things fall apart teachers guide print version

TeachingThingsFallApartInWisconsin

AResourceGuideforEducators

PreparedbyHeatherDuBoisBourenane

CenterfortheHumanitiesUniversityWisconsinMadison

UniversityClubBuilding,3rdFloor432EastCampusMall,[email protected]

TeachingThingsFallApartinWisconsin:AResourceGuideforEducators

Contents

IntroductionandOverview:Athematicapproach HowtoUsethisGuide CloseReadingStrategiesLessonPlans Include:Objectives,SuggestionsforLectures,DiscussionQuestions, ActivitiesandProjectIdeas

Unit1:BackgroundandContextsWhenFictionMeetsHistory Unit2:SocialIssuesandReligion 2A.IgboCultureandItsRoleintheNovel 2B.ReligionandSociety:TheSecondComing 2C.Socialnorms,caste,andcivicstructures Unit3:Gender Unit4:PsychologyandCharacterStudies Unit5:Power,Knowledge,EducationandReligion Unit6:Destinyandtheroleofchiinthenovel Unit7:LiteraryAspectsoftheNovel:FormandStructure,LanguageandStyle Unit8:ColonialImpacts Unit9:ThingsFallApartastragedy ProjectIdeasfortheSpringStudentConference

Resources

OnlineResourcesandStudyGuides Books

VideosMapsofAfricaandNigeria+selectedhandoutsandstudentmaterials (Additionalhandoutsandreadingsavailableonline)

Note:Allofthematerialsfoundinthisguidearealsoavailableonlineat:http://www.humanities.wisc.edu/programs/greattexts/thingsfallapart/curriculumguides.html

TeachingThingsFallApartinWisconsinAResourceGuidebyHeatherDuBoisBourenane

IntroductionandOverviewAthematicapproachtoclosereadingFirstpublished in1958,ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart iseasilythemostrecognizableandwidely taughtAfricannovel in theU.S. Ithasbeen translated intoat least50 languages,andsoldover10millioncopiesworldwide,andhasappearedonmanygreatestbooksofalltimeslists around the world. But why? What is it about this classic story of transformation andtragedythatmakesthisbooksoattractivetostudentsandeducators?Insomeways,thebookhas come to represent Africa as a continent: it serves as a symbol of the injustices ofcolonizationand the internal forces thathelped lead to thecompletetakeoverofNigeriabytheBritish colonialists. But ishas alsobecome a symbolofpostcolonialpossibility, and theimportanttasktheAfricanwritertakesupwhenattemptingtoreclaimorrewritethestoriesofhis or her people. Because of this, educators have a double burden in teaching this highlyteachablebook: theymustboth fully contextualize thenovel in itsown timeandplace,andtheymustkeepcentral to theirapproach to the textaconstant reminder thatwhilewecanlearnmuchaboutthetruthsofthecolonialexperiencethroughthistext,itisaworkoffiction,not a historical or anthropological tool for understanding contemporary Africa in all itscomplexityanddiversity. Todothis,wesuggestthatthebookbetaughtfromathematicframeworkwhichreliesontheclosereadingofkeypassages,emphasizingtherelationshipbetweentheformandcontentofthe novel and helping students navigate the development of key characters and themes tonegotiate how they create meaning in a Wisconsin classroom. When taught from thisperspective, thebookopensupworldsofopportunities for students to connect to the text,appreciate itsgreat literarymerit,andgainagreaterunderstandingofthethemesand issuesdevelopedinitspages.

HowtoUsethisGuideThelessonplansandactivitiesprovidedinthisguidearedesignedtoallowyoutheopportunitytotailorthewayyouteachthenoveltoyourowncourse, interests,andgoals.The individualunits couldbe taughtoveroneor severaldays, and you canmix andmatch ideas from thevarious sections to put together your own syllabus. Each section includes project ideas,study/discussionquestions,andsuggestionsforfurtherteachingofthethemeorissuecovered,aswell as recommendations formaterial and concepts to be covered in lecture.Discussionquestionscanbeusedaspromptsforinclassdiscussion,orforsmallgroupactivitiesorinclasswritingassignments.

LogisticsforteachingthelessonsinthisguideThe lessonplans included inthisguidehavebeensorted intonineunitsthatcanbetaught inany sequence, but all of them except the first two generally assume that students havecompletedtheentirenovel.Thisguideisdesignedtoaccommodatecurriculaplansthatdevote


anywherefromtwoweekstoanentiresemestertothenovel,andtherearebasicallytwowaysyoucouldapproachthenovel:OptionA: Thematicmodel(readtheentiretext,thendiscuss) Toensurethatstudentshavetimetoreadthenovel,thefirsttwounitscover backgroundandprovidehistoricalandculturalcontextforthenovel,andifyou donthavetimetoassignthereadingearlier,youcouldusethistime(onetotwo weeks)toassignthereadingoftheentiretext,andthenusetherestofthe lessonplanstofocusonspecificpassagesofyourchoosing.Thelesson plans includedinthisguidearedesignedforteachersusingthismodel,butcaneasily beadaptedforOptionB.OptionB: Chronological/linearmodel(discusschapterbychapter,orinthreeparts) Youcouldcustomizetheseunitsbyteachingthebookbyfollowingthenovel chronologically,andpickingoutthemescoveredinthelessonplanstofocuson ineachchapterorsection.SincemostofthethemesaddressedinPartOneare furtherdevelopedinPartTwo,youcouldreturntothesethemesasthestudents finishthereading.Thisplanlendsitselfwelltoa3or4weekmodel:PartOneof thenovelChapters113(p.3125)couldeasilybereadinoneweek(twoifyou havetime),andPartTwoChapters1419(p.129167)couldbereadinweek two,andPartThreeChapters2025(p.171209)couldbediscussedinweek three.Evenwithasfewastwoweekstoteachthenovel,youcouldcoverPart OneinweekoneandPartsTwoandThreeinthesecondweek.

SuggestedPreparatoryReadingsandstudentmaterials(handouts)areall available online at: http://www.humanities.wisc.edu/programs/greattexts/thingsfallapart/centerresources.html. While these readings are optional (with the exception of thereadingsrecommendedinUnitOne),theyhavebeencarefullyselectedtoprovidebackground,contextandcontentanalysisforeachspecificunitandteachersshouldfindthemenormouslyhelpfulinpreparingtoteachthebook.

Homework,ProjectsandStudentMaterials(availableonline)Each unit is accompanied with supplementary materials, study questions and project ideaswhich canbe used to develop handouts and classroom aids. After surveying thewealth ofinformation available online for this text, we felt no need to reinvent the wheel in thisdepartment, andpoint you tohandyhandouts availableonlinewheneverpossible.Teachersshouldpreview thesematerialscarefullyhowever,andmakeefforts toavoidusingmaterialswhichpresent the text ahistoricallyorwithout taking into account the statusof the text asfiction.Therearemanyresourcesoutthereandnavigatingthemcanberatheroverwhelming.Many of these resources tend to present the novel exclusively from an anthropologicalperspectiveasanexampleofauthenticAfricanculture.Andwhilethebookdoesindeedopen up discussions of Ibo life and culture, this is only a small part of the texts value andprobably one of itsmore superficial ones at that. It does both the novel and our students


disservicetoallowIboculturetostandinforallofAfricanculture,which,itshouldbestressed,isextraordinarilydiverse,evenwithinNigeriaitself.Wehavemadeeffortstopointyoutowardthebestweb resourceswe could findon thenovel, andencourage you tomakeuseof therecommendedmaterialsfoundinthisguide.

CloseReadingStrategiesMost of the lessons in this guide revolve around or depend upon close reading of specificpassages in the text (ofyourchoice) inorder togeneratediscussionandbuildmeaningasaclass. Close reading here means careful examination of a portion of the text, whichemphasizes the particular over the general and uses textual evidence to support onesinterpretation. Close readingworks bestwhen the selected passage is either read aloud ordistributedasahandout,andaccompaniedbydiscussionquestions. Italso lends itselfwelltogroupwork and smallgroup discussions, and is an excellentway for students to learn bothcritical thinking and analysis skills as theymake connections, use evidence to support theirviews,anddiscussthe impactoffiction. Forclosereadingtoworksuccessfully, its importantthat the teacher always remind the students to point to the passage/line/phrase/word thatsupportstheirpositionastheysharetheirideas.Closereadingteachesstudentsthedifferencebetweenopinionorpersonalreactionandanalysis.

LecturePointsEachunit in thisguidecontainsasetof lecturepoints.Theseare the ideasandconceptswerecommendyoucover inclass,butyou should feel free toadd,adjustandcustomizes theseideas to fit your own goals and objectives for the unit. Since every teacher has a differentteachingapreparationstyle,we justprovidesomebasictoolsherethegoalwastoprovideenough information that teacherswhowanted to could construct an entire unit out of thematerials,butleaveroomforflexibilityandadaptationtodifferentcourseandteachingneeds.Whateveryourapproach, lectureshouldalwaysmodelthesortofclosereadingyouwantthestudents to perform by using as many examples from the text as possible to support andreinforceyourpoints.

ANoteofCautiononPlagiarismAswithother great texts, there is awealthof information readilyavailableonThings FallApart, which can be tempting material to plagiarize from the web or other study guides.Teachers may consider discussing their policies on academic honesty and the differencesbetweenparaphrasing,summarizing,citationandundocumenteduseofothersources.Itsalsorecommended that teachersmakeplagiarism less likelyby customizing their assignments totheirclassesandavoidinggenericandwidelyusedprompts fortakehomeessayassignmentsorlongerprojects.


ForfurtherinformationIfyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthisguide,orwould likeadditional informationonanyofthematerialsincludedhere,pleasefeelfreetocontacttheauthor,HeatherDuBoisBourenane,[email protected](608)8252518.


LessonPlansandActivities

Unit1:BackgroundandContextsWhenFictionMeetsHistoryWhile it offers a certain perspective on colonial history, Things Fall Apart is not a strictlyhistoricalnovel.Historicalnovels,bydefinition, fictionalizehistoriceventsandbring them tolifewith inventeddetails, characters,dialogue,etc.AndwhileThings FallApartdoes situateitselfwithina specifichistorical context (Nigeriaat themomentof colonization), itdoesnotattempttorecreateactualeventsorrecharacterizerealhistoricalfigures.Inotherwords,whileit isengagedwith thehistorical themeofcolonialism inNigeriaand Igboculture, it iswhollyfiction,andshouldbeunderstoodandtaughtassuch.Inaddition,itisveryimportanttokeepinmindthehistoricityofthenovel itself:thebook isset inthe1890s,butwasfirstpublished in1958,2yearsbeforeNigeriawasgrantedfull independencefromBritishrule.Thismeansthatwearebringingapostcolonialsensibilityandperspectivetothetextandshouldbear inmindthemanyways inwhichNigerianpolitics, culture and attitudeshave changed in the last50years.Sothenovelisnotwhollyhistorical,norwhollycontemporary,asmuchasitcanhelpuslearnaboutboththepastandunderstandthemesofvaluetothepresent.Objective:Introducestudentstotheroleoffictioninunderstandingcolonialhistory,andprovidebackgroundandcontextforthenovelandtheauthor.

