Things Fall Apart
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- For the 1999 hip hop album by The Roots, see Things Fall Apart (album). For information about the West Wing episode, see "Things Fall Apart."
Plot summary
PART 1The novel begins introducing the reader to Okonkwo, the main character of the piece. His physical description is intimidating as one learns Okonkwo is a great wrestler and highly respected among his clan. “Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things…he was already one of the greatest men of his time” (pg.3). The reader then learns about Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, who is described as being “lazy and improvident” dying heavily in debt, having taken no titles of his land. These titles were recognition of a man's success in life. Most men took at least one, but Unoka was never given any. In Okonkwo's eyes his father was thus a failure and he refuses to become anything like him. Okonkwo works hard to attain wealth and respect in his village proving he is a better man than his father was. “Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (pg.10). Scared of being seen as weak, like Unoka was, Okonkwo refuses to show emotion or compassion to anybody.
Ikemefuna, a boy whose father killed a woman, is sent to Umuofia as a sacrifice to compensate the life lost. He ends up living in Okonkwo's household for three years until one day the priestess of Ani, the Earth Goddess, decides it is time for Ikemefuna to be sacrificed. Ikemefuna’s death is a point in the book that shows just how much Okonkwo wished to distance himself from the legacy of his father. Although he has no requirement to play a part in the sacrifice of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo, afraid of being seen as weak, delivers the final blow to the boy who was near to being his adopted son. “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (pg.53).
Ekwefi and Okonkwo’s only daughter, Ezinma, is their pride and joy. After repeated miscarriages, Ekwefi finally has Ezinma however the young girl experiences numerous near fatalities growing up. Okonkwo feels an unusual closeness to her and expresses he wished she had been a boy because she has the right spirit. One night Chielo, a woman consumed by the Goddess Agbala, comes to Okonkwo’s compound screaming that Ezinma was to be sacrificed and she must take her. Without question Ezinma is given to Chielo but both Okonkwo and Ekwefi follow the woman through the woods. This if the first time Okonkwo shows some affection towards his family and disrespects his village by following a prophet. In the morning, Ezinma crawls from a cave perfectly fine but the actions of her mother and father are important to the novel.
After Ezinma’s return home, death drums are heard. Ezeudu, the oldest man in Umuofia, is dead so a ceremony is held in his honor. Unfortunately at the funeral, Okonkwo accidentally shoots and kills Ezeudu's son and thus he is exiled to his mother's homeland for seven years.
Many tribal traditions and complexities of tribal political structure are explained during the first portion of the novel.
- The “Feast of the New Yam” explains how all leftovers of old yams, which is the most crucial crop of the Umuofia tribe, must be burned to represent a cleansing and new beginning each year. In the tribe, wealth and status is decided by yams not money.
- The tribe believes in multiple Gods that signify different spirits in nature. Numerous times throughout the piece a tribe member’s body will be taken over by a God or Goddess to deliver a message or request. An example of this is Chielo, a woman of the tribe, comes to Ekwefi demanding, as the spirit Agbala, that she must take Ezinma as a sacrifice. Without question Ezinma in turned over to the Goddess and taken to the caves for judgement.
- Umuofia court system consists of nine “egwugwus” who are spirits that cast judgement on problems brought before them. In all actuality the “egwugwus” are nine men from the tribe, Okonkwo being one of them, however the tribe believe that spirits have taken over their bodies temporarily and making judgement decisions. The judicial system is very modern and complex for the setting.
PART 2
Uchendu, Okonkwo’s mother’s brother welcomes Okonkwo and his family to his mother’s homeland of Mbaino. Okonkwo is given land and seeds to begin a farm however he knows that Mbaino is not his home and can not wait to return home.
Obierika, Okonkwo’s friend from Umuofia visits him several times of over the seven year period explaining how white men have entered the country and are changing the mentality of the surrounding tribes, spreading Christianity. Okonkwo’s own son, Nwoye, begins to believe that one God makes more sense than multiple and ends up converting. He mentions that the death of Ikemefuma seemed cruel and unjust making him skeptical of polytheism. Okonkwo disowns his son because of his betrayal.
When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia seven years later, he finds that his clan has completely changed with the coming of colonialism. Missionaries have built a church on the outskirts of the village as they begin to gain more and more strength and support. Mr. Brown, the first missionary to arrive at Umuofia, disagrees with the tribe’s religion yet is respectful of the differences. He preaches about Christianity while learning about the tribes’ culture. This approach pleases the tribe and gains followers however poor health forces Mr. Brown to be replaced by James Smith who forcefully begins to take control over Umuofia.
