Things Falll Apart By Chinua Achebe

Things Falll Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a story that portrays the tensions between the white Colonial
Government and native–born people of Umuofia. Okonkwo, the main character, and a great village
man is highly respected in the Igbo tribe of Umuofia. Although, Okonkwo is highly respected by the
Igbo people, they are fearful of him because of his violent anger. When the Europeans arrived in
Umuofia, they brought with them a new religion: Christianity. The Westerners changed Umuofia,
destroyed tradition and destroyed Okonkwo. Things Fall Apart is a great novel recognised for its
impact on the world's understanding of Africa and African people. The novel's English translation
enabled Achebe to reveal the deep response of the Igbo people to colonisation. Through choosing to
write in English, the novel acts as a bridge to reach out to people all across the world. English acts
as a new voice and enables a connection between others in the world, which allows for the building
and creation of awareness through educating and informing; through the English language, readers
from across the globe are introduced to a new culture. This essay will discuss what the novel's
English translation made possible for the African writer, Chinua Achebe.
Things Fall Apart is a novel about Igbo people and their unique culture. Through the novel, Achebe
shows that Africa had a rich history and culture before the arrival of the white man. Achebe rejects
the assumptions of imperialist critics and
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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things fall apart. Achebe.
Ernest Gaines once said, "I write to try to find out who I am. One of my main themes is manliness. I
think I'm trying to figure out what manliness really is." Indeed, every society or culture has its own
understanding of an ideal man. Even though these characteristics are different in various parts of the
world, the significance of masculinity can never be overestimated. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua
Achebe is considered as one of the best examples of a rise and fall of a man who strives to meet all
requirements of an ideal masculinity. This paper will prove the manliness of the main character of
the novel, and analyze the reasons of his downfall despite the fact that he lives in a society where
masculinity is worshiped.
Okonkwo, the protagonist of "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, unlike Ernest Gaines has clear
concept of masculinity. His father's failure to achieve a success significantly influenced and formed
his [Okonkwo's] notion of masculinity. His father Unoka was the epitome and complete
personification of un–masculinity within his society. He was "lazy and improvident" and "incapable
of thinking about tomorrow" (p. 3). He was so poor that he had to borrow money, but when he failed
to do so his family suffered from famine (p. 4). Moreover, in contrast to his son, Unoka was "very
thin" and had a "mournful look" (p.4). Their village Umuofia that means "the land of the brave" (p.
91) was the strongest and most powerful

English Language By Chinua Ngugi
II: In this section Ngugi speaks about how the English– an imperialistic language that belongs to
Europe dominates the local languages in the post–colonial Africa. He asks to the reader that how did
people become to be so feeble towards the claims of their languages on them and so aggressive in
their claims on other languages, particularly the languages of their colonization. It is worth
mentioning the words spoken by Chinua Achebe, "is it right that a man should abandon his mother
language for some one else's? It looks like a dreadful betrayal and produces a guilty feeling". Ngugi
refers to the 1962 African writer's conference at Makerere University College in Kampala, Uganda:
"A Conference of African Writers of English Expression." Excluding writers who wrote in African
tongues, it proceeded to discuss questions of what African literature is or could be, while accepting
that it must be in English. This cruel poisonous paradox is summed up this way: "The bullet was the
means of the physical subjugation and language was the means of the spiritual subjugation" (9). ...
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He contrasts his village lessons via stories in his native tongue, Gikuyu, wherein language was
magical and powerful and musical. Then he speaks of school, wherein he was forced to learn
English and witness as English was used to sort students into a pyramid hierarchy. Even if he the
students score high marks in other subjects, if they fail to get marks in English they were not given
promotion to higher classes.in addition to this, students were punished for speaking in their local
languages and those students who spoke in their local language were humiliated severely. The
language of his education was no longer the language of his culture. Through his experience Ngugi
showcases how English became the official vehicle and the magic formula to colonial elitedom.
English was given a coveted

Essay On Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe is one of the most influential writers in African Literature. He incorporated his
culture so others could have a better understanding. His Things fall apart, ended up being a great
success that it sold over 12 million copies and was sold in over 50 languages.
Albert Chinualumogu Achebe was born on November 16, 1930 in Ogidi, Nigeria. According to
(https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/things–fall–apart/chinua–achebe–biography), "He was the
fifth child of Isaiah Okafor Achebe and Janet Iloegbunam Achebe. His father was an instructor in
Christian catechism for the Church Missionary Society. Nigeria was a British colony during
Achebe's early years, and educated English–speaking families like the Achebes occupied a
privileged ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Achebe's position and contribution to Nigeria He wrote multiple books. "No Longer at Ease (1960),
Arrow of God(1964) and A Man of the People (1966)," all of these novels uplift the issue of
traditions vs. change and how the argument must reach a middle ground.
Prior to joining NBC, in 1958, Achebe published his first novel: Things Fall Apart. The
groundbreaking novel centers on the cultural clash between native African culture and the traditional
white culture of missionaries and the colonial government in place in Nigeria. Thoroughly explained
Igbo people/culture gave representation Achebe reflects on how western culture has impacted his
life as he personally experienced the clash of two cultures. He writes the Things fall apart, to not
only to show how uncompromising both sides were but to make sure Native African know their

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Have you ever worked so hard in your life, that you became successful after all the hard work was
done, but during that successful time came the trials and tribulations. Trying to take care of different
responsibilities. Well in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Okonkwo says" you stay at home and
offer sacrifices to a reluctant soil, Go home and work like a man. Chinua achebe shows that you
may have good times and being successful in life, but there was also hard work involved. Hard
Work always pays off in the end no matter how it's done. When it comes Okonkwo always wanted
to be better than his dad Unoka. He will try and make it through the trials and tribulations.
Okonkwo, the son of lazy Unoka, hungers to get his way in the world and