"The last four or five hundred years of European contact with Africa produced a body of literature that presented Africa in a very bad light and Africans in very lurid terms. The reason for this had to do with the need to justify the slave trade and slavery. This continued until the Africans themselves, in the middle of the twentieth century, took into their own hands the telling of their story." (Chinua Achebe, "An African Voice", The Atlantic)

PreparatoryReading:ThefollowingthreeessaysbyAchebeshouldbeconsideredrequiredreadingbeforeteachingThingsFallApart: TheNovelistasTeacherbyChinuaAchebe TeachingThingsFallApartbyChinuaAchebe AnImageofAfrica:RacisminConradsHeartofDarknessbyChinuaAchebe http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html (NOTE:anyoftheseshortreadingscouldalsobesuitableforstudents, particularlyinAPliteratureorhistorycourses)


AdditionalReadingsandResources: ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApartbyMartinKlein(fromAfricanNovelsinthe

Classroom) AfricansLiveinTribes,DontThey?byCurtisKeim,MistakingAfrica:Curiositiesand

InventionsoftheAmericanMind(2009) DiscussionofAchebesresponsetoConrad

http://www.rlwclarke.net/Courses/LITS2306/20082009/13CAchebeAnImageofAfricaRacisminConrad%27sHeartofDarkness.pdf

NigerianHistoryonline:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1067695.stm

AfricanHistorytimelines:http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/timelines/htimelinetoc.htm

TheStoryofAfrica(AfricanHistoryfromanAfricanPerspectiveBBC)http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index.shtml

Handout/presentationmaterials

TheTeachingColonialRepresentationfile(online)includesadvertisements,quotesanddiagramsofcolonialpowerstructuresisincluded

ChinuaAchebebiographyandbibliographyhandout(online)Lecturepoints: Usingthepreparatorymaterialsabove,thelectureshouldcontextualizethenovelby coveringthefollowing:

AbriefhistoryofprecolonialNigeriaandthecolonizationofAfrica 1958,firstpublicationofThingsFallApart Nigeria:Britishcolonyfromendof19thc.until1960 196770BiafranWar(Igbosecession) Majorethnicgroups(70%ofpopulation):HausaFulani,YorubaandIgbo Est.2005popofNigeria:128million Tumultuouspoliticalhistorysinceindependence;manyofAchebesotherbooksconfront

corruptioninpolitics,socialissues

IdentifyNigeriaonthemapofAfrica,andtheapproximatesettingforthefictionalvillageofUmuofiainthenovel

Discussthepeople,languagesandreligionsofNigeriatoday,aswellasanypoliticalorpopularnewsyoufeelisrelevanttoyourcourse

Discusswhycontextisimportanttounderstandingthenovel ProvidebackgroundinformationonAchebeandhislife,otherworks,career,etc Besuretoremindyourstudentstomakeuseoftheglossaryinthebackofthebook. LetthemknowtheywillberesponsibleforthetermsandconceptsAchebepresents. Discussionofthecolonialist,EurocentricrepresentationsofAfricanhistoryandhow

thenoveldirectlyconfrontsthese.Discusshowhistoryisanimperfectrecordof


eventsandissubjecttothebiasesandperspectivesofthosewhorecordit.Discusstheroleofobjectivityandintegrityincontemporaryhistoriography.

Thisistheperfectopportunitytoalsosetsomegroundrulesasaclassforwhatkindoflanguageisandisnotappropriate/respectfulwhentalkingaboutAfrica.UsingHowToWriteAboutAfricabyBinyavangaWainainacouldbeagoodwaytobringuptheissueofstereotypesandmisconceptionsaboutAfrica

IntroducetheconceptofunderstandingandanalyzingfictionandusingclosereadingtocreatemeaningintheWisconsinclassroom

Discusstheauthorscontentionthathisworkhas(atleastpartly)adidacticroleintermsofreteachingthehistoryofAfricainamorepositivelight.

o Usethisideatodiscuss: WhatthismeanstoAmericanreaders?Areweoutsiders? Theroleoffiction/literatureinunderstandinghistory Whetherornotfictioncanrevisehistory.Whatdoesthisreally

mean?

DiscussionQuestions: Whatisfiction? Whatishistory? FindNigeriaonthemapofAfrica.Discussitsfeatures. Comparecontemporary,colonialandprecolonialmapsofAfrica.Discusstheir

features. WhatdoesdiversitymeaninNigeriaascomparedtotheUS? Whatarestereotypes?Howdocertainwordspromoteanegativeimpressionof

AfricaorAfricans?o Whatisproblematicaboutthefollowingterms:tribe,hut,savage,primitive,

backward,timeless,primordial,(etc)?Whyarethesetermsproblematic?Whymightsomepeoplefindthemoffensiveordisparaging?

WhoisChinuaAchebe? WholivesinNigeria? WhataretheofficiallanguagesofNigeria?Howmanylanguagesarespoken

throughoutthecountry?Howmanyculturalorethnicgroupscanyoufindonthemap(seesupplementarymaterialsforlinguisticandethnicmapsofNigeria)?

AssignmentandProjectIdeas:

Reading/ResponseJournal.Nowisagoodtimetoaskyourstudentstokeepareflectionjournalinwhichtheyrespondtothetextandmaterialcoveredinclass.Youmightdesignthisassignmentthematically(byassigningathemeorissuesayfamilyorpower)andaskthemtoexplorehowtheyseethatthemereflectedinthevariousunitsyoucover.Oryoucouldaskthemtosimplywrite12pagesofpersonalresponsetothetext,tofindpointsofidentificationorhighlightconfusingorproblematicpassages.Oryoucouldusethediscussionquestionsintheselessonplanstocreateyourownguidedjournalahandoutofpromptstowhichyourequirethestudentsto


respondwhenreadingeachchapter/sectionofthenovel.Thiscouldbeanongoingproject,agroupactivity,oraninclasswritingassignmentattheendofeachclassperiod.

Havestudentswriteanessayinwhichtheyreflectontherelationshipbetweenhistoryandfiction,andthinkoftheirownexampleofatruthoffictionandafallacyormisconceptionofhistory(e.g.ChristopherColumbusdiscoveredAmerica).

Usethehandout/presentationmaterialsintheTeachingColonialRepresentationfile(online)tocreateanassignmentforyourstudentsthatasksthemtoreflecton(mis)representationsofAfricainthemediaandpopularculture.Youmightaskthemtofindamovie,tvshow,advertisementorsongthatreproducesanegativestereotypeandthenrelatethattoAchebesprojectofcombatingmisrepresentationofAfricanhistory.Askstudentstothinkofwhatstereotypesorgeneralizationsareappliedtotheirown[ethnic,cultural,religious,family,social]groupandreflectonhow/whythosegeneralizationsareproblematicormisleading.

Diversityproject:Nigeriaspopulationisdiverseinmanyways:ethnically,linguistically,religiously, economically, geographically, etc. To drive home the point that the Ibopeople represented in thebookareonlyoneofmany culturalgroups inNigeria,andencouragethemtolearnmoreaboutNigerianculture,havestudentsdosomeinternetresearchto learnmoreaboutcontemporary(and/or colonial)Nigeria.Havethemfindvideos of artists or musicians from different linguistic groups so they can hear thedifferenceinthelanguages.AskthemtofindinformationonYorubacosmologysotheycan see how dramatically it differs from the Ibo belief systemAchebe depicts in thenovel. Ask them to find articles on current issues, conflicts, politics and events, orpopular literature and culture (television programs, pop music, cartoons, etc). Bringthese to class and discuss how they compare/contrast to the fictional world of thenovel.

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit If you have time, you could spend an infinite amount of it covering colonial history, postcolonialAfrica,and/orthelargertopicofrepresentationandstereotypes.Thereare severaluseful films thatcouldbeused in thisunit,andyoumightcheckout theUW MadisonsAfricanStudiesProgramfilmcollection,whichallowsyoutoborrow(freeof charge). They can even arrange shipping if youre outside of Madison. Browse the catalogue at: http://africa.wisc.edu/outreach/catalogue.pdf. To expand the history or background units, you might startwith some of theweb resources provided in this guide.


Unit2:IgboSocietyandCultureinThingsFallApart 2A.IgboCultureandBeliefsandtheirRoleintheNovel 2B.ReligionandSociety:TheSecondComing 2C.Socialnorms,Socialstructures Titlesandcaste SocialStructure 2D.Culturalcontactsandcontrasts:WhatdotheIboofthestoryhaveincommon withtheEuropeansinthestory?Howdotheydiffer?TherearemanywaysthatonecouldapproachorintroducethetopicofIgbocultureinThingsFallApart,but to avoidexoticismorpresenting the Igbo characters as culturalothers, itsrecommended that teachers focusonunderstandingkeyculturalconcepts thatarecrucial tothe texts major themes and plot. Many of these cultural elements such as the use ofproverbsandstorytellingbecomethemesinthenovelwhichhelpusmakesenseofthetextslargermeaning.LookingattherepresentationofIgbocultureaspartofthetextslargerprojectasopposed tobeingcultural tourists in the fictional landscapeof thenovelprovidesaproductive framework for understanding the other themes that emerge in relation to thiscentral issue(genderandpowerrelations,family,etc). It isalso importanttostressherethatAchebe isusingartistic licensetofictionalizehispeopleandemphasizecertaincharactersandfeaturesinordertodeveloptheplotandspecificthemesinthenovel.Inthisrespect,thenovelcannotbeseenasanthropologicalorethnographicsinceitisaworkoffiction.Objective:HelpstudentsbetterunderstandandengagewithkeyIgboculturalconceptsdevelopedinthetextsothattheycanbetterrelatetothestoryandappreciatethecomplexityofthenovel.LecturePoints:Referringtoasmanyspecificexamplesinthetextaspossible,lecturemightcoversomeoralloftheIboculturalconceptsdiscussedinthebook:

Proverbs(thepalmoilwithwhichwordsareeaten5) DefinecosmologyandreligionandusetheIgboCosmologyhandout(online)toteachtheIbgo

systemofgods,intermediariesandhumans

Chipersonalgod;canbecontrolledbyhumans SocialstructureandhierarchyofIgbosociety

o Titledanduntitledcitizenso Egwugwu(masquerades)menandtitledmen;masksasprimaryvisualartof Iboo Osu(outcasts)

Polygamyandfamilystructure(compoundlivingwithinvillagesystem) Systemofvillages,sharedgovernance,laws.Communicationmethods(drum,messengers,

envoys)

Matriarchalorpatriarchal?GenderrolesdontnecessarilycorrespondtoWesterncategories.Eg:MotherisSupreme(133)[seegenderunitformoreonthis]


DrumsandogeneasmetaphorsfortheheartofthepeopleThedrumswerestillbeating,persistentandunchanging.Theirsoundwasnolongeraseparatethingfromthelivingvillage.Itwaslikethepulsationofitsheart(44).

PreparatoryReading:

IgboMetaphysicsinChinuaAchebe'sThingsFallApart"byJudeChudiOkpala AchebeandDualityinIgboThoughtbyAnthoniaC.Kalu(ModernCritical

Interpretations:ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart,ed.HaroldBloom2002) IgboSocietyandtheParametersofIndividualAccomplishmentinThingsFallApartby

ClementOkafor(ModernCriticalInterpretations:ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart,ed.HaroldBloom2002)

TalkingAboutTribeAfricaActionhttp://www.africaaction.org/bp/ethall.htm UniversityofIowasIbgoinformationpage:

http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Igbo.htmlHandout/presentationmaterials

Handout:IboCosmologyChart(online) DiscussionQuestions:

WhoaretheIgbopeople?Wheredotheylive?Whatistheirlifelike?Howhavetheircustomsandtraditionschangedsincethe1880s?Sincethe1950s?

Whatdotheybelieve?DescribetheirreligioussystemandthehierarchyofIgbocosmology.

Whatistheconceptofogbanje(77)andhowisitimportanttothenovel? WhatotherculturalconceptsinthebookareuniquetoIgbopeople?Whydoyou

thinkAchebeincludesthese?WhatdotheytellusaboutIgbopeopleandtheirbeliefsinthenovel?

