1. By: Zoe G, Eden R, Adit K, and Joey R
Things Fall Apart
Questions 21-24
By: Zoe G, Eden R, Adit K, and Joey R

2. #21
Question: How are white men first introduced into the story? Why might Africans suppose that they have no toes? What sorts of attitudes do the Africans express about the white men?

3. Answer to 21
The white men are first introduced into the story through a casual conversation between Okonkwo and Obierika when speaking about the differences of other cultures around Umuofia and the bizarreness of them. The reason why the Africans suppose that the white men do not have toes is due to the fast spread of rumour and gullibility to believe that because they wear shoes, they are therefore toeless. As seen in the conversation between Okonkwo and Obierika, they both share common thinking in regards to other villages having/celebrating different traditions than they do. They look down upon other cultures believing that theirs is the more “superior” or “correct”.

4. #22
Question: The egwugwu ceremony of the Igbo is dramatized in Ch.10. Paul Brains believes that “the women clearly know on some level that these mysterious beings are their men folk in disguise, yet they are terrified of them when the become egwugwu”: why? Review “Social and Political Structures.” pp.xxii xxii-xxx, including “The acquisition of Titles and the council of chiefs” and “Secret Societies.” Who are the egwugwu and what are the functions of the ceremony? Compare the Igbo system of judgement in domestic affairs with that of the U.S.

5. Answer to 22
Similar to how audiences react when at a play or movie: suspending their belief as to what they are seeing. The audience does know that it is all an act but they view this ceremony as a form of entertainment and they get caught up in watching and therefore can’t help but react to the outbursts. In wise of the ceremonies relation to how domestic affairs are dealt with in the U.S. (or Canada); in the U.S. politicians may have an influence over the law but they aren't exactly over the law. Whereas in the Igbo culture the clan's leaders (politicians) are also the ones who run the court, meaning that they are above the law.

6. #23
Notice that the song sung at the end of chapter 12 is a new one: “the latest song in the village.” As Paul Brians points out, achebe may be reminding us that even “traditional” Igbo culture is not frozen or timeless, but dynamic and constantly changing.

7. Answer to #23
Through the new traditional song that is sung, Achebe is expressing that even though their traditions may seem strict and very old, just like other modern cultures they are constantly changing.
Although major cultural aspects remain the same, smaller things within the culture can change to adapt to newer generations and newer customs.

8. Answer to #23
For example, the week of peace was still a highly regarded holiday where no one was allowed to do any harm to any of their neighbours, but the punishment for breaking the peace had decreased greatly.
Before, if the peace was broken, the person who had broken it would be dragged across the village until he died, but when Okonkwo broke the peace and all he had to do was bring one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and 100 cowries.
This shows that the Igbo culture is constantly changing smaller aspects of it’s culture to meet the times.

9. #24
Having shown us an engagement ceremony in chapter 12, Achebe depicts a funeral in chapter 13. Paul Brians notes that we seem to be “systematically introduced to the major rituals of Igbo life. How does the one-handed egwugwu praise the dead man?”
The one-handed egwugwu praises the dead man by comparing all the great traits and characteristics that he was to the lesser and lower quality things that he wasn’t. For example he had said “If you had been coward, I would have asked you to bring to bring courage. But you were a fearless warrior.”

10. #24 (continued)
What do we learn from the depiction of the funeral ceremony?
We learn that in Umuofia, instead of mourning over a life and dwelling in sadness they celebrate the life that was once lived and they look at all the positive from it.
What tragic incident forces Okonkwo into exile?
Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of the iron had bored right into the dead man’s son’s heart. And since it was against their law and earth goddess to kill a clansman, his punishment was to flee the land and return after 7 years.