In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart the characters are faced with the decision to join the
new religion that has been brought into the area or to move away from it. Enoch is a man who fits
into the new culture, he was an outcast of his original culture and this new group of people brought
him in. He has problems too, because he creates conflict between the new religion and the ancient
religion of the tribal people. There are different consequences for his mistakes, but in the end they
all obtained a resolution one way or another, even if it is not in the way he would want. Different
occurrences cause different problems and whatever happens will change things for the next
generation of people. As times change and new cultures come ... Show more content on
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Some said Enoch was more into the new religion than Mr. Brown one of the missionaries that came
to the tribe, Enoch even was so devoted to the new that the tribe people started to call him the
outside who wept louder than the bereaved, "Enoch's devotion to the new faith had seemed so much
greater then Mr.Brown that the villagers called him the outsider who wept louder then the bereaved"
(Achebe 185). This shows that Enoch was so devoted to his new faith that he got called names for it
by the other people and he would still go to the church even if people were calling him names or
rude things. Also Enoch would go to the church sermons and he would pretend that the words being
preached would be for the better of his enemies. He would even sit by or next to his enemies and
lean in at times during the sermon as if to tell the person I told you so, "He would occasionally turn
to give him a meaningful look,as if to say, 'I told you so'" (Achebe 186). This showed us that he
cared about what was being said in the church readings. Enoch also cared about all the people in the
church that he did not like, not just his friends, but about his enemies too, and that is what the new
religion

Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
As of 2014, there is an estimated 4,200 different religions globally, yet each has it's own unique
traditions. By utilizing tradition a culture further establishes it's own identity. Therefore, Gods and
rituals may be deemed as the passages that can separate one group of people from another. Through
storytelling, personal involvement, and literary works, many traditions were passed down from
generation to generation. A sense of tradition often determines the success of a civilization and
without it their societies often fall. Chinua Achebe's novel is imbedded with examples of tradition
and rituals. In the novel Things Fall Apart, religion controls the mind and their ideals, as people
desperately rush to seize control through beliefs. In ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Much of their work was required in the agricultural field, so women often grew small crops. Crops
such as coco–yams and beans were produced because they were considered "woman crops". A
notable example is according to the National Industrial Studies, " women became more susceptible
to hard labor during the industrial revolution. The created new age of evolution sparked the flame
for a global success change.". While having multiple wives and rankings displayed a clansmen
status in society, it further illustrates the importance of the patriarchal society the Igbo people live
in. However, women adapted to their circumstances and still found a way to provide for their
families just like the men. Through the polygamous marriage, social status determined the success
of a man and deemed them superior to the women.
Another common belief in Umuofia is polytheism, which is the worship or belief in many gods.
Included in their practice of polytheism is their inner chi, or personal god. The author Achebe states,
"A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi". The author goes on to say, "Unoka was an ill–
fated man. He had a bad chi, or personal god, and evil fortune followed him to the grave..." (18). For
instance, Achebe demonstrates that this is a god of great importance that foretells one 's future. In
Umuofian culture, it is customary to make sacrifices to the gods, like Unoka in Achebe 's novel.
Many of

"Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by
fear, the fear of failure and of weakness" (Achebe 13). In Chinua Achebe's, Things Fall Apart, the
character of Okonkwo is driven by fear. By the time Okonkwo becomes a young man, he is proud,
well–known, and respected. When the introduction of Western ideas occurs, Okonkwo is unable to
adapt his ways of functioning in the world and loses the respect he has from many Ibo people. First
off, Okonkwo is the son of cowardly and lazy Unoka. At an early age, Okonkwo grows a remorseful
shame towards his father. As Okonkwo grows up, he aims to be nothing like his father because of
what he put Okonkwo through. He strives to be productive, wealthy, brave, violent, and anything
that he considered "soft". Once Okonkwo escapes the embarrassment of his father, he is able to
become a successful farmer and an excellent wrestler. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He does not agree with the Western ideas such as converting the Ibo people to Christianity.
Okonkwo thinks that the Ibo people should work together to remove the Western people. In multiple
situations, Okonkwo attempts to fight the changes happening within the Ibo society because he does
not like what was resulting from these changes. "Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just a
personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he
mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women"
(Achebe 183). This excerpt from the novel tells the reader that Okonkwo is sorrowful. He is
sorrowful because over the time that the "white men" have come into his society, Umuofia's men
have been changed from tough men to soft like

Education is supposed to inspire young kids and teens to think independently, and allow them to
give their personal opinion on a subject, controversial topic, and/or idea. Books, especially the
controversial ones, are floodgates for new information and ideas that can be introduced into a young
person's mind. These new ideas and information shows the world for what it is... an unfair,
prejudiced, and downright ugly place to live. Reading about the challenges and struggles of others
forms questions into any young person's mind. The questions that form challenge normality,
authority, and their own beliefs. Questions are pivotal in the development of a young mind and the
book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe does just that. This book should be taught in schools
because it shows the values and traditions of Achebe's Igbo culture, persistently teaches life lessons
throughout the book, and shows the darker reality of European colonialism in Africa. Chinua
Achebe is known as one of the most influential and famous authors to ever write. Chinua Achebe
originates from an Igbo background and he expresses that through his writings very well including
Things Fall Apart, by telling the reader of Igbo traditions, Igbo social life, and Igbo values.
Throughout Things Fall Apart the people of Umuofia mention spirits. They talk about how the
spirits decide the outcome of their harvest, their chi, and their civil disputes. These spirits in Things
Fall Apart is the essence of the Igbo culture

Throughout Chinua Achebe's, Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo portrays a more austere type of person,
only wanting to succeed in life to not become a failure like his father, Unoka. Achebe shows that
Okonkwo cares for Ezinma most when he follows her to the cave. However, Okonkwo will never
quite accept her fully because she is a woman.
Throughout the book Okonkwo cares for Ezinma most out of all his children shown he follows her
to the cave and Ekwefi "knew that her daughter was safe" just because he had come (108). Not only
Okonkwo going to the cave to make sure that his daughter didn't get hurt in her journey, meant that
he truly did care about her, but also the fact that he went back several times to make sure they would
show up and be safe. Even

Of Racism In Chinua Achebe's 'Heart Of Darkness'?
Chinua Achebe creates a strong argument against Joseph Conrad, attempting to point out the racism
innate within Conrad's "Heart of Darkness. In Achebe's essay, he explicitly said, "Joseph Conrad
was a thoroughgoing racist" (343). Achebe depicts the narration, and setting of "Heart of Darkness"
to further prove his point. But, he falls short in one aspect of his argument, when he decides to
declassify "Heart of Darkness" as a great work of art. To begin, Chinua Achebe believes that the
character and Joseph Conrad are so similar in nature, that whatever racism Marlow, the main
character, shows must also be a trait of Conrad. Achebe says, "Marlow seems to me to enjoy
Conrad's complete confidence–a feeling reinforced by the close similarities between their two
careers" (342). Achebe is describing the close resemblance between the character and the author,
there are similarities in what they had both done, while in the Congo. Moreover, considering the
many layers of dilation in this story, the narrator narrating someone else's narration, all written by
Conrad, seems to be "totally wasted" (342) from the perspective of Achebe. These statements are not
without good reason since Conrad "neglects to hint however subtly or tentatively at an alternative
frame of reference by which we may judge the actions and opinions of the characters" (342).
Therefore, Conrad has not attempted to even give the reader a reference of what the character's
motivations might be, and because there is