Whatarekolanutsandhowaretheyusedinthenovel?Whatdotheyrepresentorsymbolize?

Discusstheideaofculturaltourism.Doyoufeellikeanoutsiderorvoyeurwhenyoureadsomeofthesepassages?Explain.

WhatelementsofIgbocultureandsocietyaresimilartoyourown?Whatelementsdiffer?

Suggestedpassagesforclosereading

TheogbanjescenewithEzinma P.124125,whichdescribethelegalramificationsforOkonkwoscrime,andObierika

reflectsonthejusticeofsuchlaws. AnyofthepassagesthatdealwiththethrowingoutoftwinsintotheEvilForest



Makealistofproverbsfoundinthenovel(orhavestudentsmakethelistthemselves,ashomework)andaskstudentstodiscusswhattheymean.Ifpossible,askthemtothinkofidiomsorproverbsinEnglishthatsumupthesameorsimilaridea.

MakeuseoftheVillageofUmuofiaonlinesimulationproject(seeOnlineResourcesinthisguide)ordointernetresearchtofindvisualaidsandillustrationsofIgbolife.

Vocabquizzes.Youmayconsideraweekly(orsectionbysection)vocabularyquiztomakesureyourstudentsfullyunderstandtheIgboconceptsandtermsusedinthenovel,aswellastheonesyoureintroducinginlecture.

YoumightalsoaskstudentstokeepalogoftheIgboculturalconceptsandvocabularywordslikeonefoundherehttp://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson_images/lesson343/Igbo_Voc_Log.pdf

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit TheLanguageDebate:Achebeisamajorplayerintheongoingdebateonthequestion oflanguagechoiceinAfricanliterature.WhileAchebeinsistshecanexpresshispointof viewaswellinEnglishasanyothermedium,othersmaintainthatthelanguageof formercolonizerisinsufficientforeitherexpressingindependenceorconveyingcultural concepts.Assignthetwotextsbelow(orsummarizetheminlecture)andexpandthis unitbydiscussingtherelationshipbetweenlanguage,cultureandidentity. Requiredtextsonthelanguagedebate: ChinuaAchebe,TheAfricanWriterandtheEnglishLanguage NgugiwaThiongo,TheLanguageofAfricanLiterature


Unit3:GenderinThingsFallApartAmericanstudentsoftenhaveakneejerkreactiontothewaywomenaredepictedinthisnovel,andseethetextassexist,andOkonkwoastheultimatechauvinist.Anditstrue:AchebegoestogreatpainstodemonstratehowOkonkwosskewedviewofgenderroleshasanimpactonbothhisthinkingandhisactions.However,thisthemeismuchmorecomplexandsophisticatedthanbeingsimplyamatterofmaleandfemaletensions;itprovokesseriousdiscussionofhowtheseinteract,wheretheyoverlap,howbothIgboandEuropeansocietiesmayhaveproblematicassessmentsofgenderroles,andsoon.OneimportantthingtokeepinmindwhenteachinggenderinthenovelisthatOkonkwosviewdoesnotrepresentthenormofIgbothoughtinthistext;therearemanyillustrationsofhowhisdistortedinterpretationofgenderedrolesiswhatleadstotroubleinhislife.Havingyourstudentsfindandidentifythesemomentsinthetextwouldbeagreatassignment.Themesofgenderandengenderedmeaningplayanenormousroleinthenovel,andyoucouldapproachthisthemefromseveralperspectives:

Bycharacter,withafocusontherelationshipbetweenOkonkwoandNwoyeandOkonkwoandEzinma

BylookingatlanguageandhowsomanyeverydaythingsandconceptshavegenderedmeaningfortheIgbopeopleinthenovel.YoucouldlookattraditionalrolesformenandwomenwithinIgbosociety,anddiscusswhatitmeanstobeaman(orawoman)inthenovel.Think,too,abouthowindividualconceptsandideasareassociatedwithgender,andwhatthismeanstothenovelasawhole.

Byanalyzingtheroleofkinship,familyandtheroleoftheextendedfamilythatiscentraltoOkonkwosstoryaswellasthedisctinctionbetweenmotherlandandfatherlandandmatriarchalvspatriarchalperspectivesinthetext.

ByanalyzingOkonkwoandhisdeepestfear:becominglikehisfather,whohefeelsisfeminineandweak.ContrastOkonkwosviewwiththatofother,moremoderate,charactersinthenovel.

Objective:Todiscussandexplorewhatgendermeansinthenovel,andhelpingstudentsseehowcomplexthisthemereallyis,eventhoughOkonkwosviewseemsverynarrowandclearcut.Alargerobjectivecouldbetohavethemrelatethisdiscussiontogenderrolesintheirowncultures,andexplorewhy/howthingsarenotalwaysastheyseemwhenitcomestogenderrelationsandassumptions.PreparatoryReading:

WomeninAchebesWorld:AWomanistCritiquebyRoseUreMezu(inChinuaAchebe:TheManandHisWorks2006)

ProblemsofGenderandHistoryintheTeachingofThingsFallApartbyRhondaCobham(ModernCriticalInterpretations:ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart,ed.HaroldBloom2002)


OkonkwoandHisMother:ThingsFallApartandIssuesofGenderintheConstitutionofAfricanPostcolonialDiscoursebyBiodunJeyifo(inChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart:ACasebook,ed.IsidoreOkpewho2003)

IgboWomenfrom19291960byJohnN.Oriji(WestAfricaReview)http://westafricareview.com/vol2.1/oriji.html

Ngambika(excerpt)Lecturepoints:Inadditiontoaddressingtheideaslistedabove,alectureongenderinthetextmightincludethefollowing:

Explanationofthedifferencebetweensexandgender Discussionofwhatgendermeanstoculture,howlanguagecanbegendered,and

genderedmeaningaffectsthewayweseetheworld Areminderthatgenderrolesvarybysocietyandwhatissexistorinappropriatein

oneplacemightbeperfectlynormalsomewhereelse.Genderrolesarenotthesameinallplaces,andbasedononlythefictionalworldofThingsFallApart,wecantreallymakeblanketassessmentsaboutallofIgbocultureorpeople

ProvidesomebackgroundandcontextforgenderrolesinIgbosocieties(thenandnowmightbenice,butataminimumatthetimeofthenovelssetting).

Masculinity/femininity,theroleofamaninsocietycompareandcontrastOkonkwowithhisfatherusethistodiscusshow(ifatall)studentshaveadifferentviewofwhatitmeanstobearealman

Genderedmeanings(motherland,fatherland;masc/femwords) Kinshipandextendedfamily.Definematriarchyandpatriarchyandwhattheymean

toculturalrulesandnorms.Asktheclasstothinkofexamplesofbothpositiveandnegativeeffectsofbothmatriarchalandpatriarchalsystems.Pointoutwaysinwhichourownsocietyisstructuredpatriarchally.Askstudentstothinkofotherexamples.

ConsidershowingclipsofeitherthevideoproductionofThingsFallApart(seeVideoResourcesinthisguide)orofIgbowomenandmendiscussingtheirrolesinsociety.Havestudentsdiscusshowthisrelatestothebook,whatitmeans.

ProvidesomehistoryandcontextforwhatitmeanstobefeministinAfricaandhow/whytermslikewomanismarepreferred.YoumayconsiderdiscussingthedebateoverfeminismasaWesternconcept,andwhetherornotthereisauniversalstandardthatshouldapplytoallwomenwhenitcomestowomensrightsandrolesinsociety.

Discussthenuancesofgenderinthetextandhowgenderissuesarenotjustmalevs.femaleinthetext.Achebedevelopslotsofgreyareacharacterswithdifferentviews,malecharacterswhoactfemaleorfemalecharacterswhoactmale,etc.


DiscussionQuestions: HowdoesOkonkwosrelationshipwithmaleandfemalecharactersdiffer?Why? Whatroletowomenplayinthisnovel?WhatislifelikeforOkonkwoswives? Somefemalecharactersinthebookdontseemtofitthemoldaccordingto

Okonkwosview?Whoaretheyandwhyaretheyimportanttothetext?( Whatmaterialthingscanyoufindinthebookthathaveaspecificgender?Does

theirgendereffecttheirmeaningorhowtheyareused?Howorhownot? WhenOkonkwoissentintoexile,heissenttoMbanta,hismotherland,where

thingsseemverydifferentthanlifeinUmuofia.Howaretheydifferent?Whatdothesedifferencestellusaboutgender?WhatdoyoumakeoftheexpressionMotherisSupremethatismentionedinthebook?

Whatdothetermspatriarchyandmatriarchymean?Giveoneexampleofeachfromthetext.

HowisOkonkwosviewofgenderdifferentfromothercharactersviewofgenderrolesinthenovel?Giveexamples.

ThinkaboutthecharacterEzinma.Of Ezinma, Okonkwo thinks: "She should have been a boy" (p. 64). Why is it necessary to the story that Okonkwo's most favored child be a girl? What does it mean that she has all of the characteristics that her father finds more valuable in a son?

Inthenovel,therearetwokindsofmurdermaleandfemale(124).Whataretheseandwhatdotheymeantothenovel?DoesitmatterthatOkonkwocommittedthefemalekindofmurder?

Suggestedpassagesforclosereading

Thefirstparagraphonpage13thatbeginsOkonkworuleshishouseholdwithaheavyhandInthisparagraph,welearnabouthisfearofweaknessandhowhelearnsthatagbalameansbothwomanandamanwhohasnotitle.Discusshowthiseffecthisattitudeandviewsaboutgender.

Nwoyeknewthatitwasrighttobemasculineandtobeviolent,butsomehowhestillpreferredthestoriesthathismotherusedtotell,andwhichshenodoubtstilltoldtoheryoungerchildren[]ThatwasthekindofstoryNwoyeloved.Buthenowknewthattheywereforfoolishwomenandchildren,andheknewthathisfatherwantedhimtobeaman.Andsohefeignedthathenolongercaredforwomensstories(5354)Whatdoesthispassagetellusabouttheconflictbetweenfatherandson?Whatdoesittellusaboutwhatgendermeansinthenovel?HowdoesitforeshadowNwoyeslaterconversion?

Womenneversawtheinsideofthe[egwugwuhouse].Nowomaneverdid.Theyscrubbedandpaintedheoutsidewallsunderthesupervisionofmen.Iftheyimaginedwhatwasinside,theykepttheirimaginationtothemselves.Nowomaneveraskedquestionsaboutthemostpowerfulandthemostsecretcultintheclan(89).ThisisagoodexampleofhowwomenandmenhavedifferentsocialrolesinIgbosociety.Discussthispassageandwhatitmeanstothenovel.

Thediscussionofmotherlandandmotherissupremeonp.133135TeachingThingsFallApartinWisconsin

AResourceGuidebyHeatherDuBoisBourenane

TheveryimportantpassageinwhichOkonkwosfriendOfoedudiscussestherelationshipofawellknowncouple,NdulueandOzoemena,whohavebothdiedatthesametime.ObierikasaysItwasalwayssaidthatNdulueandOzoemenahadonemind...Hecouldnotdoanythingwithouttellingher.TowhichOkonkworeplied,Ididnotknowthat.Ithoughthewasastrongmaninhisyouth.AndOfoedusays,Hewasindeed.(68)ThisisakeypassageasitshowsthatotheresteemedeldersinthevillagedonotshareOkonkwosviewthatwarriorscannotbelovingorgentleorclosetoothers;itdemonstratesthathisrigidpositiononwhatconstitutesstrongmasculinebehaviorisnotsharedbyallIgbomen.


