“Things Fall Apart” By Chinua Achebe

About The Author:  

Achebe is considered one of the earliest and best novelists to have come out of modern Nigeria, in fact one of the top English-speaking novelists of his time anywhere. Achebe is interested in showing Ibo society in the period of transition when rooted, traditional values are put in conflict with an alien and more powerful culture that will tear them apart.

Setting :

The setting of the book was in Nigeria, in a village called Umuofia. It took place in the late 1800's. The Ibo are the original inhabitants of eastern Nigeria. They occupied a region called “Iboland” for at least a thousand years before the arrival of the British.

Main characters:

Unoka: Father of Okonkwo who became a shame in Okonkwo's life.
Okonkwo: (Protagonist). Story basically evolves over him and his actions. He has promised himself to be greater than his father and receive many titles as he can in Umofia.
Ezinma: Daughter of Okonkwo however, Okonkwo wished she was born a boy. However, she is her favorite daughter, she has masculinity traits.
Ikemefuna: Okonkwo's "adoptive son" which Okonkwo kills. His actions taunt Okonkwo throughout the story.
Nwoye: Okonkwo's oldest son. He has presenced the violence and shadows of his demanding father. Nwoye resembles more of his grandfather Unoka. ETC..

Things Fall Apart mostly surrounds Okonkwo, a man of high status in an Igbo tribe (Achebe, 45) in Nigeria during the 1890s (Sparknotes Editors).The book illustrates the conflict between the indigenous Igbo people and the white Christians that settle in their land.Achebe describes the culture before the evangelists arrive and how it changes without ostracizing one side.

Okonkwo as Hero

Okonkwo is the yprotagonist in Things Fall Apart. He is a warrior who has a very violent personality, and is successful and powerful in the book because of his many wives and children. He tries very hard throughout the book to be the opposite as his father, who he viewed as weak. Because of this, he is often angry and is obsessed with being masculine. I see Okonkwo as a hero.

Examples-

“But somehow Okonkwo could never become as enthusiastic over feasts as most people.”(Pg. 37)

This shows that although Okonkwo was in a high position in his tribe, he does not become enthusiastic around other people. A fear of what other people think of him drives Okonkwo to be cautious in any event where there is a large gathering.

Main purpose and theme of the Novel:

People from Africa are not taken for granted they are thought to be uncivilized and wild. However, Chinua Achebe writes this story to provide and idea of the society and cultures Nigerians have as well as their civilization contrasting Joseph Conrad who has provided a wrong idea of Nigerian society in his book, "Heart of Darkness." 

Never let anything from the past affect your future and actions: This theme is presented and shown on Unoka whom actions have affected his son Okonkwo's life.Unoka's actions have converted Okonkwo into a violent affection less man and Okonkwo has promised himself that he will not be like his father. However, in the end Okonkwo is seen like his father for his cowardly action (committing suicide).

Okonkwo is a respected leader in the Umuofia tribe of the Igbo people.He lives in fear of becoming his father – a man known for his laziness and cowardice.Okonkwo’s life is shaken up a when an accidental murder takes place and Okonkwo ends up adopting a boy from another village.The boy is named Ikemefuna and Okonkwo comes to love him like a son whom he love more than his biological son.

Okonkwo accidentally shoots and kills a boy. For his crime, the town exiles him for seven years to his mother’s homeland, MbantaThere, he learns about the coming of the white missionaries whose arrival signals the beginning of the end for the Igbo people.When Okonkwo has finished his seven-year sentence and is allowed to return home, his son Nwoye converts to Christianity. Okonkwo is so bent out of shape that he disowns his son.Realizing that his clan will not go to war against the white men, the proud, devastated Okonkwo hangs himself.