The Marriage Is A Private Affair By Chinua Achebe
This is a review for one of the most influencing and wonderful works of Chinua Achebe, the
"Marriage is a Private Affair" which is about a man named Nnaemeka from the Igbo (Ibo) tribe who
wants to marry an Ibibio woman, Nene, who lives in Lagos; a cosmopolitan and the capital city of
Nigeria. But his father Okeke opposes and does not want the idea of their marriage. This short story
is in the most famous compilation of short stories of Achebe which is the Girls at War and Other
Stories (1972); set during the chaotic Nigerian Civil War in 1967–1970. For us to have more deep
understanding of this story, let us first see a brief background of its author Chinua Achebe. Chinua
Achebe came from the Igbo tribe, an ethnic group mostly living in the ... Show more content on
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Okeke, Nnaemeka's father, opposes their marriage because their traditional way of marriage is the
parents are the one who arrange the engagement. Moreover, one could only love a person who
speaks the same tongue as he/she. And according to Okeke, marriage is not all about love. What
matters is the one who Nnaemeka will marry should have a good character and a Christian
background like Ugoye which Okeke wants for his son. And this provokes the anger of Okeke.
Okeke does not really like Nene, especially when he heard from his son that Nene is a Christian but
a teacher in a Girls' School in Lagos because it is opposing to his Christian belief which St. Paul
says in the Bible that women should not teach and should keep silence only. But saying these does
not stop Nnaemeka from marrying Nene because for him, you marry a person because of love. We
could already see here in this part of the story the clash between two generations; the old and the
young or new. Achebe shows that there are always conflicts between the old and young/new
generations. Okeke is the representation of the old generation of Nigeria who preserves the old or
native traditions of his country while Nnaemeke and Nene are the representation of the young/new
generation who are greatly driven and influenced by the western colonization. But in the first part of
the

The definition of sexism is discrimination on the basis of sex. In many cultures sexism was and still
is a controversial topic. In fact, women in America couldn't even vote until the 1920's. The abundant
masculinity in this novel is not sexism but just how the culture functions. Chinua Achebe's novel
Things Fall Apart is not sexist towards women; in fact, it shows that women are essential to the Ibo
society and posses a great amount of strength.
For example, the novel is not sexist because it emphasizes the importance of the women to the
society. One of the major contributions women make is the amount of crops they harvest. "His
mother and his sister worked hard enough, but they grew the women crops like coco–yams, beans
and cassava. Yam, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to
protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say mother is supreme. (Achebe 134)
This proves that women are definitely needed because without them the children would never have
anyone to turn to. The quote stresses that women are the ones that provide comfort and love. Also
the fact that the quote says women are supreme shows their importance, supreme means of the
highest quality, degree, character, or importance. Moreover, women's importance is made evident by
the fact that there are goddesses and priestesses. The priestess of Agbala is very significant in this
novel and the men listen to her. If women did not have any importance then the men would not
listen to them. Their importance in the novel is displayed during the week of peace, which is
dedicated to the Goddess Ani. First of all, it is dedicated to a woman and second of all when
Okonkwo violates the week of peace many people are fearful of what the Goddess will do. "The
earth goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase and we shall all perish"
(Achebe 30). Once again if women have no importance then why would the men fear what Ani is
going to do or what she thinks. Another key point that expresses the importance of women is the
bride price. The bride price is meant to be respectful towards women and it is often more civilized
than verbal haggling like a farmer

The Power Of Religion By Chinua Achebe
The Power of Religion
A religion to some is the basic world views for a person, to some it is the basic behaviors and
practices and to others it is an order of existence. Throughout history, the world has witnessed a
religions power to guide a society, but many have also witnessed a religion destroy a society as well.
Within the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the world witnesses many religions, for
example the Ibo religion and Christianity. We are able to get a delightful insight on their ways of
functioning and beliefs. For the durations of the book, we observe the destructive power of religion.
Religion can absolutely destroy a society and break it into pieces because religion creates fear
within the people who follow it, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This fear does not allow people to do things they want and is against the basic fundaments of a
healthy society. In a healthy society, people would be free to go outside during night and kids would
be free to whistle. If these fears do not change, then the society will be destroyed because freedom is
a basic necessity for a health society. Continuing on, another example of fear being fabricated in the
minds of the people is during the appearance of the ancestral spirit, during the funeral of Ezeudu.
The ancestral spirits have "a sickly odor hung in the air wherever he went, and flies went with him.
Even the greatest medicine men took shelter, when he was near." (122). The Ibo religion once again
is able to fabricate fear into the minds of its followers. The religion places a fear of ancestral spirits
thus making the society sacred of walking around during the appearance of spirits, which once again
violates the freedom of the people. If a religion is implementing fear within the society, it is slowly
killing itself because people deserve freedom. Fear leads to destruction. In addition, a religion can
unquestionably destroy a society due to class divisions. Osu's are the outcast of the Ibo religion. "An
osu [can] not attend an assembly of the free–born and they, in turn, [can] not shelter under his roof"
(156). With a religion like Ibo creating class divisions, it

Role Of Igbo Society By Chinua Achebe
Abstract: In this paper Achebe has portrayed the customs, traditions, norms, superstitions and values
of Igbo society such as their judicial system, killing of twins, role of earth goddess and their
harmony with nature. They were deeply rooted in the consciousness of the people that the daily lives
of Igbo people were governed by them.
Keywords: Igbo society;social, political and religious concerns.
Chinua Achebe, who has taken upon himself the role of a teacher or interpreter devotes more than
half the text to portray the social and religious customs, myths, legends, beliefs, superstitions and
taboos of the Igbo people which were deeply rooted in their consciousness. At the thematic level,
Achebe explores meticulously and faithfully the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It was merely nothing but the tradition that they were cleaning the land polluted with the blood of
clansman. The most impressive achievement of Things Fall Apart, writes, David Carroll, 'is the
vivid picture it provides of Igbo culture and society at the end of the nineteenth century.' (Carroll
30). The characters of Things Fall Apart illustrate the conduct of war, religion, the social roles of
men and women in a relatively fixed and secure system.
References
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. London: Heinemann, 1958. Print.
–––. "The Novelist as Teacher" in John Press.ed.Commonwealth Literature, London: Heinemann,
1965. Print.
Carroll, David. Chinua Achebe.London: Macmillan, 1980. Print.
Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth.New York: Grove Press, 1964.