OkonkwosviewdoesnotrepresentthenormofIgbothoughtinthistext;therearemanyillustrationsofhowhisdistortedinterpretationofgenderedrolesiswhatleadstotroubleinhislife.Haveyourstudentsgetingroups(orontheirownashomework)andfindatleastthreepassagesinthetextwhereOkonkwosviewischallengedorcontradictedinthenovel.Thenhavethemusetheirlisttodiscussthelargerrolegenderplaysinthenovel,andwhatitmeanstothestory.Whatisthemessagethatthesecontradictionsreveal?

CompareandcontrasttherelationshipsOkonkwohaswithhissonNwoyeandhisdaughter,Ezinma.

Chooseonecharacteranwriteanessayonwhygendermatterstothisperson. Compare/contrasttwocharactersinatwopageessaywhichevaluateshowgender

meaningdiffersforeachofthem.Suggestedpairs(Okonkwo/Nwoye,Okonkwo/Obierka,Nwoye/Ezinma,Ezinma/Okonkwo).

Findanadvertisementthatusesgenderrolestodescribeorpromoteaproduct.Doyouagreeordisagreewiththewaygenderisrepresentedhere?Why/whynot?Comparetheadtoanexampleinthebookwheregenderisusedtoexplainordescribeaspecificthingorconcept

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Thisunitcouldbeexpandedtodiscussgenderissuesingeneral,ortogodeeperinto howthethemeplaysoutinthebook.UsethelinksintheOnlineResourcessectionof thisguidetofinddiscussionquestionsandactivitiesspecificallyrelatedtogender.


Unit4:CharacterStudies:Psychology,RelationshipsandMeaning 7A:Okonkwo:Villain,VictimorTragicHero? 7B:Nwoye 7C:Okonkwoandhisfamily:theroleofhiswivesandchildren 7D:EzinmaFathers,sonsanddaughters:keyrelationshipsinthenovel 7E:Obierika,VoiceofReason 7F:Outsiders:TheroleofmissionariesandcolonialadministratorsCharacterdevelopment iscentral to thedevelopmentofawide rangeof issues in thenovel,andonecouldeasily teach theentirebook inasixweeksession focusingonlyoncharacters,and how they relate to family, friendships and identity as they develop the other themes.Okonkwohimself issuchacomplexcharacter,andmostoftheotherthemes inthenovelaredevelopedbyexploringtherelationshipsbetweenOkonkwoandothercharacters.Objective:Toperformclosereadingsofspecificcharacters,assesstheirrelationships,anddeterminehowcharacterizationrelatestoothermajorthemesinthenoveltocreatemeaning.PreparatoryReading:

ForChinuaAchebe:TheResilienceandthePredicamentofObierikafromChinuaAchebe:ACelebrationbyBiodunJeyifo


CharactersinThingsFallApart(thislistisavailableonlineasahandout/referenceguide): Okonkwo protagonist Unoka hisshiftless,titlelessfather Okonkwoswives: (1)Nwoyesmother,theseniorwife Children:Nwoye[Isaac](m),Obiageli(f),Nneka,Nwofia (begotteninthewilderness45,shouldvebeenaboy),and theadoptedsonIkemefuna(m)whoiskilledbyOkonkwo (2)Ekwefi Child:Ezinma(f) (3)Ojiugo Children:Nkechi(f),Obiageli(f) *Note:#ofchildrenhereincomplete.Textsayshehas11childrenbefore theexile;2(?)borninexile;5sons Ikemefuna youngboycapturedinrevengefordeathofadaughterofUmuofia Obierka friendofOkonkwo NdulueandOzoemena coupleknownfortheircloserelationship(68) Ofoedu FriendofOkonkwoandObierika Agbala OracleoftheHills&theCaves Chika PriestessofAgbala Chielo PriestessofAgbala Ani Earthgodess Ezeani PriestofAni Uchendu OkonkwosmothersbrotherinMbanta(exile)


Mr.Kiaga missionaryinterpreter/teacher Mr.Brown whitemissionarycompromiseandaccommodationpolicy Mr.Smith whitemissionary(Brownsreplacement);nocompromisepolicy Nneka firstconvert;motheroftwins Okoli manaccused/presumed/rumoredtohavekilledsacredpython(dies114) Enoch priestofthesnakecult DistrictCommissioner UnnamedBritishcolonialadministratorwhofamously appearstopronounceOkonkwosstoryinterestingreadingfora paragraphinhismemoir:ThePacificationofthePrimitiveTribesofthe LowerNigerLecturepoints:

Beginwithadiscussionofcharacteranalysiswhatisis,howtodoit,howcharactersworktogethertocreatemeaning,etc.

DiscusstheroleofthePROTAGONISTandminororsupportingcharacters. DiscussOkonkwosroleasprotagonist.Isheahero?Avictim?Avillain? Usepassagesfromthetexttoexplorerelationshipsbetweencharacters

o OkonkwoandUnokao OkonkwoandObierikao Okonkwoandhischildreno Okonkwoswivesandtheirchildreno etc

Showhowmostofthethemesinthenoveldependoncharacterdevelopmenttomakesense.Usethistodemonstratehownovels/fictionworkshowhowOkonkwo(andtheothercharacters)actoutthedramatoproducemeaningandallowusdifferentpointsofviewtoconsiderasweinterpretthenovel

RemindtheclassthatOkonkwo,thoughesteemedandinapositionofauthorityinhisvillage,isabitofananomaly.Othersdonotsharehisviewsonmanythings.

Youmightalsoconsiderspendingentiredaysonindividualcharacterstoexplorehowtheyrelatetospecificthemes/issues

Nwoyeandreligion/conversion Themissionariesvs.therestofthecharacters;howdotheydiffer? Ezinmaandgenderroles,EzinmaandIgbocustoms/belief Ikemefunaandhissymbolicdeath;alsowhathispresenceinthenovelteachesus

abouthowthissocietyworks,itsrulesandnorms

DiscussionQuestions: Whatischaracterization?Howarecharacterscreatedinatext? Whatdoesthetermprotagonistmean?Whathappenswhenourprotagonistis

kindofantagonistic?IsOkonkwoasympatheticcharacter?Howcanwerelatetohim?Doesheremindyouofanyoneyouknow?

DoaclosereadingofthedescriptionsofOkonkwoandUnokainchapterone.Howdothesetwocharactersdiffer?Whatkindoflanguageisusedtodescribeeachof


them?Whatproverbsareassociatedwitheach?Whatdoesthiscontrastforeshadow?

Discussspecificcharacters/pairsofcharactersandwhattheymeantotherestofthetext.

WhatisthesignificanceofthechildIkemefunatothenovel?WhydoesOkonkwokillhim?Whatcanbelearnedfromthisepisode?


Makealistofcharactersorcharacterpairsforthestudentsandaskthemtowritedownthemajorthemeorissueassociatedwiththatcharacter/pairofcharacters.Thenhavethemfindoneexampleofthis,withaquote,topresenttotherestoftheclass.Thiscouldbedoneingroupsorashomework.

Writeaonepagecharacteranalysisofthecharacterofyourchoice.Besuretoinclude:adescriptionofthecharacter,his/herrelationshiptotheprotagonistandhis/hermainfunctioninthenovel.Supportyourresponsewithquotesfromthebook.

CompareandcontrastUnokaandOkonkwo.Makeachartorgraphofalloftheirdifferences.

Havethestudentsgetincharacterandaskthemtoenactspecificpartsofthebook,oranswerquestionsincharacter

ThinkaboutthecharacterofNwoye.WhydoesheconverttoChristianity?Writeanessayinwhichyoudiscussthefactorsthatledtohistransformation,andhowtheyrelatetohisrelationshipwithhisfather.

Whatisahero?Createaproject(essay,story,poemorartproject)whichanswersthequestion:IsOkonkwoahero?Bepreparedtoshareyourideaswiththeclass.

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Themostobviouswaytoexpandthisunitistofocusononecharacteratatime,anduse classtimetodoclosereadingsofpassagesrelatedtothatcharacter.Thisactivitylends welltogroupprojectswhichcouldresultinCharacterAnalysisPresentations(which couldbeaspedanticorascreativeasthestudentswish).Thisunitcouldalsobe expandedbyfocusingonadifferentcharacteristicofOkonkwoeachday(hisviewon women,hisroleinsociety,hisrelationshipswithothercharacters,etc)toreallyexplore howcomplexhischaracteris,andhowitisusedtodevelopsomanythemesinthetext.


Unit5:Power,Knowledge,EducationandReligion:TheCenterCannotHold

TheseimportantminorthemesofthenovelarewhatmanycriticspointtoaswhatcausesthingstofallapartinUmofia:thecracksinIgbothoughtthatcreatepowerdifferentialsandmakesomemorelikelythanotherstocovertand/orembracethechangestheEuropeansbringtotown;theintroductionofChristianityanditsappealtothoseatthelowestendofthesocialstrata;andthepowerofeducationinthenewsystemofcolonialadministration(particularlytheuseofEnglishandtheroleoftranslators).Thesethemesoverlapandhavevariousotherimpactsinthenovel,butmakeagoodunitwhenusedtodiscusssomeoftheimpactsofcolonialisminthenovel,andthepowerrelationsandinequitiesofIgbosocietythatmakeChristianityseemveryappealingtomanypeopleinUmuofia.

When the missionaries came, the Africans had the land and the Christians had the Bible. They taught us to pray with our eyes closed.

When we opened them they had the land and we had the Bible - Jomo Kenyatta (in Mazrui 149-150)

Objective:Toperformclosereadingsofpassagesrelatingtopower,knowledge,educationandreligioninthenovelandexplorethewaysinwhichthesethemeshelpusunderstandwhythingsfallapartinUmuofia.Studentsshouldbecomeawareofhowtheseareinterrelatedandhowbothinternalandexternalfactorscancontributetothesuccessorfailureofindividualaims.Studentsshouldbeabletoanalyzethetitleofthenovel,andtheYeatspoemonwhichitwasbased.

[T]he main purpose of colonial school system was to train Africans to participate in the domination and exploitation of the continent as a whole . . . Colonial education was education for subordination, exploitation, the creation of mental confusion and the development of underdevelopment. [263]

- Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa PreparatoryReading:

MissionariesandConverts:ReligionandColonialIntrusioninThingsFallApartbyJosephMcLaren(ModernCriticalInterpretations:ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart,ed.HaroldBloom2002)

ExcerptfromWalterRodney:HowEuropeUnderdevelopedAfrica:[T]hemainpurposeofcolonialschoolsystemwastotrainAfricanstoparticipateinthedominationandexploitationofthecontinentasawhole...Colonialeducationwas


educationforsubordination,exploitation,thecreationofmentalconfusionandthedevelopmentofunderdevelopment.[263]


TheSecondComingbyWilliamButlerYeats(online)

Lecturepoints: YoumightconsiderbeginningthisunitwithandiscussionofthepoemTheSecond

ComingbyW.B.Yeats,fromwhichAchebedrewthetitleofthenovel.Providesomebackgroundcontextforthetext(asaresponsetoBritishcontrolofIreland)andsomebackgroundonYeats.Readtheentirepoem,andanalyzeinparticularthefourlinesthatprefaceThingsFallApart:

Turningandturninginthewideninggyre Thefalconcannothearthefalconer; Thingsfallapart;thecentercannothold; Mereanarchyisloosedupontheworld. Asktheclasswhattheythinkthepoemmeans,andwhatitforeshadowsinthe

novel.Whatisthecenterofthisnovel?Whycanitnothold?Whatforcesareworkinginthebookthatpreventthefalconerfromhearingthefalcon?Whatdothesesymbolstranslatetointhenovel?

