Commissioner An authority in the colonial government Stereotypical racist colonialist; shows no respectto the African culture while assuming he fullyunderstands it Desires to write a book about the Africantraditions 29. In Part One we were introduced to anintact and functioning culture. It may havehad its faults, and it accommodateddeviants like Okonkwo with some difficulty,but it still worked as an organic whole. It isin Part Two that things begin to fallapart. Okonkwos exile in Mbanta is notonly a personal disaster, but it removeshim from his home village at a crucial timeso that he returns to a changed worldwhich can no longer adapt to him. 30. Okonkwosrelationship to the newcomers is exacerbated by the fact that he has a very great deal at stake in maintaining the old ways. All his hopes and dreams are rooted in the continuance of the traditional culture. The fact that he has not been able gradually to accustom himself to the new ways helps to explain his extreme reaction. 31. a. What is the relationship betweenOkonkwo and Uchendu? b. What point does Uchendu make in hisspeech to Okonkwo? c. Why did the whites kill the villagers ofAbame? d. Something about his native culturetroubles Nwoye deeply, and the ChristianChurch gives him comfort. What isbothering him? 32. e. Where do the Mbanta elders give landfor the Christian Church? f. What convinces Mbantan converts thatthe church is powerful? g. Why are the Christians ostracized bythe clan the week before Easter? h. How does Okonkwo show his thanksto Mbanta at the end of his seven yearexile? 33. 1. One of Okonkwos nicknames is RoaringFlame. What do you think this metaphoricalname means? How do you interpretOkonkwos thought, Living fire begets cold,impotent ash? 2. How do the names Okonkwo choose for hischildren born in Mbanta reflect his feelingsabout his exile? 3. In the book, find an example of flashbackthat shows the relationship between whitenewcomers and African natives and anexample in which this relationship is indicatedthrough foreshadowing. 34. 4. Mr. Kiaga decides that the church willaccept the clans outcasts. What philosophydoes this reveal, and how does this explainthe success of the Christian church inattracting African converts? 5. How does the fact that there is nopunishment in Ibo law for intentionally killinga python reveal the theme of therelationship of an individual to thecommunity? 6. Uchendu says, An animal rubs its itchingflank against a tree, a man asks hiskinsman to scratch him. Explain what this 35. a. Who are Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith? b. How does Chukwu differ from chi? c. What sacrilege did Enoch commit? d. What did the clansmen do that madethe District Commissioner summon themto his headquarters? e. What did Okonkwos family notice afterhe returned from the DistrictCommissioners headquarters? 36. f. How much did the DistrictCommissioner fine the villagers? Howmuch did the villagers pay? Why? g. Why could clan members not removeOkonkwos body from the tree? 1. Okonkwo plans to make the villagerstake notice when he returns to Umuofia.What does this attitude reveal aboutOkonkwos character? 37. 2. The white man came quietly andpeaceably with his religion. We wereamused at his foolishness and allowed himto stay. Now he has won our brothers, andour clan can no longer act like one. In yourown words, restate Obierikas point and explainthe significance this has to the idea that thingsfall apart. 3. Compare and contrast Mr. Smith and Mr.Brown. 4. How does Okonkwo know that the villagerswill not fight the British? 38. 5. Why do you suppose Okonkwo kills themessenger? 6. In the last paragraph of the novel, thepoint of view shifts although the narrativeis still in third person. Whose point ofview is shown in this paragraph, and whatis the tone (attitude of the writer to hissubject)? Why do you think Achebemakes the shift? 7. How is Things Fall Apart a tragedy forboth a society and an individual? 39. Achebespurpose in telling the stories of festivals and weddings, the relationship of Ekwefi and her sickly, beloved daughter Ezinma, and her wild night with Chielo, the Priestess of Agbala is to make us realize just how full and complex was the life of the Igbo villages before contact with the British, and how much was lost by the falling apart of that village civilization. 40. But Achebe is even-handed in his stories oftraditional Igbo life, and he includes troublingelements, such as the throwing away of twin infantsinto the evil forest, the sacrifice of Ikemefuna toatone for a murder he did not commit, and the storyof Okonkwos exile for a murder committed not byhim, but by his gun that exploded during a funeral,killing one of the sons of the dead man. In short,Christianity was able to gain a foothold among theIgbo precisely because there were already problemswithin the traditional culture. Christianity madeespecial inroads among alienated and unhappypeople, such as Nwoye, Okonkwos son. http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/eng252/achebestudy.htm