Things Fall Apart Book Critique
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a historical fiction novel describing the life of Okonkwo in a
Nigerian village succumbing to European ways, in order to portray Achebe's view on imperialism. It
was chosen for us to read by our teacher because it describes imperialism and its effects in an Ibo
village of Nigeria. It also shows the treatment of natives by the Europeans and how the natives
reacted. Things Fall Apart is useful to our course of studies because it helps us better understand the
unit we are learning and give us a superior, in–depth view of imperialism in Africa. It is a good
representation of our current unit because it clearly shows how countries in Africa were ill–treated
and eaten up by European countries during the age of imperialism. It shows how countries lost their
valuable traditions and ways of life to European culture and how they were left devastated, and
negatively affected by imperialism. The novel also holds additional practical information such as
how the Africans were not uncivilized people as the imperialists had claimed them to be, but their
ways were just different than the western ways.
Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart to show what he thought of imperialism, as well as to
communicate Africa's perspective on European imperialism rather than the European point of view:
"In 1958, Achebe responded with his own novel... which was one of the first books to tell the story
of European colonization from an African

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is markedly relevant to our current course of studies in World
History, as it tells a story based on European Imperialism in Africa. Coming off the heels of our
Imperialism unit, this post–colonial novel provides very helpful context on different civilizations'
perspectives throughout the Age of Imperialism; aside from analyzing death tolls, descriptions of
conflicts, and names of countries, it was previously hard to envision what life was actually like
during that time. Reading the story of the Umuofia Tribe supported the concepts learned during
class, and seemed to wholly represent (in a more relatable way) what we had previously researched.
This information was valuable to a deeper understanding of the unit, and will help me better grasp
future learning throughout our course of studies.
Chinua Achebe was born in 1930 in Ogidi, an town in Nigeria. The child of a Protestant missionary
living in an Igbo community, Achebe experienced a time where the crossroads of traditional culture
and Christianity in Nigeria were very apparent. For this reason, Things Fall Apart is widely
considered to be one of the most authentic novels on the Age of Imperialism; although Achebe did
not experience the Imperialization itself, he was immersed in the "mixed" culture of the following
decades, which lead him to write this narrative.
According to Achebe, with Things Fall Apart he hoped to educate non–African readers on Africa's
true complexity and humanity,

Have you even wondered what it was like in Africa after all of the slave trades, wars, and mass
colonization were gone? Did Europe finally leave them alone or just dig themselves deeper into a
hole? The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is an emotional tale of a man named Okonkwo
who lives in the Ibo village in Nigeria. Okonkwo is a very powerful man in his tribe, after working
his way up from the nothing that his father was. He eventually gets ban from the village because of a
mistake that he made and returns to white, European, Christians who have taken over in hopes of
spreading Christianity. Consequently, all of the events that happen because of them, lead Okonkwo
to hang himself. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the white ... Show more content on
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Okonkwo is put to exile for 7 years because his gun goes off and accidentally shoots someone in the
village, during the time European, Christian missionaries begin to interact with his tribe and others
in Nigeria. When they first arrive they seem like they want to help the tribes by trying to get them to
convert to Christianity. The missionary that speaks to the tribe tells them that the true God lives in
heaven and he judges them when they die and all evil or unworthy men would be sent to hell. But
men who worship "the true God lived forever in his happy kingdom"(Achebe 145). The missionary
uses the propaganda tactic of fear to force all of them to believe what he does.He tells them to
worship "the true God" which is not who they are already worshipping and speaks to them as if they
are not as good as him because they believe in something else. An essay by Moss, Joyce, and
George Wilson expands on the topic remarking that European Christianity is expected to "would
heal the wounds that had been inflicted by white Europeans." But the missionaries' "ignorance and
intolerance of African customs(Wilson)." leads them to make things worse in the areas that they
visit. In summary, the missionaries speak down to the African tribes and tell them they are not
worshipping the correct God while trying to get them to convert to

Chinua Achebe chose to write his novels in English to reveal a deep response of his people to
colonisation and to make that response understood to people all over the world. Things Fall Apart
was written in English to teach people worldwide of the struggles he faced and the people of Nigeria
faced growing up. Many authors and critics have written about Achebe's 'Things fall apart' adding
their valued opinion on what he was trying to say and his decision to write in English. In the
following essay I will be discussing why Achebe wrote the novel Things Fall apart in English and
what messages he was trying to reveal, through the help of critics and secondary sources.
Achebe wrote in English to teach the reader the value of the ... Show more content on
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In his effort to create an open non–authoritarian view, Achebe's decision to write in English, instead
of his native Igbo, allowed him to reach a worldwide audience and have readers understand the
struggles of Africa but opened him to the charge that he was assisting in the demise of Igbo culture
(REFERNCE).
Achebe's novel exists not only in English, According to Okpewho it exists in close to sixty
languages (ref). This allows diverse readers to experience the novel and what Achebe is trying to
show. Things fall apart has an important place in critical as well as cultural discourse because it
invested a long and continuing tradition of inquiry into the problematic relations between the West
and the nations of the Third World that were once European colonies. One of his decisions to write
Things fall Apart in English according to Ookpewho is that he has a certain nostalgia post–colonial
climate that framed his life and others that grew up in similar Nigeria small towns and villages.
Achebe tells us in "The Novelist as a teacher" that as a writer he wants to educate his readers about
the real lives and problems of Africans with the same commitment as physical and social scientists
addressing the same issues, this is another reason why Achebe has written things fall apart in
English, as somewhat of a teaching tool for his readers to understand