Ideally,thisdiscussionwillgenerateideasaboutthevariouspowerfactorsthatimpactthemajoreventsinthenovel:Igbolawandcustom,outsidepenetrationandimpositionofnewrules,religionandeducationalsystems,andOkonkwosownpowerstruggleandbattlewithhischi.

Discusshowreligionandeducationrelatetopowerinthetext.DiscussionQuestions:

DiscussthereligioussignificanceoftheW.B.Yeatspoem,TheSecondComingandwhatitmeanstothenovel

Whatisthecenterofthisnovel?Whycanitnothold?Whatforcesareworkinginthebookthatpreventthefalconerfromhearingthefalcon?Whatdothesesymbolstranslatetointhenovel?

Howdothemissionariessetthestageforcolonialcontrol?Whoarethefirstconverts,andwhydothesepeoplefindChristianitysoappealing?

WhatisOkonkwosviewonthemissionaries?Oncolonialeducation?Howdoeshisviewdifferfromothercharactersviews?

Suggestedpassagesforclosereading: Conversionoftheosu(156157)andthekillingofroyalpython(157159) Thepropheticwordsofoneoftheoldestmembersoftheumunna(166167),inwhich

hesays:Ifearforyouyoungpeoplebecauseyoudonotunderstandhowstrongisthebondofkinship.Youdonotknowwhatitistospeakwithonevoice.Andwhatisthe


result?Anabominablereligionhassettledamongyou.Amancannowleavehisfatherandhisbrothers.

Obierikasbigspeech: [Thewhiteman]doesnotevenspeakourtongue[.]Buthesaysthatourcustomsare bad;andourownbrotherswhohavetakenuphisreligionalsosaythatourcustomsare bad.Howdoyouthinkwecanfightwhenourownbrothershaveturnedagainstus?The whitemanisveryclever.Hecamequietlyandpeaceablywithhisreligion.Wewere amusedathisfoolishnessandallowedhimtostay.Nowhehaswonourbrothers,and ourclannolongeractlikeone.Hehasputaknifeonthethingsthatheldustogether andwehavefallenapart.(176) Chapter21(178183),ashortchapteronMr.Brown,whocametoberespectedeven

bytheclan,becausehetrodsoftlyonitsfaith(178),andhowfromtheverybeginningeducationandreligionwenthandinhand(182).

ContrastthedescriptionofBrownsmethodswiththisdescriptionofhissuccessor,Rev.Smith:HeopenlycondemnedMr.Brownspolicyofcompromiseandaccommodation.Hesawthingsasblackandwhite.Andblackwasevil.Hesawtheworldasabattlefieldinwhichthechildrenoflightwerelockedinamortalconflictwiththesonsofdarkness.Hespokeinhissermonsaboutsheepandgoatsandaboutwheatandtares.HebelivedinslayingtheprophetsofBaal.Whatdoesthispassagesayabouttherelationshipbetweenpower,controlandreligion?

ThescenewhereEnoch,aChristianconvert,unmasksanegwugwuduringapublicperformance(186187)


WriteanessayinwhichyoucompareandcontrastMr.BrownandMr.Smith. WhydosomepeopleconverttoChristianityinthebookandothersdonot?Use

evidencetosupportyourview,andwriteanessayinwhichyoudemonstratewhichsideismoreconvincing.

Preparegrouppresentationswhichexplainthemeaningofthebookstitle. Whatcausesthingstofallapartinthisnovel?Stageadebateinwhichstudentsare

assignedvariouspositionsonthistopic,andanswerincharacter,usingevidence/quotesfromthetexttosupporttheirviews.

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Ifyouhavetime,aslightlydatedbutexcellentfilmonthetopicoftherelationship betweenreligion,educationandcolonialismisBasilDavidsonsTheBibleandthe Gun,Part5theAfrica:AVoyageofDiscoveryseries.Thisvideoisavailablefor(free) loanthroughtheUWAfricanStudiesProgram,andisalsoavailableatmanylibraries. Seeasummaryofthedocumentaryhere: http://dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/films/basil/video5.html


Unit6:DestinyandtheroleofchiinthenovelDestiny,theroleofoneschi,andthestruggleoftheindividualwithinsocietyaremajorissuesthroughoutthenovel.OnecouldarguethatOkonkwoscentralconflictliesinhisconstantstruggletounderstandandmakesenseofhisownlotinlifewhichhevariouslyseesasinevitableorsomethinghecanmanipulate.Bytheendofthenovel,thesignificanceofthisthemebecomesveryclearaswereforcedtoaskifOkonkwowasasuccessorfailure.Didhedefyhischi?Washepowerlesstocontrolanaturalprogressionofevents?Andistheconceptofchitobetakenliterally,ormetaphorically?WhatdoesOkonkwosdestinysignifyforthethemeofcolonialism?Isitsymbolic?Ifso,ofwhat?Objective:Toencouragestudentstoreadbeyondthelinearplotofthenoveltoseealarger themeatwork:amantryingtocometotermswithhislotinlife,andaccepttheways hispersonalgod,orchi,tocontrolhisdestiny,whileatthesametimestrugglingto changehisworld.Thisthemecouldalsobeusedtogeneratelargerdiscussionofhow literaturetacklessuchmetaphysicalconcerns,andhowtheyusuallyhaveelementsof bothculturalspecificityanduniversality.PreparatoryReading:

WhenaManFailsAlone:AManandHisChiinChinuaAchebesThingsFallApartbyHaroldScheub(inChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart:ACasebook,ed.IsidoreOkpewho2003)

Handout/presentationmaterialsLecturepoints:

Definechiasaculturalconcept. Discusshowchirelatestotheideasofdestinyandfate Proposeamodelorstrategyfordiscussingthisthemeinthebookbyaskingthe

startingquestion,IsOkonkworesponsibleforhisfateinthistext,orisitdeterminedbyoutsideforces?

Besuretoraisethequestionofbelief.Ischiaconceptweshouldacceptatfacevalueasamatterofcultural/religiousbelief?Isitametaphor?Aliterarydevice?Whatdowelearnfromtheexpositionofthisthemethroughoutthenovel?

DiscussionQuestions:

IsOkonkwoatoddswith,oratpeacewith,hischi?Supportyouranswerwithexamplesfromthenovel.

Thereseemtobeconflictingideasabouthowchiworksinthenovel.Oneproverbsays:Ifamansaysyes,hischisaysyesalso(27,131),indicatingthatpeoplecanhavesomeinfluenceovertheirownfate.Otherpassagessuggestthatonehasnocontroloverthedecisionofthechi(79,eg)andthatamancouldnotrisebeyond


thedestinyofhischi(131).Okonkwohimselfseemstostrugglewiththisquestion.Whichdoyouthinkisthedominant,orcorrectviewinthenovel?

Thinkabouttheendingofthenovel,andOkonkwosdeath.Intheend,afterallhiseffortstobetheoppositeofhisfather,hediesaverysimilarlyshamefuldeath.Whatdoesthisendingmeantothelargerthemeofdestiny?WasthistheinevitableenddeterminedbyOkonkwoschi?

Suggestedpassagesforclosereading:

152153:ThescenewhereNwoyejoinsthechuchandOkonkworeflectsonhowhewascursedwithsuchasonandseestheanswerinthefingerofhispersonalgodorchi.Forwhoelsecouldheexplainhisgreatmisfortuneandexileandnowhissonsdespicablebehavior?ThispassageendswiththeproverbLivingfirebegetscold,impotentashandacomparisonoftheeffeminateanddegenerateNwoyetoUnoka.UsethistodiscussanddebateOkonkwostruedestiny.

Thesecondparagraphonpage131ontheroleofthechiandOkonkwosdesiretobecomeacommunityleader.

AssignmentandProjectIdeas: Determineyourfatecontest.Putstudentsingroupsandawardprizes,meteout

consequencesandotherwisemakethemchoosetheirowndestinybasedonwhoisthefirst(andlast)toanswerquestions,solveproblemsorcomeupwithdiscussionpoints.Someideas

Findasmanypassagesasyoucanthatrefertochiinthebook Proverbinterpretationcontest.Thefirstgrouptocomeupwithan

accuratedescriptionofwhataproverbmeanswins. WriteanessayinwhichyouanswerthequestionWhoorwhatisresponsiblefor

Okonkwosfate?Supportyouressaywithquotesfromthenovel.

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Teachersparticularlyinterestedinthisthememightconsidermakingitaunifyingtheme fortheircourses,astheylookatothertexts,issuesorunits.Thequestionofthe relationshipoftheindividualtothecommunity,andtotheuniverseatlarge,iscentral tomanyworks,soitwouldntbedifficulttomakeconnectionsandusethosetoengage studentsinongoingthematicprojectsorcomparison/contraststudies.


Unit7:LanguageandStyle 7A:Formandcontent 7B:Thesignificanceofproverbsandotherformsoforalityinthenovel 7C:SymbolismandImageryintheNovelObjective:Studentswilllearntodiscuss,understandandappreciatetheliterarymeritsofthetextbytalkingaboutitsform,languageandstyle,andanalyzingspecificusesofimagery,intertextuality,symbolsandmetaphors.PreparatoryReading:

Realism,Criticism,andtheDisguisesofBoth:AReadingofChinuaAchebe'sThingsFallAparwithanEvaluationoftheCriticismRelatingtoItbyAtoQuayson(ResearchinAfricanLiteratures,Vol.25,No.4(Winter,1994),pp.117136)

ThePalmOilwithwhichAchebesWordsareEatenbyBernthLindfors ChinuaAchebe:TheArtofFiction(interview)

http://www.theparisreview.com/media/1720_ACHEBE.pdf

Handout/presentationmaterials YoumightmakeuseofthislistofproverbsfoundinThingsFallApart,whichincludes

discussionquestions:http://www.unc.edu/~hhalpin/ThingsFallApart/Proverbs.html

Lecturepoints: Defineanyliterarytermsunfamiliartoyourstudents Discussrealistfictionandhowitdiffersfromstrictlyhistoricalfiction Discussthedifferencebetweenfictionandnonfiction Explainthedifferencebetweenform(howthetextisputtogether)andcontent

(whatthetextsays,thestory) LanguageuseandOralityelementsoforalcultureinthetext InternalGlossing(hispersonalgodorchi)andtheglossaryatthebackofthebook Intertextuality:define,anddemonstratehowAchebeincorporateslotsofother

textsintohiswork(Conrad,Yeats,oralstories,proverbs,etc).Discusshowthisworksandwhatitmeans

Symbolismandimagery:usingexamplesofyourchoice,discusshowtoidentifyasymbolormotif(recurringimage),andhowtodeterminewhattheymean

Literaryinterpretationvsopinionorpersonalreaction Usingtextualevidencetosupportintepretations


Thinkaboutlanguageandtranslation.WhydoesAchebeincludesomanyIgbowords?Whydoesheprovidetranslationsforthem?Whatdoesthissayabouthisintendedorassumedaudience?


WhydoyouthinkAchebeusestheoldfashioned,outdatedspellingIboinsteadofthemorecommonandcontemporaryspellingIgbo?

Fireanddrummingaretwoimportantsymbolsinthenovel.Chooseoneoftheseandfind3examplesofwhereitisdiscussedinthebook.Usetheseexamplestointerpretthemeaningofthatsymbol.

