See a complete list of the characters in things fall apart and indepth analyses of okonkwo, nwoye, ezinma, mr. Conventions, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form. During the second year of okonkwos exile, obierika comes to visit and brings news of the destruction of abame by white men. In this lesson, youll learn about the basic story and the characters involved, and. Things fall apart is a novel by chinua achebe in which okonkwo struggles to adapt as his village is overrun with white missionaries okonkwo is given charge of a boy.
A part iokonkwos rise to fame achebes things fall apart describes the tragic demise of an ibo man named okonkwo. As a nigerianamerican, i can honestly say that things fall apart is one of the most important books ive ever read. The book things fall apart written by a young chinua achebe in 1958, though a work of historical fiction, has become part of the written works that must be consulted in any. The novels three parts also map onto a gendered narrative structure. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Honestly, the description for and then things fall apart sounds pretty average not terrible, but nothing that hasnt been done before. Of all of achebes works, things fall apart is the one read most often, and has generated the most critical response, examination, and literary criticism. Apparently a white man came to abame and the elders consulted the oracle about what to do with him. A tragic hero holds a position of power and prestige, chooses his course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and gains awareness of circumstances that lead to his fall.
Things fall apart is set in umuofia, the hometown of okonkwo, a proud, angry, and hardworking man in his prime. Each of the novels three parts covers one of these periods of okonkwos life. Background information on things fall apart by chinua achebe. Igbo people albert chinuamaluga achebe born in nigeria in 1930 traditional igbo family exception. His principal character cannot accept the new order, even though the old has already collapsed. A summary of chapters 1416 in chinua achebes things fall apart. Ikemefuna is homesick and scared at first, but nwoyes mother treats him as one. His father was a lazy man who preferred playing the flute to tending the soil.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of things fall apart and what. A short summary of chinua achebes things fall apart. Okonkwo is a respected and influential leader within the igbo community of umuofia in eastern nigeria. Things fall apart sparknotes literature guide series by. Okonkwo was not born a great man, but he achieved success by his hard work. Short summary synopsis for things fall apart by chinua achebe. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of things fall apart.
Free study guidethings fall apart by chinua achebefree booknotes chapter summary plot synopsis downloadable notes essay book report. The narrative structure of things fall apart follows a cyclical pattern that chronicles okonkwos youth in umuofia, his sevenyear exile in mbanta, and his eventual return home. In things fall apart by chinua achebe, women of the igbo tribe are terribly mistreated, and viewed as weak and receive little or no respect outside of their role as a mother. Things fall apart is chinua achebes first novel and was published in 1958, a time often called the nigerian renaissance because in that period a large number of very strong nigerian writers began to create a powerful new literature that drew on the traditional oral literature, european literature, and the changing times in nigeria and in africa at large. The phrase red in tooth and claw is an allusion to the poem in memoriam a. Things fall apart is a milestone in african literature. In the novel, the traditional social structure of the igbo is challenged by the missionaries and the white court. Chinua achebe was born in 1930 in the village of ogidi in eastern nigeria.
The motivation of the author to write the book might have arisen from the changes that were taking place in his society at the time. Sample literary devices essay things fall apart ap. Apr 23, 20 written with quiet dignity that builds to a climax of tragic force, this book about the dissolution of an african tribe, its traditions, and values, represents a welcome departure from the familiar me, white brother genre. After studying medicine and literature at the university of ibadan, he went to work for the nigerian broadcasting company in lagos. In obierikas own words, he the white men has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. Things fall apart is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, okonkwo, and the igbo culture. Its considered an important work in world literature, albeit a controversial one the book has been banned in some places for its critical portrayal of european colonialism. Okonkwo has always felt a need to prove himself because he is the son of a failure, a man named unoka who was heavily in debt because he preferred playing his flute and drinking palm wine to farming. The protagonist of things fall apart, okonkwo is also considered a tragic hero. Things fall apart tells the tragic story of a nigerian tribesman who holds on to tradition in a changing world. They help him build a new compound of huts and lend him. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A summary of chapters in chinua achebes things fall apart.