The book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, is about a coward African tribe leader named
Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a coward because he always has to have somebody to blame his mistakes on.
He also beats his wives and kids and belittles them for no reason. At the end of the book Okonkwo
is such a coward he hangs himself. He can never own up to his responsibilities. Okonkwo is a
coward because he always looks for somebody to blame his mistakes on. He blames all his
weaknesses on his father. He says his dad was the village drunk and was a weak man. Okonkwo
thinks his father amounts to nothing and he was a nobody. He says his father taught him all his
weakness. He blames his wives and kids too. His kids were helping him farm his yams and they
messed

In the novel, "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe the Igbo tradition revolves around structured
gender role. Everything essential of Igbo life is based on their gender, which throughout the novel it
shows the role of women and the position they hold, from their role in the family household, also
planting women crops, to bearing children. Although the women were claimed to be weaker and
seemed to be treated as objects, in the Igbo culture the women still provided qualities that make
them worthy. In Chapter 8 page 45 of "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, there is a conversation
between the men, "All their customs are upside–down. They do not decide bride–price as we do,
with sticks. They haggle and bargain as if they were buying a goat or a cow in the market." Comes
to show that women are treated as objects like trading goods. Then they continue their conversation,
'The world is large,' said Okonkwo. 'I have even heard that in some tribes a man's children belong to
his wife and her family.' That cannot be,' said Machi. 'You might as well say that the woman lies on
top of the man when they are making the children." The Umuofia are pretty straight forward with
the meanings of masculine and feminine. Where a man named Machi can't even agree with other
cultures, where instead of men "owning" their children it is the women and her family who own the
children. So then he goes on comparing that type of social structure to where it is impossible for a
women to be on

In the Western part of Africa there is one dominant religious group in Nigeria that surpasses the rest.
They have had much success in politics, economics, an above all have had better education levels
than any other West African group. This astounding group is known as The Igbo. During British
colonial times Christianity was enforced into the Igbo way of life, this changed some Igbo to believe
that what the Christian missionaries were saying is true and that the Christian faith was the way to
go. Through commercial trading Islam spread into Igboland, and this led to more Igbo people
leaving the Igbo way of life for another, whether it be Islam or Christianity which divide the country
in two. In the novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe British colonialism and the
migration of Muslims to Nigeria led to the change in the faith, social and economic changes in the
Igbo society. Traditional Igbo faith believes that there is only one creator or god known as Chineke.
Igbo people also believe in many spirits. An example of a spirit in the Igbo religion would be Ala the
earth goddess. The Igbo people believed that their religious life influences there non religious life.
Igbo people call their ancestors or spirits by breaking Kola nut pouring liberations of wine, and say
prayers to invite the spirits and ancestors. The Igbo people take their religion seriously, in which
they punish harshly for commitment of sins. " ... to await Ojiugo's return. And when she

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tries to bring back up cultural, social, and spiritual basics of
traditional Igbo (Ibo) existence from the year 1850 and 1900. The novel cannot be fixed like other
societal and political old times of Ibo society since it is a fictional novel. However, the novel
describes disagreements and anxiety that occurred in Igbo society. It also shows changes initiated by
colonial ruling and Christianity. Colonialism affected the people in the Ibo society by destroying of
their family's relationships, friendships, their religion or even created fights between the tribes.
Additionally, Christianity attracted the people of the Igbo society. Igbo and other societies were
changed considerably due to this variety of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He was terrified to turn out like his father; his actions bring a lot of trouble, which affects himself
and his family. Throughout the novel, Chinua shows the troubles that Okonkwo goes through due to
his stubbornness and bad decisions such as beating his wife during the week of peace, which was
not right because that week was supposed to be peaceful without any violence. Another example
was when Okonkwo killed the slave that he was keeping with him which was considered as another
wrong decision because he wasn't supposed to take part in the killing. The last strike that Okonkwo
was given was when everyone was at the funeral of the man who had the divine message to kill the
slave and Okonkwo accidently shot the deceased man's son, which made the village not happy at all.
After this, Okonkwo was sent into exile for seven years (Achebe, 124). A couple years later,
missionaries from North America came to the village and started preaching the gospel. This is where
colonialism was becoming a huge issue. The new religion from the 'white missionaries,' was the
complete opposite from what the Igbo society was used to. An example would be when the Igbo
society was trying to get used to learning about the holy trinity rather than believing in many gods
(Achebe, 145). Due to this change, many of the people turned away from their families and their
own self to become a part of this new religion. This was a huge problem because before this

Chinua Achebe 's Life Of Literature
Chinua Achebe is a renowned Nigeria novelist lauded for his work in literature. Chinua Achebe has
been credited with numerous works of literature ranging from novels to journals. His work cuts
across borders, making huge success and accepted globally in the world of literature. Even critics
had to accept Chinua Achebe is the greatest our time, such was Charles H Rowell a literary critic
issued in Callaloo a reputable magazine. There was no surprise when Chinua Achebe won the 1972
Commonwealth prize, he obviously deserved it, following his contribution to the world of literature.
He has also been awarded an indefinite number of doctorates in various educational institutions
across the seven continents. (Africa) First, Achebe was born in the Ogidi eastern part of Nigeria. He
was born thirty years before Nigeria got her independence from the British government on
November 16th, 1930. A day marked historically in African calendar. He was raised in the Christian
faith, even though Christianity as a religion was somewhat new in the community. Achebe, as a kid
was interested in the local religions of the community as those, seem appealing to him through his
friends. He participated in some of the traditional religion activities such as festivals and parades.
Achebe in high school was exposed to the writings of several authors, most English writers probably
due to the colonization of Nigeria as at that time. He carefully examined the works of Charles
Dickens, Johnathan Swift, and

In novels, there is always a certain character or group of characters who are portrayed as bad or evil.
In Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, the group of characters representing bad or evil are the
Christian missionaries. The villagers see the christian missionaries as intruders to their village,
trying to bring a new religion into the village of Umuofia. The english settlers were introduced to
have arrived in Umuofia in chapter seventeen, when Obierika, Okonkwo's closest friend, visited
Okonkwo, two years after he was given his exile. The Christian missionaries are represented as bad
or evil in Things Fall Apart because they are trying to teach the people of the village a new religion.
Also, they are represented in a negative way because ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The negativity the people of Umuofia have towards the christian missionaries discouraged many
others who would have liked to give Christianity a try. They seen the missionaries as a bad example
that they had decided to let them build their church in the Evil Forest, thinking that the missionaries
would face death. Unfortunately for the villagers, they did not die. Also, another example would be
Okonkwo not being pleased knowing that Nwoye, his oldest wife's son, wanted to convert into the
new religion that may had new gods and taboos. When Nwoye finally converts due to being a
efulefu, Okonkwo finally accepts his departure. "You have all seen the great abomination of your
brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will
hold his head up among my people. If any one of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye
now while I am alive so that I can curse him." (Achebe 172). Okonkwo is showing his anger
towards and non–acceptance of his son because he has joined the "womanly clan". Also, the
clansmen want to drive the missionaries out of the village which makes many of the people in
Umuofia support their