ThefollowingquestionsonStructure,TechniqueandPlotaretakenfromtheRandomHouseteachersguideforThingsFallAparthttp://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385474542&view=tg

1.Thenovelisstructuredinthreeparts.Whatdothedivisionsreflectaboutthestagesoflifeoftheprotagonist?HowdothedivisionsmovetowardandillustratethecollapseofIgbosociety?2.Whatisthepointofviewofthenarrator?Howdoesthepointofviewcontributetoourunderstandingoftheconflictingcultures?Whattechniquesdoesthenarratorusetoevokeaparticipatoryroleforthereader?3.Inthenovel'sopening,Okonkwoiswrestling.Howdoesthiscontrastwiththeending,whenOkonkwoisdeliberatingaboutanadequateresponsetotheBritishhumiliationoftheIgboeldersinjail?4.AchebeusesstorytellingflashbackstodescribetherelationshipofOkonkwoandUnoka.Whatdotheflashbacksrevealabouttheirrelationship?Whatistheeffectoftheuseofstorytellingtoillustratetheflashbacks?5.InChapterOne,howdoesAchebeforeshadowthepresence(andultimatefate)ofIkemefuna?6.Describethejudicialfunctionoftheegwugwuanditsrelationshiptotheliving,particularlytoIgbowomen.Whyisitalsorelatedtothespiritualworld?HowdoesAchebeillustratetheblendingofthespiritualandrealworlds?7.HowdoesthekillingofIkemefunaforeshadowthefallofOkonkwo?8.WhyisOkonkwoexiled?Whyistheexileironic?ComparetoOkonkwo'sparticipationinthekillingofIkemefunaanditslackofconsequences.9.Whenandhowisthewhitemanintroduced?TracethechronologyoftheIgbopeople'sresponsestothearrivalandsettlementofthewhiteman.WhatattitudestowardtheIgbopeopledothewhitemenbringandhowdotheirattitudesdeterminetheirtreatmentoftheIgbopeople?10.HowdoesAchebeuseincidentstopaintthegeneralcharacterofthewhitecolonizers?


AssignmentandProjectIdeas: Selectaproverbfromthenovelandwriteaonepagepaperexplainingwhatit

means,andwhyitisimportanttothetext. MakeaposterwhichprovidesWordMapofIgboterms,withreferencesto

andquotesfromthetext.Giveapresentationinwhichyoudescribewhyeachtermissignificanttothetext.

WritealettertoChinuaAchebelistingatleast3specificthingsyouenjoyedaboutthestyleorformofhisbook,explainingwhytheyappealedtoyou.

Foreshadowingisanimportantfeatureinthebook,andonethatsusedoften.Ingroups,find23instancesofforeshadowinganddiscusshowtheycommentontheeventstheyforeshadow.

Thinkabouttheoralityofthenovel.ListthreeexamplesofhowAchebebringsfeaturesoforaltraditionsintohisnovel,andwriteaparagraphforeachexample,explainingwhyitisevidenceoforality.

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Ifyouhaventalreadydiscussedit,thelanguagedebatewouldbeagoodadditiontothis unit(seeSuggestionsforexpandingthisunitinUnit2fordetails).Youcouldusethis debatetocontinueyourdiscussionsoftherolelanguageplaysinthenovel,andthe interrelationshipbetweenEnglishandIgboterms. Anotheroptionforexpandingthisunit,particularlyinEnglishcourses,wouldbetolook closelyattheformandstructureofthenovel.Howareeachofthethreeparts composed?HowdoesAchebemanagetobothputforwardalinearstorylinewhile makinguseofarelativelynonlinearmodeofexpression?


Unit8:ColonialImpactsandPostcolonialConsiderations

"Here then is an adequate revolution for me to espouse--to help my society regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of the years of denigration and self-abasement"

- Chinua Achebe, The Novelist as Teacher, Hopes and Impediments Objective:Toexploreandunderstandthethemeofcolonialimpactsinthenovel,theroleoftheBritishinfluencesinthetext,andhowtheseareunderstoodinrelationtotheothermajorthemesinthenovel.Studentsshouldbeabletoidentifypassageswhichdirectlyconfrontorattempttodisprove/undothenegativestereotypesofAfricanrealityassociatedwithcolonialmisrepresentationofAfrica.Thisunitshouldexpandonthehistoricalsectioncoveredearlier,andlookatcolonialismasathemeinthenovel,aswellasthewayAchebeuseshisnoveltoaddressandrespondtoEurocentricversionsofAfricanhistory.PreparatoryReading:

ReviewMaterialsforUnit1onhistoryandcolonialism ReadingChinuaAchebe:NationFormationandtheNovelbySimonGikandi Writing,CultureandDominationbySimonGikandiinReadingChinuaAchebe KiplingsImperialism(onVictorianweb):

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/kipling/rkimperialism.htmlHandout/presentationmaterials

ColonialNarrativeshandout:RudyardKipling,TheWhiteMansBurdenand/orGungaDinwithPearsSoapadvertisement

Lecturepoints: DefineEurocentrismanditsrelationtocolonial/imperialdepictionsofthecolonies

inthe19thcentury ProvidebackgroundforRudyardKipling,BritainsImperialpoet,andanalyzethe

poemsTheWhiteMansBurdenand/orGungaDin Youmaywishtoprovideotherexamplesofcolonialart,advertisingorliterature

whichdepictsAfricainsimilarlystereotypical,unrealisticandahistoricalways DiscussJosephConradsHeartofDarknessandtheimpactithadonAchebeswork,

andEuropeanviewsaboutAfrica. ThesunneversetsontheBritishEmpire:stressthatthemainpurposeof

colonizationiseconomic Discusshowthebookrespondsto,negates,debatesorchallengesEurocentric

assumptions.


Posethequestion:whoistheintendedaudienceofthisbook?DoyouseeAchebeasareviserofhistoryorasanativeinformant?


CompareandcontrastMr.BrownandMr.Smith.Whatdothesecharactersrepresent?Whatdoyoumakeoftheirnames?

Whatistheroleofthemissionariesinthenovel? Whataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofcolonialeducation? WhoistheDistrictCommissioner?Whatishisrole?Whatdoesherepresentinthis

novel? Achebewrotehisnovelin1958,justbeforeNigeriasindependence.Whydoyou

thinkhesetthenovelinthe1890s?Whatdoesthisallowhimtosayaboutcolonialismthathemightnothavesaidhadhistextbeensetinthepresent?

WhydoesOkonkwokillthecourtmessenger? WhataretheconsequencesofOkonkwosmurder? HowdoyouinterpretOkonkwossuicide?Whydidhedoit?

Suggestedpassagesforclosereading:

Chapter23(192197)describesthefutileattemptoftheleadersofUmuofiatonegotiatewiththeDistrictCommissionerathisheadquarters,andthearrestofOkonkwoand5others.TheDistrictCommissionersays:Weshallnotdoyouanyharmifonlyyouagreetocooperatewithus.Wehavebroughtapeacefuladministrationtoyouandyourpeoplesothatyoumaybehappythendescribesthenewjusticewhichistobemetedoutundertheauthorityofhisgreatqueenthemostpowerfulrulerintheworld.Doaclosereadingofthispassage,consideringwhatassumptionstheDistrictCommissionerismaking,andhowthemenmighttakeoffenseathissuggestionthattheydonothavejusticeundertheirownauthority,etc.Pointoutlinesinthespeechthatseemcondescendingorinsultinganddiscuss.

Analyzetheclimacticpointofthenovel:Okonkwosmurderofthecourtmessenger(204205).ThelasttwoparagraphsofthischapterreflectOkonkwosthoughtsandactionsimmediateafterkillingtheman;interpretthoseparagraphs.

Readanddiscussthenovelsclosing,Chapter25(206209).AssignmentandProjectIdeas:

CreateatimelineofEuropeancontactwithAfrica.WheredoesThingsFallApartfallintothistimeline?

ThinkabouttheexpressionThesunneversetsontheBritishempire.WritealettertoQueenVictoriafromtheperspectiveofOkonkwo,tellingherhowyoufeelaboutherempire.OR:WritealettertoOkonkwofromQueenVictoriasperspective,tryingtopersuadehimoftheadvantagesofcolonialism.

DoacharacteranalysisoftheDistrictCommissioner.Whatdoeshesymbolizeinthenovel?


MakealistofallthethingstheDistrictCommissionerandOkonkwohaveincommon.Howdotheydiffer?

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Thefilm,Keita:HeritageofaGriot,alsoexplorestheimpactofcolonialismon traditioninAfrica.SetinGuinea,itlooksatFrenchcolonialeducationandgovernment intermsofitslastingimpactonmodernlife.LikeThingsFallApart,itisacontemporary filmthatissetinthepast,butalsoincludesamodernelementasweseethegriot, Djeliba,tellingthestoryoftheepicheroofancientMali,Sundiata,toMabo,ayoung schoolboy.Thiswouldbeagoodcompanionfilmforthisunit,andbroadenyour discussionoftheimpactofcolonialisminAfrica,aswellasallowyoutodiscussthe differencesbetweenBritishandFrenchcolonialpolicies,governance,etc.The94 minutefilm,whichissubtitled,canbeborrowedfromtheAfricanStudiesProgram. http://newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0050


Unit9:ThingsFallApartastragedy Subthemes: Conformityvs.individuality Traditionvs.Modernity Actionvs.Inaction

Theres no doubt that Things Fall Apart has a tragic ending: our brave protagonist is dead,humiliatedandultimatelyunsuccessful.Hiscommunityhas ignoredhiswarnings.Hisdeeds,whichhehopedwouldcauseactionandgenerate resistance,were futile.Hebecomesa joke: laughablefodderforaparagraphofmaterialintheDistrictCommissionersmemoir.However,therearemanywaysto interprethisdeathrangingfromthefatalistic(itsasymbolof impending lossofculturalandpoliticalautonomy)toliberating(itsasymboloftheundyingspiritofindependenceinherentintheIgboworldview).Inthisunit,youcantalkabouttheliteraryaspectsofthenovelthatmakeitatragedy,andwhatthetragicdeathofOkonkwomeanstotheotherthemesyouvecoveredinclass.DidOkonkwodie invain?Whatcanwe learn fromhisdeath?Whatdoeshisdeathsignify forthefutureofUmofia?Isitasymbol?Ofwhat?

Youmayfindithelpfultodiscussthistragedyintermsoftwoofthebasicsetsofconflictsthataredeveloped throughout the novel: conformity vs. individuality and tradition vs. modernity (orpreserving the status quo/going with the flow vs. change and transformation) and action vs.inaction.

Objective:Tolearnwhatconstitutesatragedy,anddeliberateonthemeaningoftheendofthenovel,andwhatOkonkwosdeathmeanstothelargerthemesandissues.PreparatoryReading:

TheTragicConflictintheNovelsofChinuaAchebebyAbiolaIrele(CriticalPerspectivesonChinuaAchebe,ed.C.L.InnesandB.Lindfors1978)

ChinuaAchebeandthePossibilityofModernTragedybyAlastairNiven(ChinuaAchebe:ACelebration,ed.PetersonandRutherford)


FeaturesofTragedy(online)

Lecturepoints: Definetragedy Discusstheliteraryindicatorsoftragedyinthenovel InitiateadiscussiononthemeaningofOkonkwosdeathandwhatitsymbolizes.

Allowthestudentsroomtodeveloptheirowninterpretationsofhisdeath:dotheyseeitaspositiveornegative?Why?

Sincethisislikelythefinalunitonthetext,youmightconsiderusingittoletthestudentsshowcasetheirclosereadingskillsbyaskingthemtodoaninclassproject



whichusestextualevidencetosupportaninterpretation.Lettheclassdecidetogetheronafocusquestion(WhatdoesOkonkwosdeathmean?Whydothingsfallapart?Who/whatistoblameforOkonkwosdeath?DoesOkonkwodieaherooravictim?Etc)andthengetintogroupstocreateapresentation,projectoressaythatanswersthequestion.