Enoch, a member of the tribe who has recently converted to Christianity, pulls the mask of a “egwugwu” killing an ancestral spirit in hopes of starting a holy war. The tribe seeks payback by burning down Enoch’s home and the church. Commissioner Smith asked to speak to the six leaders of the tribe, one being Okonkwo, but as soon as the men sit down they are arrested for vandalism and ordered to pay bail. The leaders refuse to speak therefore have their heads shaved, they are forced to urinate on themselves, they are not fed for three days, and Okonkwo is beaten with a stick and choked.
A messenger from the Commissioner comes to order the tribe’s armed men to turn in their weapons and disband. Out of rage Okonkwo kills the messenger with his machete. The next day the Commissioner arrives at Okonkwo’s compound to arrest him however they discover he has committed suicide - which is, to his culture, an abomination.
Okonkwo's death is an ironic twist at the end of the book that leads to the issue of negative effects of colonialism. Okonkwo had been a symbol of his culture's values and beliefs; essentially, his culture as a whole. In reality, this book's African culture could not hold up under the onslaught of the domineering European culture, and its values and beliefs had to be pushed aside for those of the white culture. Okonkwo's suicide represents his culture's inability to resist the European culture and then his culture's subsequent demise.
Things Fall Apart is considered one of the major works in African postcolonial literature because it presents the life, culture, and complexities of a traditional African people with honesty, dignity, and humanity, as written by one who lived through the times. The quiet style of writing sends across no sense of bias: the facts are served up in prose with a master's touch, and the reader is pushed in no direction - your conclusion at the end of the story is your own. The story of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart has been compared in western countries to Greek tragedy, as the very characteristics that make Okonkwo a great leader in his clan (strength, inflexibility) lead ultimately to his death.
This book provides significant value to the understanding of African history and human nature. Achebe fiercely resents the stereotype of Africa as an undifferentiated "primitive" land, the "heart of darkness", as Joseph Conrad calls it. Throughout the novel he shows how African cultures vary among themselves and how they change over time. He displays Africa as a land where respect for fellow man and for ancestors runs rife, where law-keeping is fair and the people work hard, but think deeply. We come upon countless examples of conversation between people: the language is peppered with proverbs, and mastery of the art of conversation is a highly respected skill.
Point of View
Things Fall Apart is written in a third person. The reader experiences the novel through an outside narrator. This way the reader is able to not only read the dialogue but the thoughts of the characters as well. This allows dramatic irony to occur. The perspective of this novel was appropriate because of the language barrier. Achebe has peppered pieces of the Igbo language proving that it is too complex for a direct English translation. By having a third person narrator, it allows the reader to understand what is going on. This novel has limited dialogue, because the language is so different from English. So in order to obtain the whole plot the character must know what the characters are thinking and why they are thinking that.Character list
Okonkwo- Main character
Unoka- Okonkwo’s father
Nwoye’s mother- Okonkwo’s 1st wife
Nwoye- Okonkwo’s eldest son
Obiageli- Okonkwo and 3rd wife’s daughter
Ekwefi- Okonkwo’s 2nd wife
Ezinma- Okonkwo and Ekwefi’s daughter
Ikemefuna- Young man sent as a sacrifice of Umuofia
Ezeudu- Oldest man in Umuofia
Obierika- Wise man of Umuofia that Okonkwo asks for advice
Uchendu- Okonkwo’s mother’s brother
Mr. Brown- Missionary
James Smith- Commissioner
Enoch- Christian extremist
Structure
The book’s division into two distinct sections in very significant to the overall effect. Part I has the important job of establishing the complexity and structure of the clan. Every little tradition and custom allows the reader to fully understand the inner working of the tribe and realize that they have established a pretty complex and efficient society. When the Europeans join the novel in part II, criticizing the tribe from its primitiveness the reader can recognize that in fact the tribe is highly advanced. The tribe is technologically primitive but not at a political or cultural level. The distinct and obvious shift from part I to part II is done to emphasize the effect colonization had on the African tribes and show the juvenility in the Europeans assumption that the clan needed more structure and help developing.