Biography of Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe: Africa most beloved author
The Prominent Igbo writer, famous for his novels describing the effects of western customs and
values on traditional African society. Achebe's satire and his keen ear for spoken language have
made him one of the most highly esteemed African writers in English. Chinua Achebe was born in
eastern Nigeria on November 16, 1930 Isaiah and Janet Achebe (Bucker pars.1). Isaiah Okafor
Achebe was a catechist for the Church Missionary Society and his wife to traveled Eastern Nigeria
evangelist before settling in ogidi, Isaiah's ancestral Igbo village, and five years after Chinua
Achebe's birth (Bucker pars 2). Growing up in Ogidi, Achebe he began to learn English at the age of
eight and had contact with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This helped him master the subtle nuances between written and spoken language, a skill that helped
him later to write realistic dialogue. In 1956, Achebe was chosen for training in London at a staff
school run by the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) (Chinua pars 1). His first trip out of Nigeria
was to advance his technical production skill. In the same year Things fall apart was published,
Achebe got promoted at the NBS and put in charge of network's eastern region coverage (Achebe
par 5). He to moved Enugu and began work on his administrative duties. It was there he met a
woman named Christie Okoli, who had grown up in the area and joined the NBS staff when he
arrived (Achebe par 5). They first conversed when she brought to his attention a pay discrepancy; a
friend of hers found that, although they had been hired simultaneously, Christie had been rated
lower and offered a lower wage (Achebe pars 5). She was sent to the hospital for an appendectomy
soon afterwards, she was pleasantly surprised when Achebe visited her with gifts and magazines
(Achebe pars 6). Achebe and Okoli grew closer in the following years, and on September 10, 1961
were married in the Chapel of Resurrection on the campus of the University of Ibadan. Christie
Achebe has described their marriage as one of trust and mutual understanding; some tension arose
early in their union, due to conflicts about

In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe demonstrates how the integration of two different
cultures can result in the destruction of one entirely. The story is centered around Umuofia, one of
the 9 Ibo villages in Nigeria, Africa. It is a confined, well–structured society that is commonly
viewed as a Utopia, or an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. It is a
tight–knit community with little to no conflict. All inhabitants share the same cultural beliefs, the
village has a well–developed justice system to keep things in order, and they even have traditions
that bring them all closer together. However, it doesn't take too long for things to completely fall
apart. Sooner rather than later, the village ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He could not find any sort of explanation as to why they did such things, and instead of retaliating
and using violence like he was expected to as a male in the Ibo society, he was just broken. He was
just a child.The arrival of the Christians helped to answer Nwoye's many questions. After spending
so long trying to assimilate the actions of his community, his first actual answers come from the
missionaries. The village gave the missionaries some land in the 'evil forest' to build a church as a
sort of way to trick them into death, or at least chase them out of their village. According to the
religion that Nwoye was raised to believe, a man was not expected to live past 28 days after having
defied the Ibo gods; so the Christians were not expected to survive in the forest. Soon 7 market
weeks had passed and "at last the day came by which all the missionaries should have died. But they
were still alive" (Achebe,151). Nwoye began to see that the Ibo religion was false or at least not all
it was made out to be. This, inched him even closer to converting to the faith of Christianity. In the
end, however, Nwoye had given in to his impulses and converted seeing as the religion of
Christianity was more sucseptible to his personal beliefs than that of

Chapters eighteen and nineteen of the novel, Things Fall Apart (1959) by Chinua Achebe shows
how the customs and traditions of the clan are fading, as the church and Christianity grow and
become stronger. With his exile coming to an end, Okonkwo is eager to return to his homeland.
However, upon his return, he is disappointed in how "womanly" and weak the clan has become,
allowing the Christians to take over and ruin the values previously held in place. One of his main
concerns is that because of this, his achievements and hard work will not be acknowledged or
honored, and wants to use an aggressive method to drive the white men away. Achebe uses irony to
reveal how Okonkwo's desire to restore and maintain tradition has a more selfish motive ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Mr. Smith, who is strict and oppressive, becomes the new leader of the church, and is nothing like
the previous leader, Mr. Brown, who was loving and kind. He does not tolerate beliefs that are apart
of Igbo tradition, claiming they are methods the enemy uses to cause them to do evil things and lead
them away from God. After the destruction of the church, the District Commissioner requests a
meeting with the village leaders, where they are later captured and forced to comply to the
European's system of government and law. The author utilizes irony to demonstrate how the
missionaries are misusing the power they have. The Europeans, though starving, ridiculing, and
torturing the clan leaders as well as collecting more from the village than the initially requested two
hundred cowries, claim to have "brought a peaceful administration to [them] and [their] people, so
they may be happy" (Achebe 194). They act as though they know what's best for Umuofians, yet
they do not even understand the structure of their culture. The court messengers are taking
advantage of their positions to benefit themselves rather than the people of Umuofia they have
claimed to be

' Dead Men's Path, By Chinua Achebe
"Dead Men's Path" is a short story written in 1972 by African Author Chinua Achebe. It is about
Michael Obi, a youthful and vivacious man amped up for everything present day who is simply
doled out a position to run a conventional school. Not long into the activity, he finds that alongside
his confused energy, disregarding the conventions of his kin can have incredible results.
Obi is a splendid and energetic young fellow who is eager to discover that he will be the new dean
of a school that has been in urgent need of assistance for quite a while. Obi was viewed as an
"essential educator" and he and his significant other are both ground breaking and anxious to impart
the cutting edge life to everybody. Chinua Achebe demonstrates the Obi's cutting edge excitement
by stating: "We should give a valiant effort,' she Obi's significant other) answered. "We might have
such excellent patio nurseries and everything will be simply current and delightful..." He likewise
demonstrates Obi's perspectives of the traditionalist individuals by assaulting their character
alluding to them as, "these old and superannuated individuals in the educating field." Of his two
objectives for the school, one was to make the grounds a position of magnificence. An up and
coming review was the ideal inspiration to start what he thought to be incredible upgrades. In time
the greenery enclosures bloomed with excellent red and yellow blossoms. As Obi is appreciating his
work, he goes over an old lady from

