Kemetic Roots of Library and Information Science, by Itibari M. Zulu
Things fall apart
1. Things Fall
Apart
Introduction and Background to
African Literature
NCSCOS English II Goals and Objectives: 5.01, 5.02, 5.03
2. "The Second
Coming"
William
Butler Yeats
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
3.
4. African Literature
• African literature was first
recognized around 2300-2100 B.C.,
when ancient Egyptians begin using
burial texts to accompany their
dead. These include the first written
accounts of creation - the Memphite
Declaration of Deities.
5. African Literature
• African literature spawns from their
extremely oral culture
• Oral culture takes many forms:
proverbs and riddles, epic narratives,
praise poetry and songs, chants and
rituals, stories, legends and folk tales.
• This is present in the many proverbs
told in Things Fall Apart
6. African Literature
• With the period of Colonization, African
oral traditions and written works came
under serious threat from outside
sources.
• Europeans, justifying themselves with the
Christian ethics, tried to destroy the
"pagan" and "primitive" culture of the
Africans, to make them more pliable
slaves. However, African Literature
survived this concerted attack.
7. African Literature
• Chinua Achebe presents
native African culture in
his stunning work, Things
Fall Apart. This is
probably the most read
work of African Literature
ever written, and it
provides a deep level of
cultural detail
http://blog.syracuse.com/shelflife/2007/11/achebe.jpg
8. • Chinua Achebe is one of the
most well-known contemporary
writers from Africa.
• Achebe’s first novel, Things Fall
Apart, deals with the clash of
cultures and the violent transitions
in life and values brought about by
the onset of British colonialism in
Nigeria at the end of the nineteenth
century.
9. Chinua Achebe
• born in Nigeria in 1930. He was raised in the
large village of Ogidi, one of the first centers
of Anglican missionary work in Eastern
Nigeria. (Question #5)
• He is a graduate of University College,
Ibadan.
• From 1972 to 1976, and again in 1987 to
1988, Mr. Achebe was a Professor of English
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst,
and also for one year at the University of
Connecticut, Storrs.
10. Author’s Purpose
• One of the main themes running through
Things Fall Apart -- and all of Achebe’s
work -- is that all knowledge is specific
and culturally situated. (Question #1)
• What does your map of Africa tell you
about your knowledge of the culture
we’re about to encounter in this book?
11. Author’s Purpose
“Let me first make one general point that is
fundamental and essential to the
appreciation of African issues by Americans.
Africans are people in the same way that
Americans, Europeans, Asians, and others are
people. Africans are not some strange beings
with unpronounceable names and
impenetrable minds. Although the action of
Things Fall Apart takes place in a setting
with which most Americans are unfamiliar,
the characters are normal people and their
events are real human events.”
Chinua Achebe
12. What made Achebe’s African literature
truly African?
• Things Fall Apart combines Western
linguistic forms and literary traditions
with Igbo (or Ibo) words and phrases,
proverbs, fables, tales, and other
elements of African oral and communal
storytelling traditions. (Question #6)
• This helps record and preserve African
oral traditions as well as to overcome the
colonialist language and culture.
13. Things Fall Apart
• Published in 1958, just before Nigerian
independence, the novel recounts the
life of the village hero Okonkwo and
describes the arrival of white
missionaries in Nigeria and its impact on
traditional Igbo society during the late
1800s. (Question #9, #10)
14. Background
• Things Fall Apart, Africa's most
important novel to date, is probably
the most widely studied African
creative work both in Africa and
abroad. The novel's universal appeal
has led to its being translated into
more than 50 languages
15. • Mr. Achebe has published novels, short
stories, essays, and children's books.
• He was cited in the London Sunday
Times as one of the 1,000 "Makers of
the Twentieth Century," for defining "a
modern African literature that was truly
African" and thereby making "a major
contribution to world literature."
16. • How do you think oral storytelling
helps to promote Achebe’s theme
that all knowledge is specific and
culturally situated? (Question #7)
18. British Colonialism
• In the 1850’s, European countries divided up
all the land in Africa – the land England
acquired became its African colonies.
• In the 1850’s, 80% of Africa was still under
traditional, local control.
• England and other colonial powers like France
and Germany divided Africa into 50 countries.
19. • They superimposed brand new
boundaries over the 1,000
indigenous cultures and regions of
Africa.
