By Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart

The Author

Chinua Achebe (1930-)

Born in Ogidi, Nigeria to missionary parents who raised him Protestant, though still preserving some of the aspects of their traditional Ibo culture.

Studied literature and medicine at the University of Ibadan; worked briefly as a teacher and then for the Nigerian Broadcasting Company.

Things Fall Apart was his first novel- published in 1958.

Many of his novels deal with the social and political problems of Nigeria.

Chinua Achebe (Born in 1930)

The Setting

The novel is set in Nigeria towards the end of the nineteenth century, in the period just

before the arrival of the white man.

It centers on the tribe of people known as the Ibo (or Igbo)

Style of Chinua AchebeAchebe sought to convey a fuller

understanding of one African culture and give voice to an under-represented and exploited colonial subject.

Mold the English language to the rhythm and lyrical quality of the Nigerian language: This style and the incorporation of

the proverbs and idioms of African culture combine to mark his

stories as uniquely African.

Achebe sees his role as a writer as one of social responsibility, since he believes that all good stories should

have a purpose.

The Style of the Novel

Achebe has written this novel in order to show

readers what life was like in Nigeria in a specific

historical period. He uses a number of

techniques in order to make the writing

authentic.

Simple sentences Achebe uses a simple style of writing in most of the novel because he wants

to tell the story in the way that it might be told by

a member of the Ibo tribe.

The Style of the Novel

Imagery Achebe uses many similes and metaphors to bring the narrative to life, and he uses the sorts of comparisons that relate to the Ibo way of life:

Okonkwos fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan. (simile Ch. 1)

Proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten. (metaphor Ch. 1)

He grew rapidly like a yam tendril in the rainy season. (simile Ch. 7)

The Style of the Novel

Proverbs These wise sayings are very important; they are used to comment on human behavior and show the importance of oral communication within the community. Achebe uses them throughout the book, and they are drawn from Ibo experience.

The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.

A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing.

The Style of the Novel

Folk Tales These are another important feature of Achebes novel. They are important because they relate to the

events of the novel and they show readers

the values of the society.

The Mosquito and the Ear (Ch. 9)

The Tortoise and the Birds (Ch. 11)

Introduction of Characters

Week of Peace: In Umuofia, a sacred week in which violence is prohibited.

Bride-price: money and property given to a prospective brides family by the prospective groom and his family.

Polygamy: a man can marry more than one wife.

Igbo Customs in Things Fall Apart

Nigerian yam-cult dance mask

Source

Osu: a class of people in Igbo culture considered outcasts, not fit to associate with free-born members of the clan.

Eating habits: The man of the house eats separately in his central hut; Yam is Igbos staple food. Bronze plaque of Nigerian

military figures. Source

A Nigerian farm, possibly similar to that of Okonkwo.

Source: http://www.stfrancis.edu/en/student/achebe/chinua/igbo.htm

Study Questions1. What makes Umuofia, the village, change during the

seven years while Okonkwo has been in exile?

2. Whats Achebes purpose in using the traditional Igbo/African elements in the novel?

3. Why couldnt Okonkwo accept the white men and Christians? Explain.

4. Why did Okonkwo hang himself at the end of Things

Fall Apart?

Literary Devices

Theme:

Take out your Theme Vocabulary Sheet.

Using the abstract nouns, write 3 theme

statements for Things Fall Apart. Your

theme statements will be due tomorrow at

the beginning of the hour.

Symbols:

Identify three symbols from the novel and

explain their significance. You must use

complete sentences.

Works CitedAbout the Novel: Introduction. Cliffsnotes.com: Things Fall Apart by

Chinua Achebe. 2000~2006. .

Achebe. Learnessays.com. 2003~2006. .

Achebe, Chinua. Encyclopedia.com. 6th ed. 2006..

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams, et al. 7th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2000. 2617-2706.

An Aspect of Chinua Achebe's Life. Ian's Chinua Achebe Page: Links. .

Biography of Chinua Achebe (1930-). GradeSave.com. 1999~2006. 20 Apr. 2006.

Brians, Paul. William Butler Yeats: The Second Coming (1921). Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart Study Guide. 13 Dec. 2005. 20 Apr. 2006 .

Chinua Achebe. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 11 Apr. 2006. .

Chinua Achebe (1930-) - in full Albert Chinualumogu Achebe. Pegasos: Authors' Calenda Kirjailijakalenteri. 2000. 20 Apr. 2006.

Chinua Achebe's Biography and Style. Melissa Culross add. Postcolonial and Postimperial Authors: Chinua Achebe: Biography. 5 Feb. 2002. 20 Apr. 2006.

GradeSaver: ClassicNote: Things Fall Apart - Short Summary. 12 Apr. 2006

Hidden Spaces, Silenced Practices and the Concept of IGBA N'RIRA. 12 Apr. 2006

Image: ChinuaAchebe.BC.jpg. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 26 Oct. 2005. 12 Apr. 2006 .

Medan, Purwarno UISU. Narrative Technique in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart". Bookrags.com. 2000~2005. 20 Apr. 2006.

Nigeria. American Museum of Natural History. 1998. 12 Apr. 2006 .

Nwangwu, Chido. Achebe: Why I'm rejecting Nigeria's 2004 national honors from Obasanjo's government. Usafricaonline.com. 16 Oct. 2004. 22 Apr. 2006

Study Questions. 2005 New Student Reading Project. Sep. 2005. 22 Apr. 2006 .

Term Paper on The Second Coming Vs, Things Fall Apart. Term Papers Lab. 2006. 22 Apr. 2006 .

Things Fall Apart Book Notes by Chinua Achebe: Author/Context. Bookrags.com. 2000~2006. 22 Apr. 2006 .

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: Context. SparkNotes.com. 22 Apr. 2006 .

Who are the Igbo people? 22 Apr. 2006.