Have you ever met a father and son that have very different perspectives on life? Well this is the
exact issue that comes up in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo and his son
have been raised in very different households, with extremely different circumstances. They also
have conflicting ideas when it comes to religion. This makes the white man's arrival a crucial time in
the pair's relationship.
Okonkwo was brought up with a father who was known by the town as weak and lazy. His father
could not work well, and was an unimportant person to the small town they live in. While Okonkwo
is thinking over this, he decides to promise to himself that he will never be like his father. He vows
to be the complete opposite and attempts

Imperialism has been characterized as the expansion of rule or even impact by a specific
government to the next, or the impact of one general public to the next. In history, imperialism came
to its peak during the time of the Roman Empire. In Europe there has never been another empire to
rise above and assume control over the Roman Empire. However, imperialism in Africa remained a
recorded element from 1750 to 1945. This paper visits how control and changes were influences
over the Africans during this time period as seen through Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart.
(UKEssays, 2015) Europe was experiencing a few financial and political changes that forced the
major European forces to investigate abroad regions to add to their resources during the seventeenth
century. In order for the European forces to settle in Africa, it was important to apply finish control
over the African lifestyle. Political and social control would be essential for the Europeans to build a
supporting domain for acknowledgment of their interests. One of the most intense difficulties to
accomplish such control was to embrace the resistance that Africans had against control of their
territory by white men. (European Colonization of Americas, 2015) The first important control that
would help the recognition of the whole frontier task was to place neighborhood political
organization under the imperial power. There were different reactions from the local groups
concerning the Europeans powers. A few

Dead Men's Path By Chinua Achebe
Mankind has always looked towards progression in all ways of life. Advancement requires change
to a criteria's state of being. In the short story, "Dead Men's Path," written by Chinua Achebe, we
read about an ambitious headmaster wanting to instill modernizations into his area of operation. The
story concerns the boundaries of tradition that are overstepped by the headmaster of an
"unprogressive school." (Chinua Achebe). We can often see modern–day governments overstepping
public boundaries. The governing bodies that have overriding powers over the outcomes of
historical and protected lands, often produce unfavorable protests by public groups that evolve from
environmental concerns and public rights. With the smallest rebuttals by these protesting groups, we
can sometimes see the power in which community contains. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
His two main goals were to create a, "high standard of teaching and for the school compound to be
turned into a place of beauty." (2). Being young, married, and ambitious the protagonist, Michael
Obi, was determined to uphold the school's standard to put a lasting impression on the Government
Education Officer. Michael was faced with opposition when he discovers an ancestral footpath
running through his school's garden. A priest of Ani confronts Michael with the issue of blockading
an ancestral path would bring tension to a community and their traditions. Michael disregards the
priest's concerns and upholds his standard to disallow trespassing and ritual to take place on his
school ground. Michael found the garden to be trampled the next morning and one of the school
buildings destroyed. Michaels disregard to the community's tradition returned him a negative report
regarding the school grounds by the inspecting supervisor. Also as a result, tension developed
between the school and

No Longer at Ease by by Chinua Achebe
No Longer at Ease is an interesting book. While it has its negatives, the way this book was written
and the deeper meaning to be found once you look closer into the book outweigh said negatives. In
the book No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe, morals are tested and eventually lost. The author
places the main character, Obi Okonkwo, into many financial struggles and tests his idea of being an
incorruptible person. Eventually Obi falls to the corruption of bribery and is arrested. The author
makes a lot of effort in placing Obi in financial situations where he just cannot keep up with all of
the expenses and at times makes bad financial decisions. Obi's constant struggle with his fiancée,
Clara, his parents, and the Umuofian Progressive Union beat down Obi's will to continue struggling
to pay his expenses and takes the easy way out. This book is about several major themes, but one in
particular stands out to me: colonization versus traditional living among the Nigerians. The English
come and colonize Africa with a goal of making them better people and to educate them. They pay
for the education of the smartest Africans and send them to England to learn. The Africans that have
the experience with the teachings of the English begin to become naturally greedy. They have lived
their whole lives as just having enough but when they are educated and get a good paying job, they
start to want more. Obi was a prime example of a 'colonized African'. Obi bought a really luxurious
car,

Joziah Dietrich
Hour 4
Jonas
12/8/2015
My Way or No Way
An intelligent motivational speaker, Peter Senge, once said "People don 't resist change. They resist
being changed!" As we go on in life, we come across two types of individuals, ones who see the
chance to better themselves by making important changes, and ones who think there is no need for
change due to the belief that everything about them is perfect. In the two books, Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe and The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, the characters Okonkwo, Nwoye, and
Pooh all illustrate the effects of accepting and or resisting change. In Chinua Achebe's, Things Fall
Apart, the character Okonkwo shows the negative outcome of resisting change. Due to a rough ...
Okonkwo continued to reject the ways of his father to the point where his "whole life was
dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness" (16). Okonkwo's fear is what drove him to
stay away from change and establish the ultimate goal of showing no resemblance of his failure of a
father. He showed great success by completing the goal and proving to the community that he was
an entirely different individual. Although, his success quickly ended when he became close–minded
when things didn 't go the ways he wanted them to, leading to the downfall of his community. After
the return from his 7 year exile, Okonkwo learned the missionaries changed all the people of his
home town. "The clan had undergone such a profound change"(182) that they were barely
recognizable, and as a result "he mourned for his clan"(183) because they had changed so much to
the point where they seemed to be "soft women"(183). Okonkwo could not cope with such a drastic
change, for change is what he was trying to stay away from. He had become a disgrace to his
community, just like his father, who he refused to be like. By resisting change, Okonkwo lost the
respect of his own father and the community that he thought were his people. The fear of change
imposed great stress on himself over time, which lead to a breaking point and the taking of his own
life. The refusal to change in little ways and accept different ideas is

