Things Fall Apart PREMISES Customs and traditions are undone, partly b/c of the Ibo’s cavalier attitude about the white Christians and also due to the limited views of the whites. Choices, both direct and indirect play a significant role for Okonkwo as well as the tribe. Alienation—How does this evergreen fit in?

Things Fall Apart Okonkwo feels betrayed by his clan that he views as weak and “womanly.” His son, Nwoye, also betrays him by being weak and converting to European Christianity. Umoufia undergoes a transformation during Okonkwo’s exile from war-like to “woman-like” The African and European cultures clash With the arrival of the whites comes evil

Chapter 1 How is Okonkwo characterized and what does this suggest at this point in the novel? What does the contrast b/w Okonkwo and his father suggest? P7—Keep an eye on proverbs and draw conclusions about what they mean and the role they play in the MOPAW

Chapter 2 How is Okonkwo depicted within the dynamic of his family? What is his primary motivation for working as hard as he does? (Fear of becoming the failure his father was)

Chapter 2 9—Culturally superstitious Simple or sophisticated? 12—Umuofia is feared and powerful w/in its regional culture 13—The private okonkwo and the roots of his behavior 14-15—Women and kids as property suggests the simplistic nature of dominationprimitive

PROVERBS 1. A short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; adage; saw. 2. A wise saying or precept; a didactic sentence. 3. A person or thing that is commonly regarded as an embodiment or representation of some quality; byword.

Example and further explanation: A proverb is such a saying popularly known and repeated, usually expressing simply and concretely, though often metaphorically, a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humankind: “A stitch in time saves nine.” “It is wise to risk no more than one can afford to lose.”

Chapter 3 Oknokwo meets with Nwakibe and some other men. Several spoken lines are proverbs Identify a few of these proverbs and draw conclusions about what they suggest

Chapter 3 Religious faith is very elaborate in Ibo life. Is it treated as superstition or is it treated like a profound foundation? How ought we view it: As primitive nonsense or a sophisticated definition of the world beyond the superficial?

Chapter 4 Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace Does this suggest that he disregards tradition, that he is violent and impulsive, or that he is self-absorbed? Please defend a response

Chapter 4 31—Okonkwo’s pride undermines him in Umuofia How so? 32-33—Scolds the boys—this is an outward show of male domination This obscures his real thoughts

Chapter 5+6 The New Yam Fest This appears to subvert attention from focus on Okonkwo’s story. What role does this fest play in the MOPAW What is a story within a story, a play within a play, a tale within a tale?

Chapter 7 Ikemefuna settles in with Okonkwo P53-54—How is Nwoye different from Okonkwo? P57—Ikemefuna must be killed P61—Okonkwo fears appearing weak

Chapter 8 P63—How is Okonkwo affected internally? P65—How is Okonkwo being transformed? Does he understand that he is undergoing a transformation? P69-74—Obierika arranges son’s marriage

Chapter 9 Ekwefi’s dead spawn P77—Again we see some sophisticated religious beliefs How might we view these beliefs—as superstitions, as sophisticated beliefs, or primitive fantasies created by an unrefined culture?

Chapter 10 This chapter introduces the egwugwu These are tribal elders who wear masks and dress like dead ancestors They function as a judicial system What are they judging and what does this suggest about the MOPAW?

Chapter 11 95-100—Ekwefi’s story of the Tortoise This is a tale within a tale This is a folktale or a fable—a story that suggests a lesson or a subject beyond its surface meaning—like an allegory. What lesson does this tale that appears independent of the novel suggest and how might it tie in with the novel’s themes???

Chapter 12 110—Obierika’ daughter’s betrothal ceremony 113—Obierika prepares for the feast

Chapter 13 121—Ezeudu is dead—Funeral 124—Okonkwo accidentally shoots a boy Tradition dictates that he must go into exile for 7 years This is an action w/o malice that occurs as a matter of course

Chapter 13 Ceremonies in literature are usually incidental scenes and they can represent broader themes of the work beyond what occurs in that scene As a result of the shooting, Okonkwo must go away During his exile, missionaries arrive and essentially facilitate destruction of his culture

Chapter 13 When Okonkwo returns and finds Umuofia transformed into a “woman-like” culture he says that would never have happened if he had been there. Can we view the random shooting as a pivotal event that set the stage for the destruction of his tribe, or not? Define positions for both perspectives

Chapter 14 This chapter begins Part II Okonkwo’s Exile with his maternal kinsmen 133-35—What does Uchendu’s lesson suggest or teach?? Does Okonkwo internalize this lesson?

Chapter 15 Obierika comes to visit Okonkwo in Mbanta He tells of white encroachment and the murder of a white colonialist

Chapter 16 Two years have passed and Obierika visits again He reveals that missionaries have set up churches, conversion, etc. 143—the nature and extent of conversion 145—How do the Igbo treat the converts and the missionaries?? Is it a mistake for them to approach this new element with jest??

Chapter 16 147—The Igbo interpret the outsiders as though they are mad Europeans think the natives are lost Igbo are overtaken not b/c of error or weakness

Chapter 16 They are overtaken b/c imperious self-perception of Europeans who think they are right b/c they don’t understand they are imperious, thus they don’t see the absurdity of their behavior. How is their behavior absurd???

Chapter 17 149—Gift of the Evil Forest for the missionaries Clueless on both sides 152—Okonkwo beats Nwoye’s ass He leaves to join the Christians

Chapter 17 152—Okonkwo doesn’t understand what has happened b/c of cultural and situational myopia What does that mean??? 153—Tragedy of cultural annihilation

Chapter 18 155—tradition of ostracization perhaps no longer a deterrent 157—Kiaga raises doubt about Igbo ideas 158-159—How does Okonkwo continue to see things?? 161—faith in their own traditions causes the Igbo to respond how??

Chapter 18 161—How does their faith in their own traditions cause the Igbo to respond?? What effect does this have?? What does it prevent??

Chapter 19 162—What continues to frustrate Okonkwo? What do you think Achebe is suggesting with the dichotomy of the feminine motherland and Okonkwo’s idea of the manly Umuofia??? 167—fragmentation and devolvment

Chapter 20 Part III deals with Okonkwo’s return to his fatherland that has in his view become weak 174—The influence of the colonialists What is the nature of the District Commissioner??? 176—Black denizes of Umuofia are helping to overturn their own traditions

Chapter 20 What allowed the colonialists to convert the natives and destroy the cohesion of the clan???

Chapter 21 178—What other than religion did the colonialists bring to Umuofia??? What impact did this have on the natives?? 181—Mr. Brown Strategizes What does he resolve to do?? 182—How has Umuofia transformed itself during Okonkwo’s absence??

Chapter 22 184—Rev. Smith is Mr. B+W 188-91—The revolt against the colonialists 191, second to last para—What wisdom does this suggest???

Chapter 23 6 Umuofia men go to the Commission 194—How is the Commission’s view limited?? 197—What does the treatment of the 6 men suggest about the intentions of the colonialists???

Chapter 24 198—How are the 6 men treated upon the payment of their fine??? 200—Full nature of change Viewed simplistically through masculinity 203—What is the nature of the cultural tragedy?? 204-05—Why don’t the Umuofians kill all the messengers as they would have done in the past??

Chapter 25 207—Okonkwo is found dead. 208—Why did Okonkwo do what he did?? “The Commissioner went away…” Brutal Irony

“If you didn’t have those ideas then we would not have these problems A line paraphrased from the German film The Tunnel A line spoken by a Stasi agent to a man leading an escape from East Germany

What does the agent not understand? What is the inherent problem with the agent’s thought? How does this apply to Things Fall Apart?