WhyisOkonkwosdeathtragic? Whatisthegeneralfeelingyougetattheendofthenovel?Havethingsfallen

completelyapart?IstherehopeforUmuofia?DoyoufeelsadorrelivedthatOkonkwohasdied?

Doyouthinkthisbookisapositiveornegativeassessmentofthecolonialencounter?Defendyouranswerwithquotesfromthetext.

WhydoesAchebelettheDistrictCommissionerhavethelastwordinhisnovel?Whatdoesthistellus?

ReflectonthenatureofOkonkwosdeathandtheironyofhisbeingburiedlikeadog.Whatdoyoumakeofthissadending?


CompareThingsFallAparttoothertragicstories(perhapsafilm).Prepareanoralpresentationtosummarizeyourcomparison.

WriteanessayinwhichyouexplainwhyOkonkwoisatragichero. DoyouthinkOkonkwodiesinvain?Whyorwhynot?Discussingroupsorasatake

homeessay.

Suggestionsforexpandingthisunit Thisunitcouldeasilybedevelopedbyspendingmoretimeonthesubthemesoutlined above,andaskingstudentstoworkeitherindividuallyoringroupstofindevidenceof, andanalyzehowtheyworkinthetext.

ThingsFallApartinWisconsinProjectIdeasfortheSpringStudentConference

OurGreat Texts series closeswith a Student Conference, to be held in Spring 2010 at theUniversityofWisconsinMadison, inwhichstudentspresentprojectswhichdemonstratetheirengagementwithandunderstandingofthetextbyproducingprojectsofeverysort.Productiveprojects combine imagination and intellect and aremultifaceted andmultilayers. They areseriousandacademicaswellascreativeand inventive,andshouldbeviewedasachancetodemonstratepublicallythefinalproductofallyourclassroomandindividualefforts.

Thegridbelowfeaturessomesuggestionstogetyouthinkingaboutpossibilitiesforthespringprojects,eitherwithagrouporindividually.Thesearejustideastogetyouthinkingyoumightconsidercombiningsuggestionsfromdifferentboxes,orcomeupwithanideaallyourown.

Whatever style of presentation you choose, your presentation should demonstrate criticalreflectionon,and interpretationof,ThingsFallApart.Youmightconsiderexploringa theme,image or character. Youmight think about the effect of some literary aspect of the novel.Whateveryouchoose,youshouldbeable toarticulate theconnectionbetweenyourprojectand thebook that ismeaningful toyou. Becreativewith thisprojectandexpressyourownuniquepointofview!

Art

PaintingSculptureDrawing

MixedMedia

MusicandDramaComposition

CDcompilationMusical/songperformance

MinioperaormusicalPlayorsketchperformance

Web

PodcastWebsiteBlog

Interactivemap(Flash)CreativeWritingPoetryCollection

TravelDiaryorReadingJournal

ChildrensBookGraphicnovel/comic

AcademicWriting

LiteraryAnalysisSpeech

CloseReadingEssay

PrintJournalismInterview

MagazinearticleNewspaperTravelguideYearbook

BroadcastJournalism

InvestigativeIntervieworprofile

Newsbroadcast

Movies,TV,Radio

TVtalkshowScenefromafilmRadioprogram

OtherDiasporaProject

IllustratedfamilytreePuzzleDiagram

ResearchProject


ProjectProposal

Allprojectsmustbeapprovedbyyourteacherbeforeyoubegin.

GroupMembers

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ProjectTitle

___________________________________________________________________________

Projectabstract(50100worddescriptionoftheproject)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whowilldowhat?Describetheroleeachgroupmemberwillplay.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Projecttimeline(whatwillhappenwhen).

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whatequipmentormaterialsdoyouneedtocompleteyourproject?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whatresourcesormaterialsareyouexpectingyourteachertohelpprovide?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whatequipmentwillyouneedtopresentyourprojectattheconference?Bespecific.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


ACHEBEONLINE:RecommendedWebResources,TeachingMaterialsandStudyGuidesOntheauthor: ChinuaAchebeSwissEducProfile

http://www.swisseduc.ch/english/readinglist/achebe_chinua/BiographicalinformationaswellaslinkstoarticlesaboutAchebeandhiswork,and

linkstosomegreatonlinevideoandaudiointerviewsandlecturesbyAchebe.ChinuaAchebeonPostcolonialWebhttp://www.postcolonialweb.org/achebe/achebeov.htmlChinuaAchebeProfilebyCoraAgatuccihttp://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/achebe.htmStanfordUniversitysAfricanWritersresourcepagehttp://wwwsul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/lit.htmlThissitehasseveralgoodlinkstoinfoandarticlesonAchebe,butscrolldownformore

generalresourcesonAfricanliteratureaswell.Agoodonestopshoppingsitefor Africanlit.

Onthetext: ThingsFallApartSwissEducTeachingResources http://www.swisseduc.ch/english/readinglist/achebe_chinua/things/index.html

TheThingsFallApartpagecontainslinkstosupplementarymaterials,includingseveral helpfulessaysonmajorthemesinthenovel.

TalkingAboutTribeAfricaActionhttp://www.africaaction.org/bp/ethall.htmEDSITEmentlessons.Inthetwolessonsbelow(eachdesignedtotakefourclassperiods),youll

finddetailedplansforteachingthebookfromeitheraliteraryorhistorical perspective,andyoucouldeasilydobothormix&matchifyouhaveenough time.Eachlessoncontainsguidingquestions,objectives,preparationguide, lessonactivitiesandsuggestionsforextendingtheunit.Alsoincludesmany usefullinkstobackgroundinfo,maps,andothermaterialtohelpteachand contextualizethenovel.

ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart:OralandLiteraryStrategieshttp://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=343


Excellent,detailedlessonplanbasedonanexaminationofthenovelintermsofits literarymeritsanduseoforality

ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart:TeachingThroughtheNovelhttp://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=382

Inwhat gonhistory?To

GuidingQuestions:HowdoesAchebeseetheroleofthewriter/storyteller?waysdoesheusefictionasameansofexpressingandcommentinwhatextentisThingsFallApartsuccessfulincommunicatinganalternativenarrative

tothedominantWesternhistoryofmissionariesinAfricaandothercolonized societies?

WebEnglishTeacher

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/achebe.html sources,linksandbackgroundinfo.Manyofthelinkstake

suggestionsfordiscussion

Excellentcompilationofre youtolessonplansandotherclassroomactivities. StudyGuidebyPaulBriens,WashingtonStateUniversity(1994/2005)

Thisexcellentstudyguideincludeschapterbychapter questions. http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/anglophone/achebe.html

StudyGuidewithReadingQuestions,byCoraAgat http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/achebtfa.htm

ucci

ingProject Study/DiscussionQuestionfromthe2005CornellRead http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_05/study.html

1.

ectwof

Traditionalsocietiesareoftenthoughttobegenerallyfreeofinternalconflictsaboutvalues,andtobefixedandessentiallyunchangingovertime.WhataspectsofthesocietydepictedinThingsFallApartmightresistthoseassumptions?

2. WhenEuropeansarriveinOkonkwosvillage,oneresultisanewkindofgovernmentandanewkindoflaw.Howdothenewlegalandgovernmentalpracticesandinstitutionsdifferfromthosethatprecededthem?Arethechangesgood,bad,orsomethingmorecomplicated,andwhy?

3. Okonkwosselfunderstandingisdeeplyboundupwithhisneedtoaffirmandprotwhathethinksofashismanliness.WhatarethemainfeaturesofOkonkwosviemasculinity,andhowdoeshisviewrelatetothatofotherimportantcharactersinthenovel?

4. Whatshouldwemakeoftheroleofwomeninthenovel?Arethefemalecharactersjustdispensableappendagesofthemalecharactersinthestory?Storiesand5. storytellingplayacentralroleinthenovel.Whataresomeofthemostimportantaspectsofthatrole,forinstance,inthepreservationofsocialcustoms,andtheshapingofindividualidentities?

6. OkonkwosfriendObierikaisdescribedasamanwhothoughtaboutthings(p.125).WhatdoesObierikathinkabout,andhowdoesthatreflectionultimatelyputhimatoddswithOkonkwo?


7. Anepichero,likeOdysseus,istypicallysetapartfromothercharactersbyhiscapacitytoenduremanytrialsandtests.Atragichero,likeHamletorOedipus,istypicallyamanconsequencebroughtdo

of

wnbyaninsuperableconflict,orthroughhisownweakness.Is

rewasamanwhosechi

sambition?DotheyhelporhinderAchebesattempt

,lainwhy,

Okonkwoanepichero,atragichero,orisheaheroatall?8. ItissaidofOkonkwoatonepointthatClearlyhispersonalgodorchiwasnotmadefor

greatthings.Amancouldnotrisebeyondthedestinyofhischi.Thesayingoftheelderswasnottruethatifamansaidyeahischialsoaffirmed.Hesaidnaydespitehisownaffirmation.(p.131).HowshouldweunderstandtherolesoffateandindividualresponsibilityinthenovelinlightoftherolethattheIbonotionofchiplaysthroughoutthestory?

9. InEnglishandtheAfricanWriter,AchebewritesthathisworkrepresentsanewvoicecomingoutofAfrica,speakingofAfricanexperienceinaworldwidelanguage.Whatfeaturesofthenovelembodythitomaketheworlddepictedinthenovelaccessibletoabroadaudience?

10. Animportantassumptioninthenovelisthecloseconnectionbetweenanindividualsactionandthecommunalfateofall.OkonkwoistoldbythepriestoftheearthgoddessAni,Theevilyouhavedonecanruinthewholeclan.(p.30)Doesthisexpstrongwilledasheis,Okonkwoacceptswithoutquestionthecommunalsanctionsprescribedforhismisdeeds?

PagenumberscitedherearefromtheCornellUniversityEditionofThingsFallApart. VillageofUmuofiaInteractiveLearningProject http://www.literaryworlds.wmich.edu/umuofia/ TheVillageofUmuofiaisavirtualrealityspaceenhancingthestudyofChinuaAchebe's

tishcolonialdominationofvarietyofways,includingasan

http://www.dccc.edu/library/thingsfallapart.html

novelThingsFallApartandtheIgbopeopleattimeofBri Nigeria.Participantsmayusethisenvironmentina immersivemuseumofimagesofIgbovillagelifeandtraditionalWestAfricanmusic,as wellasaninteractivespaceforliveactionroleplayactivitiesbasedonthenovel. DelawareCommunityCollege20062007OneBookOneCollege FeaturedBookpage

ThingsFallApart

SparkNotesguideto http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/ Adecent,ifoversimplifiedguidetothebook,withdiscussionquestionsandaquizthat

g.Youmightwanttobefamiliarwitheessays;itsfullofplagiarizablematerial.

http://www.teachit.co.uk/index.asp?CurrMenu=searchresults&tag=226

couldbeusedtomakesurestudentsarereadin thissiteifyouplanonassigningtakehom TeachItUK


Studyguides,handouts,lessonplans,acharactertreeandothermaterials.Mustcreate

hersGuide:http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/things/thingstg.html

a(free)accounttoaccessmaterials. CaliforniasSCOREprojectTeac

dassignments.

http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385474542&view=tg

Averydetailedguidewithmanyprojects,lessonsan RandomHouseTeachersGuide

fAfricanAuthenticity,byLorenaAmos,WestinghouseHighSchool.

lorstudents,

LanguageIsPower:HowLanguageIsUsedtoTransmittheValueso Languagebasedthematicapproachwhichcouldbeusefulwhenteachingthenove alargerunitonlanguageissues.DesignedspecificallyforAfricanAmerican butcouldbetailoredtosuitanyclassroom. http://www.chatham.edu/PTI/Diversity_Resistance/Amos_01.htm ThingsFallApartVocabularyList IncludesquizandlistofwordsinthenovelcommonlyappearingonSATexams.