Change is a natural process that triggers the evolution of human societies; it is the continuous
eradication of traditions that are replaced by the new. Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart' (TFA), a
novel written in 1958, explores the gradual transformation of the Ibo culture as a result of
colonialism and also the attitudes the people of Umoufia developed when exposed to foreign
ideologies; the change was either accepted or resisted. Peter Skrzynecki's 'Crossing The Red Sea'
(CRS) and 'Feliks Skrzynecki' (FS) from the Immigrant Chronicle, a poetry collection published in
1975 depicts the evolution of the Australian society due to factors including migration, assimilation
and different perceptions. These forces of change contributed to the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The representative 'And at last the locusts did descend...Mighty tree braches broke away under them,
and the whole country became the brown earth, colour of a cast, hungry swarm' (Chapter 7, pages
39–40), highlighting to the audience how the influx of colonists is a natural occurrence, just like the
appearance of locusts. The fracturing of the Ibo society along with their traditions by the new
customs of the Europeans is also typified in this allegory. Similarly, the emphatic "The white man is
very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion... He has put a knife on the things that
held us together and we have fallen apart." (Chapter 20, pages 124–125), conveys how the traditions
of the Ibo people have been replaced by the values of the settlers; the society has been altered. The
forces of change, especially colonization, disrupt and change the culture of the Ibo community
through the introduction of religion, government and the ideals of colonialism. This is portrayed in
the gradual decrease in proverbs as the novel progresses as well as the change in writing style;
events occur chronologically in Part 3 of the novel whereas the first two sections skip back and forth
between events of different timeframes. Hence, change is a natural process that signals the end of
conventions in society that are replaced by new values.
Moreover, CRS investigates the natural process of change initiated the end of conventions

Chinua Acheb is a Great African Author
Chinua Achebe is one of the great authors hailing from the African continent. He has published a
number of novels and is widely praised for creating a new genre of African literature. His debut, and
most famous novel, Things Fall Apart, has never been out of print, sold more than twelve–million
copies, and been translated into over fifty languages ("Chinua Achebe" The Economist). The
characters in the novel are purely fictional but the traditions and struggles faced by the characters
are those of Achebe, Nigeria, and former African colonies as a whole. Things Fall Apart, as well as
other works of Chinua Achebe, give a unique view on the Nigerian culture and show its people in a
more positive light than other, previously written novels. For this Chinua Achebe was indeed a great
and important author. Albert Chinualumogu Achebe was born on the 16th of November, 1930 in
Ogidi, Nigeria ("Chinua Achebe Biography" Bio.com). He would later change his name to the more
traditional Chinua Achebe in college. He first learned the language that was native to his people,
Igbo, but at the age of eight he was taught English in school. He grew a healthy respect for both
languages and cultures as he grew older, reading books in English and listening to stories from his
mother and sister in Igbo. When Chinua was fourteen he received an offer to attend the prestigious
Government College, a secondary–school in Umuahia (Innes, Lyn). He did exceptionally well there
and only took four years to

Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart'
Hannah Rench
4/1/2016
English 10
Critical Moment Essay: Things Fall Apart
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power" –
Abraham Lincoln. In "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, he talks about the struggles that the
main character, Okonkwo, encounters while he is trying his hardest to become one of the lords of
the clan. Okonkwo shows many critical moments where he struggles to be strong and powerful
unlike his father, Unoka. Okonkwo always had a desire for power, which was caused by his lazy and
weak father. In the end of the book, things fall apart for Okonkwo due to a few things, one being his
desire for power. Achebe shows that even power, religion, and lack of knowledge cannot stop ...
He always had issues dealing with his problems because of his lack of knowledge. "That boy calls
you father. Do not bear a hand in his death" (Achebe 46). Okonkwo was warned not to kill
Ikemefuna by Ezeudu. Even knowing the consequences, he did it anyways, and this shows how he
lacks knowledge. Another example of Okonkwo's lack of knowledge is ""Perhaps down in his heart
Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of
weakness" (page 15). His lack of knowledge led his son, Nwoye, to be just like Okonkwo's father.
Okonkwo was so busy trying to be opposite of his father and in power, that he forgot to educate his
son about the important things in life. Nwoye became exactly like Unoka. His lack of knowledge
was the last string that led to things falling apart for

Aisne Richardson
Ms. Talbott
English 10 Accelerated
December 4, 2015
Things Fall Apart Test
1. What are the similarities of "The Second Coming" by W.B Yeats and Things Fall Apart by Chinua
Achebe?
In Things Fall Apart, it appears like things happen to fall apart at whatever point Okonkwo builds
trust. On the other side, the substance of "The Second Coming" recounted a chaotic world and a
base that couldn 't hold as its very own inner conflicts. In addition to the synonymous feeling both
the book and poem give, they both uncover a great shift from an old era to new era.
2. What was the struggle between change and tradition in Things Fall Apart?
As a story about a culture on the verge of change, Things Fall Apart deals with how the prospect and
reality of change affect various characters. To some extent, Okonkwo's resistance of cultural change
is also due to his fear of losing societal status. Long scorned, these outcasts find in the Christian
value system a refuge from the Igbo cultural values that place them below everyone else. The
tension about whether change should be privileged over tradition often involves questions of
personal status. Okonkwo, for example, resists the new political and religious orders because he
feels that they are not manly and that he himself will not be manly if he consents to join or even
tolerate them.
3. How do the locusts symbolize the white settlers in Things Fall Apart?
Achebe depicts the locusts that descend upon the village in highly

Chinua Achebe 's Life Of Literature
Portfolio Essay: Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe is a renowned Nigeria novelist lauded for his work
in literature. Chinua Achebe has been credited with numerous works of literature ranging from
novels to journals. His work cuts across borders, making huge success and accepted globally in the
world of literature. Even critics had to accept Chinua Achebe is the greatest our time, such was
Charles H Rowell a literary critic issued in Callaloo a reputable magazine. There was no surprise
when Chinua Achebe won the 1972 Commonwealth prize, he obviously deserved it, following his
contribution to the world of literature. He has also been awarded an indefinite number of doctorates
in various educational institutions across the seven continents (Africa). First, Achebe was born in the
Ogidi eastern part of Nigeria. He was born thirty years before Nigeria got her independence from
the British government on November 16th, 1930. A day marked historically in African calendar. He
was raised in the Christian faith, even though Christianity as a religion was somewhat new in the
community. Achebe, as a kid was interested in the local religions of the community as those, seem
appealing to him through his friends. He participated in some of the traditional religion activities
such as festivals and parades. Achebe in high school was exposed to the writings of several authors,
most English writers probably due to the colonization of

Things Falll Apart By Chinua Achebe

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