• The new countries lacked reason,
and divided some groups of people
who lived peacefully together,
while merging other groups who
didn’t get along.
20. The End of Colonialism
• Between 1885 and 1914 Britain took
nearly 30% of Africa's population
under its control, compared to 15%
for France, 9% for Germany, 7% for
Belgium and 1% for Italy.
• Nigeria alone contributed 15 million
subjects, more than in the whole of
French West Africa or the entire
German colonial empire.
21. • An epic hero, like Odysseus, is typically set
apart from other characters by his capacity
to endure many trials and tests. A tragic
hero, like Oedipus, is typically a man of
consequence brought down by an inner
conflict, or through his own weakness. Is
Okonkwo an epic hero, a tragic hero, or is
he a hero at all?
22. • Do you think we bring some knowledge
of Africa to the table?
• How is our knowledge of Africa and
African history biased? (Question #2)
• Are there some stereotypes about
Africa and Africans that we unwittingly
have? (Question #3)
23.
24. Background
• Things Fall Apart takes place during
British colonial rule of Nigeria in the
latter part of the 1800s and deals with
the Ibo(Igbo) Culture
26. Your Essay Assignment:
(Keep this in mind as you read.)
• In musing about the role of the novelist as an educator,
acclaimed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe once wrote:
“I would be quite satisfied if my novels (especially the
ones I set in the past) did no more than teach my
readers that their past - with all its imperfections - was
not one long night of savagery from which the first
Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them.”
• In your opinion, does Achebe succeed in doing this with
his novel Things Fall Apart?
• Whether you argue that he does or does not succeed,
support your position through reference to at least
three specific examples from the novel.
30. Ibo Culture
• To understand the concepts in Things
Fall Apart, it is important to know
about the Ibo (also called Igbo)
culture
31. Belief System
• Igbo beliefs were once very tribal in nature.
• Before Christianity belief system revolved around
one particular god, named Chukwu
• Chukwu was all powerful and omnipresent God and
representations, symbols and sanctuaries for him
can be found almost anywhere.
– Homes, compounds, buildings and even village parks and
squares would display these depictions of Chukwu
• Also believed in many smaller deities that would
compete among themselves
• CHI was a god seen as individually personalized by
its followers.
• The people believed strongly in ones ability to
improve status in the present world or afterlife
through change.
32. http://www.artheos.org/images/5476.jpg
Egwugwu
http://www.literaryworlds.wmich.edu/umuofia/images/mask3.JPG
These figures are tutelary
deities known as alusi or
agbara
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q_QOyPJQRZE/SMbWx
YguxdI/AAAAAAAAABU/3eC7dGsGjvk/s320/elderm
eeting.jpg
33. People and Community
http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/content_images/igbo_title.jpg
http://peacecorpsonline.or
g/messages/jpeg/nigeria0
08.jpg
http://media.photobucket.
com/image/igbo
%20husband/Feels_Good_2B
_Home/igbowedding.jpg
34. Music
• Igbo music is generally lively,
upbeat, and spontaneous which
creates a variety of sounds that
enables the Igbo people to
incorporate music into almost all the
facets of their daily lives
35. Ekwe- type of
drum
http://www.uta.fi/~meemen/ogenet.jpg
Oge- type of
http://www.motherlandmusic.com/images/nigeria/drums/ekwe.jpg bell
36. A Tortoise Shell Drum
Drums were a
very important
part of
everyday life.
They were part
of religious
ceremonies
and rituals.
37. Yams are a staple crop.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/2369013508_4c786d9af4.jpg?v=0
38. Ibo Culture Past and Present
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keZ
40. Village
Customs
Life in Umuofia was very structured and daily life
had many important rituals.
There were important traditions for welcoming
visitors, for attaining and respecting social status, for
treatment of women, for going to war, getting
married, and for settling disputes.
41. Kola Nut
• Kola nut was
mixed with
alligator pepper
and eaten.
• This was served
as an appetizer
as part of the
welcoming
ritual.
42. Alligator Pepper
• Alligator
pepper has a
spicy flavor in
the seeds.
• It was used as
a seasoning by
mixing it with
kola nut.
44. Kola Bowl
Kola was mixed and served in this
type of bowl.
When a guest arrived, the
host would ask the guest
to break the kola nut.
They would politely argue
about who should serve
the kola. Finally, the host
would serve it.