Fifty years after chinua achebe wrote this deceptively simple nigerian tragedy, things fall apart has never been out of print. Chapter 3 a story is told in umuofia about okonkwos father, unoka, and his visit to the oracle to find out why he always had a miserable harvest. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the. A year before the start of the novel, when ezinma was nine, a medicine man named. Its hailed as africas best known work of literature and i can easily see why. His frenzied desire to be anything but what his father was causes him to develop a. Plot summary let get you up to speed on key information and facts on things fall apart by chinua achebe. Things fall apart book summary analysis chapter notes free book notes online download by chinua achebe. Free study guidethings fall apart by chinua achebefree. Things fall apart 1958, achebes first novel, concerns traditional igbo life at the time of the advent of missionaries and colonial government in his homeland. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of things fall apart and. Ezinma calls her by her first name and the dynamic of their relationship approaches equality.
Need help with chapter 2 in chinua achebes things fall apart. In things fall apart by chinua achebe, the reader is taken on a literary journey to a nigerian tribe, the umuofia, to experience firsthand the struggles of a warrior named okonkwo. A summary of chapters 12 in chinua achebes things fall apart. Things fall apart short summarysynopsis thebestnotes. A summary of chapters 911 in chinua achebes things fall apart. Chinua achebes things fall apart covers the tragic fall of the protagonist okonkwo and the african igbo culture. The oracle is named agbala and is always consulted in misfortunes. In chapter 8 of chinua achebes novel things fall apart, okonkwo deals with the death of young ikemefuna. This is the first and only reference to the title of the book. A summary of chapters 78 in chinua achebes things fall apart. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Chinua achebes classic postcolonial novel things fall apart details the tragedy of colonialism through the eyes of okonkwo, a respected.
These women are nurturers above all and they are anything but. Its main character is okonkwo, whose tragic and fatal flaw, his overweening ambition, wounds him. Basic information colonial africa colonization of africa berlin conference of 1885 three cs. The tragic story of the life of warrior okonkwo is the focus of the story things fall apart by chinua achebe. Achebes things fall apart 1958 is perhaps the bestknown african novel of the 20th century. Plot summary things fall apart is set in umuofia, the hometown of okonkwo, a proud, angry, and hardworking man in his prime. Although okonkwo strives to overcome his fathers reputation as a sluggard who refuses to pay his debts, his life ends almost as tragically as his fathers as he commits suicide. Things fall apart study guide and discussion questions. The christians have compromised the unity of the clan and has made them fall apart. Okonkwos uncle, uchendu, and the rest of his kinsmen receive him warmly.
Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Things fall apart is a novel by chinua achebe that was first published in 1958. Get free homework help on chinua achebes things fall apart. Since achebe used things fall apart as his title, it can also be seen as the thesis of his book.
Oct 24, 20 things fall apart is a tragic novel by nigerian author chinua achebe. Initially, okonkwo rises from humble origins to become a powerful leader in umuofia, a rural village in southeastern nigeria. Okonkwo has always felt a need to prove himself because he is the son of a failure, a man named unoka who was heavily in debt because he preferred playing his flute and drinking palm wine to. Things fall apart, his first novel was published in 1958. The clan decides that ikemefuna will stay with okonkwo. Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the umuofia clan, a lower nigerian tribe that is part of a consortium of nine connected villages. Okonkwo ascertains that ezinma has a fever and sets about collecting medicine. Achebes influential novel things fall apart represents a culture altering. The novel deals with the rise and fall of okonkwo, a man from the village of unuofia. Things fall apart book summaries, test preparation. Plot summary of things fall apart novel summaries analysis. He tries to move forward by involving himself in the customs of the village, which. Mohammad ehsanul islam khan at manarat international university.
Get all the key plot points of chinua achebes things fall apart on one page. It has come to be seen as the archetypal modern african novel in english, and is read in nigeria and throughout africa. Oct 30, 2019 things fall apart is a famous novel by nigerian author chinua achebe. The novels three parts also map onto a gendered narrative structure that follows okonkwo from fatherland to motherland back to fatherland.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of things fall apart and what it means. Throughout his life, okonkwo attempts to be his fathers polar opposite. Things fall apart by chinua achebe plot summary litcharts. Things fall apart background by patricia hinko on prezi. Ezinma is ekwefis only child and the center of her world. The novel dramatizes the very beginnings of british imperialism in the region, which started not with guns but with bibles.