lish/vocab/novels/Things%20Fall%20Apart.pdf https://secure.layingthefoundation.org/eng


GeneralOnlineResourcesforAfricanLiterature AfricanWriters:VoicesofChange http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/africana/writers.htm LinkstomanywebsitesaboutAfricanliteratureandspecificwriters AfricanWriter.com http://www.africanwriter.com/ Storiesby,andarticlesabout,contemporaryAfricanwriters AfricanWritingOnline http://www.africanwriting.com/seven/ AfricanLiteratureAssociation http://www.africanlit.org/ PremiereprofessionalorganizationinAfricanLiterature,andpublishersof ResearchinAfricanLiterature HNetAfricasLiteratureandCinemaforum http://www.hnet.org/~aflitweb/ Callaloo http://callaloo.tamu.edu/ LeadingacademicjournalofAfricanDiasporaartsandletters ColumbiaUniversityscompilationofAfricanliteratureontheweblinks http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/africa/cuvl/aflit.html

AfricanHistoryresourcesonline StanfordUniversity: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/history.html

IssuesinAfricanHistorybyJamesGiblin http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/history/giblinhistory.html


Films,VideosandInterviewsGeneralResources: TheUWMadisonsAfricanStudiesProgramhasfilms,booksandartifacts availableforloan,andcanevenhelparrangeforaguestspeakerorstorytelleron anyvarietyofAfricarelatedtopicsforfree!Seethefilmcatalogueat http://africa.wisc.edu/outreach/catalogue.pdf,orcontacttheOutreachCoordinatorat [email protected]. Outreachhomepage:http://africa.wisc.edu/outreach/index.htm ThingsFallApart1987NigerianBroadcastingCorporationminiseries.Various episodesareavailableonVHSfromselectedlibraries(includingtheUWsystem), oryoucouldscreenclipsfromYouTube,whichhasabout60installmentsofthe 13episodes.MEDIAFRICProduction.Findscene1at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7FS95IcRNUVideosavailablethroughtheUWSysteminclude:

ChinuaAchebewithNuruddinFarah[videorecording]/presentedbyICAVideoinconjunctionwithTrilion(1984).WritersinConversationseries.

Thingsfallapart.Episode8,Reliefvideorecording/[presentedby]NigerianTelevisionAuthority;adaptedandscriptedforTVbyAdielaOnyedibia.VHS

ChinuaAchebe(lecturevideo).Distinguishedlectureseries(UniversityofWisconsinMadison.WisconsinUnion).VHS.Lecture;presentedattheMemorialUnion,UniversityofWisconsinMadison,November12,1992.

ChinuaAchebe:Africanliteratureascelebration/RMAssociates;editedandpresentedbyMelvynBragg.Publisher:Princeton,N.J.:FilmsfortheHumanities&Sciences,c2000.

ChinuaAchebe:Africasvoice/adirectedbyDavidAkinde.Publisher:Princeton,N.J.:FilmsfortheHumanities&Sciences,[2002/2004].AnalyzestheimpactAchebeandhiswritingshavehadonworldliterature,aswellashisinfluenceasaneditorandaspokesmanforagenerationofAfricanwriters.Achebe,AbiolaIrele,GeraldGraff,andCharlesLarsondiscussthecharacterization,socialimplications,andlevelsofinterpretationofThingsFallApart.VitalconceptsindigenoustotheIbosofsoutheasternNigeriaarealsopresented.


ChinuaAchebe:Interviews,LecturesandTalks Thereareloadsofinterviews,lecturesandtalkswithAchebeandaboutThingsFall Apartreadilyavailableonline,onYouTubeandelsewhere.Acoupleofnote:

AnEveningwithChinuaAchebeLibraryofCongress,May11,2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5OAjnG6rKo&feature=player_embeddedNote:Achebehimselfbeginsspeakingat15:45andreallystartshistalkaround20:50.Youmaywanttoskipthelengthyintroductionsandpreliminaryremarks.

Sept.15,2005talkatCornellUniversity.RealPlayervideoavailableat:http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_05/achebe_visit.htm

BBC:AHeroReturns2009(twoparts;featuresAchebescelebratedreturntoNigeriaonthe50thanniversaryofThingsFallApart)Part1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjtXPw7c5Jc&feature=PlayList&p=9DA93F29D4D9508C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7Part2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON7G0XqJrc&feature=related


BooksandArticles:Abriefreview

RecommendedOverviewsandTeachingGuides:

ApproachestoTeachingThingsFallApart.Ed.BernthLindfors(NewYork:MLA,1991).Awidelyusedteachersguidethatcontainsawealthofbackgroundinformation,andexcellentscholarlyassessmentsofteachingtheauthor,contextandapproachestothetext.Manyoftheessaysareaimedatteachingthenovelatthecollegelevel,butareappropriateforhighschoolaswell.PART1:MATERIALS,BernthLindfors

EditionsReferenceWorksBibliographiesBiographicalSourcesandInterviewsIgboStudiesReadingsforStudentsandTeachers

BackgroundStudies:Anthropology,History,Politics,ReligionCriticalCommentary

AudiovisualAidsTheStoryTheAuthor

PART2:APPROACHESIntroductionTheAuthorasTeacher

TeachingThingsFallApart,ChinuaAchebeTeachingtheAuthor

ChinuaAchebeandtheSignsoftheTimes,SimonGikandiFollowingtheAuthorinThingsFallApart,EmmanuelObiechina

TeachingContextThingsFallApartinItsTimeandPlace,RobertM.WrenTheIgboasExceptionalColonialSubjects:Fictionalizingan

AbnormalHistoricalSituation,DanIzevbayeTeachingTexture

ThePoliticsofPointofView:TeachingThingsFallApart,AshtonNichols

TheParadoxicalCharacterizationofOkonkwo,ArleneA.ElderTraditionalParadigmsandModernIntertextuality

MatricalApproachtoThingsFallApart:APoeticsofEpicandMythicParadigms,OusseynouB.Traor

"TheTortoiseandtheBirds":StrategiesofResistanceinThingsFallApart,BarbaraHarlow

ThingsFallApartandtheLiteratureofEmpire,HuntHawkinsTheThirdWorldNovelasCounterhistory:ThingsFallApartand


Asturias'sMenofMaize,EdnaAizenbergChallengingApproaches

MakingMenandHistory:AchebeandthePoliticsofRevisionismRhondaCobham

ThePostcolonialAfricanNovelandtheDialogicImagination,ZohrehT.Sullivan

Narrative,Metacommentary,andPoliticsina"Simple"Story,WahneemaLubiano

TheProblemofRealisminThingsFallApart:AMarxistExegesis,BiodunJeyifo

SpecificCoursesTeachingThingsFallApartintheHumanitiesCoreCourse,Eric

SellinTeachingThingsFallApartinaCriticismCourse,RichardK.Priebe

ChinuaAchebe:TheManandHisWorks.RoseUreMezu (London:Adonis&Abbey,

2006).ThisstudyofAchebeandhismajorworksincludeschaptersonindividual novels,personal interviewswith the author, andMezusown importantessay Women in Achebes World: A Womanist Critique. Mezus assertion is that womenhave littlevoice inAchebeswork,eventhoughtheydoattimestake powerful action or demonstrate autonomy, particularly in Things Fall Apart, whichhasbeencriticizedforitscharacterizationofwomen.

ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart.Ed.HaroldBloom.ModernCriticalInterpretations

series.(ChelseaHouse:2002).AnanthologyofcontemporaryessaysonThings FallApart.

ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart.MartinA.Klein(inAfricanNovelsinthe Classroom.Ed.MargaretJeanHay.BoulderandLondon:LynneReiner,200025 35).

ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart.DavidWhittakerandMpaliveHangsonMsiska. (London:Routledge,2007)

Averyusefulhandbookforeducatorswhowanttolearnmoreabouttheculturalcontextandcriticalimpactofthenovel,withanexcellentCriticalHistorysectionandextractsfromfivewidelycitedcriticalreadingsofthetextsbymajorscholars.BeginswithaTextsandContextschapterthatcoversboththeliteraryandculturalcontextsofthenovelmuchmorethoroughlythanmanyoftheotherguides.

ChinuaAchebesThingsFallApart:ACasebook,Ed.IsidoreOkpewho.(OxfordUP: 2003).

A collectionofessaysby scholars and anessayby and interviewwithAchebehimself, coveringmajor themesof thenovel, including: language, culture, the


roleofthechi,gender,history,andaparticularlyusefulessaybyAtoQuayson:Realism, Criticism, and the Disguises of Both: A Reading of Chinua AchebesThingsFallApartwithanEvaluationoftheCriticismRelatingtoIt.Inthisessay,Quaysonhighlightsthecriticaltendencytotakeforgrantedthenovelsabilitytostandasrealismandhowthisleadstooversimplifiedanalysisofthenovelanditscomplexities,particularlyintermsofthewayAchebecritiquesandcommentsontheculturerepresentedinthenovel.

ChinuaAchebeandThingsFallApart.SaraTalisOBrien.Chapter1ofATeachersGuidetoAfricanNarratives(Heinemann:1998.720).

Includesbriefdiscussionsoftheplot,literarytechniqueandpointstoponder,whichaddressspecificthemesandissuesinthebook(largelyanthropologically)andconcludeswithasynopsisofAchebeslifeandwork.Ausefulsurveythatcouldbeusedasassignedreadingforjuniorsandseniors.

CriticalPerspectivesonChinuaAchebe.Ed.C.L.InnesandBernthLindfors (Washington,D.C.:ThreeContinents,1978).Anearlycriticalanthologybymajor scholarsinAfricanliterature,thisvolumehasseveralstillrelevantessayson Achebeswork,mostnotably,TheTragicConflictintheNovelsofChinua AchebebyAbiolaIreleandThePalmoilwithWhichAchebesWordsare EatenbyBernthLindfors,whichdiscussesthecentralityofIboproverbsto Achebesnarratives.ThesectiononThingsFallApartincludeschaptersonYeats andAchebe,narrativetechnique,languageandsymbolisminthenovel.

InterventionsInternationalJournalofPostcolonialStudies,Volume11Issue22009.

SpecialissueonThingsFallAparteditedbyLahoucineOuzganeandOnookome Okome Contents:http://tinyurl.com/njvuzg

INTRODUCTION ENCOUNTERSANDENGAGEMENTSWITHTHINGSFALLAPART Authors:LahoucineOuzgane;OnookomeOkomeARTICLES ACHEBEANDHISINFLUENCEINSOMECONTEMPORARYAFRICAN WRITING Author:EllekeBoehmer INTRIBUTETOTHINGSFALLAPART Author:KennethW.Harrow LITERACIESOFVIOLENCEAFTERTHINGSFALLAPART Author:TaiwoAdetunjiOsinubi THESIGNIFICANCEOFTHINGSFALLAPARTTOAFRICAN HISTORIOGRAPHY Author:HarryNiiKoneyOdamtten THINGSFALLAPARTINHISTORY Author:NeiltenKortenaar THINGSFALLAPART


Author:MpaliveHangsonMsiska THEMANYVOICESOFTHINGSFALLAPART Author:HilaryDannenberg READING,TASTEANDPOSTCOLONIALSTUDIES Author:JamesProcter THINGSFALLAPARTANDACHEBE'SSEARCHFORMANHOOD Author:RoselyneM.Jua CONJUNCTURE,HYPERMASCULINITYANDDISAVOWALINTHINGSF

things fall apart teachers guide print version

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