The guest would draw chalk
lines on the floor and
paint his big toe white
with the chalk.
45. Religious Ceremonies
The people of Umuofia believed in many gods,
ghosts,
ancestral spirits, and even believed certain animals
were
sacred.
They prayed to their ancestors and also had a chi
or personal god.
They revered the python as the most sacred animal
and called a rainbow the python of the sky.
46. Ceremonial Masks
• The egwugwu were the leaders of
the community.
• The women would be afraid of
the egwugwu, even though they
knew their men were not
present at the ceremonies and
had to be the egwugwu.
• Evil Forest was the lead egwugwu
in Things Fall Apart.
48. Boys of the Village
It was important to include boys in daily rituals.
49. • They would make
communal
decisions for the
Ibo people such as:
– settling property
disputes
– deciding whether
to go to war
Egwugwu wearing ceremonial
masks
53. Drinking Palm Wine From a Human Skull
Was Part of Religious Ceremonies
Okonkwo Had Five Skulls to His Credit
54. Village Life
The villagers were warriors, farmers, and
craftsmen.
The men’s crop was yam, the king of crops.
Women’s crops were coco-yams, beans, and
cassava.
55. People and Community
• Igbo home life is also very
structured.
• Typically the husband is the
head of the household. He also
accepts his responsibilities to
his community.
• It is of equal importance to
tend to both the family and the
village. Igbo people usually
have very extended families; it
is a part of them as a people.
Ibo Huts
http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/11183/84066/t/520783-The-hut-0.jpg
57. "Proverbs are the palm-oil
with which words are
eaten."
• Among the Ibo people, the art of conversation
is very highly regarded.
• At the time the novel takes place (1930s), the
Ibo people do not use the written word.
• They received their news from the town
crier.
• A Proverb is a short saying that expresses a
common truth or experience. Proverbs are
very important to the Ibo people.
58. Locusts • Locusts are related
to grasshoppers.
They swarm and can
destroy whole fields
and crops.
• The Umuofians
considered them to
be a delicacy.
• They gathered them
in baskets and then
roasted them and
ate them.
60. Cowry Shells
• Cowry shells were used
as money in Africa.
• They were small enough
to carry and were scarce
enough to be valuable.
• 25 bags of cowry shells
were paid as bride price
during the engagement
ceremony in the novel.
74. Your Essay Assignment:
(Keep this in mind as you read.)
• In musing about the role of the novelist as an educator,
acclaimed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe once wrote:
“I would be quite satisfied if my novels (especially the ones I
set in the past) did no more than teach my readers that their
past - with all its imperfections - was not one long night of
savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God’s
behalf delivered them.”
• In your opinion, does Achebe succeed in doing this with his
novel Things Fall Apart?
• Whether you argue that he does or does not succeed, support
your position through reference to at least three specific
examples from the novel.
75. Conflicts
Generational:
Okonkwo vs. Unoka
Okonkwo vs. Nwoye
Cultural
Ibo vs. Western
Tradition vs. Christianity
Assimilation vs. purity
Gender
Okonkwo vs. his wives
Inner
Okonkwo vs. himself
76. The Tragic Hero
1. enjoys an exalted position in society
either by birth or extraordinary
achievements
2. demonstrates wisdom, moral or
philosophical greatness -- sometimes
physical prowess
3. adheres to and exemplifies a code of
conduct including reverence toward the
laws of God and the universe, loyalty to
the family, and respect for government
4. possesses a flaw in personality or psyche
that ultimately brings about total
destruction.
77. Tragic Flaw
• The quality that ultimately defeats a
noble hero.
• What was Gatsby’s flaw? Macbeth?
Hamlet? Oedipus?
• Okonkwo’s flaw:
Uncontrollable Anger
Inflexibility
78. • After WWII, England’s sway and power
over its colonies around the world was
weakened.
• England’s empire in Africa ended
quickly, often leaving the newly-
independent states ill-equipped to deal
with the challenges of governing
themselves.
• Nigeria won independence in 1960, and
many other African nations followed
shortly thereafter. (Question # 8)
79. • What types of problems do you think
this would create for both England and
Africans? (Question #4)
Editor's Notes
These are like sweet potato yams that we enjoy here in North Carolina, but the meals created with them are different from the way we serve our yams
Boys of the village. It was important to include boys in daily rituals and religious ceremonies.
