THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart (TFA) Fun Facts About TFA It’s only 209 pages long  Fun Facts About TFA Written by Chinua Achebe (pron. CHIN-wah AH-chay-BAY) Published in 1959 in response to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Heart of darkness by joseph conrad Heart of Darkness follows one man’s nightmarish journey into the interior of Africa. Aboard a British ship called the Nellie, three men listen to a man named Marlow recount his journey into Africa as an agent for the Company, an ivory trading firm. Along the way, he witnesses brutality and hate between colonizers and the native African people, becomes entangled in a power struggle within the Company, and finally learns the truth about the mysterious Kurtz, a mad agent who has become both a god and a prisoner of the "native Africans." After "rescuing" Kurtz from the native African people, Marlow watches in horror as Kurtz succumbs to madness, disease, and finally death. Marlow’s decision to support Kurtz over his company leaves readers wondering about his moral integrity, and possibly asking the question: "He did WHAT?!" The novel closes with Marlow’s guilt-ridden visit to Kurtz’s fiancée to return the man’s personal letters.

Author Biography Chinua Achebe (born 16 November 1930) is a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic. He is best known for his first novel Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

Author Biography Raised by Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. He became fascinated with world religions and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service and soon moved to the city of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention for Things Fall Apart in the late 1950s.

Author biography When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe became a devoted supporter of Biafran independence and served as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved himself in political parties but soon resigned due to frustration over the corruption and elitism he witnessed. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and returned to the U.S. in 1990 after a car accident left him partially disabled.

Author biography Achebe's novels focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of values during and after the colonial era. His style relies heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He has also published a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections. He is currently the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

THINGS FALL APART Story set in 1890 in Nigeria

THINGS FALL APART Location for story is the Nigerian coast near Port Harcourt Land of the Igbo tribe Action takes place in villages of Umuofia and Mbanta

PLOT LINE Deals with a Nigerian tribe (Igbo) that is colonized by British missionaries As a result, the Igbo’s way of life begins to “fall apart” Story examines one person’s life – Okonkwo’s – and his adjustment (or lack thereof) to the colonization efforts by the white Christians

POINT OF VIEW Story is seen through the eyes of the Igbos This was a big deal because usually only heard about colonization from British writers (i.e Conrad) Achebe does not use stereotypes to portray Africans nor white Europeans

MAIN CHARACTERS Okonkwo – Protagonist. Clan leader of Umuofia. Despises father, thinks he’s lazy. Tragic flaw: he’s afraid to look weak like his father. As a result, he brings trouble & sorrow to him & his family Nwoye – Okonkwo’s oldest son. Okonkwo thinks Nwoye is lazy like his Okonkwo’s father (Nwoye’s granddad). Nwoye converts to Christianity.

MAIN CHARACTERS Ikemefuna – a boy given to Okonkwo by neighboring village. Becomes the son Okonkwo wishes he had. Okonkwo won’t show affection to Ikemefuna for fear of looking weak. Ezinma – Okonkwo’s daughter by his 2nd wife. She is Okonkwo’s favorite child. She’s sickly. Okonkwo wishes Ezinma was a boy.

OKONKWO’S FAMILY TREE Okonkwo’s THREE wives: First wife – nameless. Mother of Nwoye & Obiageli Ekewfi – 2nd wife. Village beauty. Ezinma’s mother Ojiugo – 3rd & youngest wife. Mother of Nkechi. Okonkwo’s Children: Nwoye – son Obiageli – daughter Ezinma – daughter Nkechi – daughter Ikemefuna – “adopted” son

OTHER CHARACTERS Unoka – Okonkwo’s father. Lazy, coward, spendthrift. Always in debt. Good musician, however. Obierika – Okonkwo’s best friend. Uchendu – Okonkwo’s uncle. Mr. Brown – First white missionary. Respectful of tribe’s value system. Rev. James Smith – Replaces Mr. Brown. Strict. Shows no respect for tribe’s way of life. District Commissioner – Racist. In charge of white colonists in Nigeria. Mr. Kiaga – Native who became Christian. Recruits Nwoye & others to Christianity.

LITERARY DEVICES Themes Symbols Tradition vs. change Definitions of masculinity Language as sign of cultural differences Symbols Locusts Fire Drums

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN READING Let go & enjoy the story Don’t sweat what you don’t understand Keep reading, trust that it will make sense by the end Don’t worry about pronouncing the names correctly Relate the story to today – What other cultures seem strange to us? What other cultures are we trying to change to be more “American”? How are we like the colonists?

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN READING Think about their ceremonies and figure out what similar ceremonies we have today Psst…there’s a glossary in the back of the book It explains the Igbo words Use it! It will help your comprehension Trust me on this one…