Themes
CHANGE V. TRADITION
One of the major themes in Things Fall Apart is the struggle between change and tradition. The tribe is faced with a new group of people. The missionaries have brought in a new religion, language, education, and even government. At first this is shocking to the tribe, and they will have nothing to do with the new people. However as time progresses, some tribe members have crossed over and joined the new group. The village is faced with the hard decision to either accept the change or if they accept it, it would show their own personal weakness.
Okonkwo has possibly the hardest time accepting the change. All that he has achieved and his status is from the traditional ways. If the village decides to go with the new westernized ways of life, he will lose his self worth that is dependent on the tradition.
Umuofia is caught in a place where they must choose to embrace or resist the new changes. They are simply trying to discover the best way to adapt to the change. Many of the village members are excited about the change and adapt easily. However the European influences jeopardize the need to master the technique of farming, harvesting, building, and cooking. These four elements have been traditions. They are the survival tools one must learn to be able to live. Now Umuofia is faced with the unbearable task of choosing to embrace or resist this change.
Ultimately Okonkwo cannot face the change, and chooses to take his own life. This comes out as ironic because the village's view of taking ones own life is forbidden. The village members were not able to touch Okonkwo's body because it was evil, and what he did was an abomination. Therefore Okonkwo's enemies who have brought this change will be paid to bury his body. The village has kept many of its own traditions however. "It is against our custom,' said one of the men. 'It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen (p. 178)." To Okonkwo, his clansmen were everything. He killed his own son, in order to protect his status within the clan, and yet because of his ultimate decision they were not able to bury him.
TRUE COURAGE
True courage is an important theme throughout the novel. Okonkwo's father is described as a worthless coward by his son because of his laziness and careless attitude. His whole life Okonkwo attempts to be a better man than his father. To him a real man is hardworking, strong, and powerful therefore Okonkwo refuses to show sympathy or compassion to his family. Emotions are pointless and weak in his eyes. The idea of being anything like his father terrifies Okonkwo to the point of obsession and in all actuality Okonkwo is in fact a coward himself because he lives everyday in fear. He beats his wives and children to gain self gratification and kills Ikemefuma because he is scared of how the other men will look at him. He has not backbone and his actions are those of a true coward.
Okonkwo begins the novel as a selfish coward if not more so than his father was however he gradually transforms throughout. The first sign of a change in Okonkwo is when Ezinima is taken by Chielo and the family believes she is going to be a sacrifice. Okonkwo stays out all night looking for his daughter and admits that he would have killed Chielo before letting anything happen to her. This event is the first sign of love from Okonkwo. As the story continues after his family is exiled, during the seven years away, Okonkwo realizes that other people and places have strength than Umuofia and that everyone experiences fear. Okonkwo returns home to find everything has changed, and again he tells the reader his true feelings about losing his tribe. Although he commits suicide, which is unforgiveable to his clan, Okonkwo dies without fear of how the tribe will perceive him. Even though they cannot bury him any differently by tradition, the reactions of the clan to Okonkwo's death demonstrates their belief that it was a statement of courage. His death opens their eyes to the destruction the Europeans are causing, but at that point it is too late. Okonkwo dies because he can not accept the changes of society and refuses to support what he believes is wrong. He dies courageously.
SAVAGERY
Part I of the novel explains the traditions of the tribe and certain aspects did come across as primitive or uncivilized. The lack of technology, frivolous ceremonies, and traditional sacrifices make the Africans appear to be primitive individuals. In part II, however, when the Europeans arrive, their actions are much more cruel and cannablistic those of the tribal people. The tribes were actually very complex politically and spiritually, only lacking advanced technology. The idea that the Europeans had the Africans' best interests at heart as they reaped the environment of its resources is a misconception.
The title
The title of the book comes from a poem, "The Second Coming," by William Butler Yeats, and is quoted in the frontpiece of the book:
- Turning and turning in the widening gyre
- The falcon cannot hear the falconer
- Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold
- Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
Literary significance
Things Fall Apart is considered by many to have been a milestone in African literature. It was followed by three sequels, No Longer at Ease (1960, originally written as the second part of a larger work together with Things Fall Apart), The Arrow of God (1964), and A Man of the People (1966), all featuring the descendants of Okonkwo and the problems they face under colonialism.
As in his other works, Achebe attempts to counter the common Western belief and view of the traditional African society. Things Fall Apart, which has sold millions of copies, is by far his most famous and award-winning work.
Setting
The time period in the novel, Things Fall Apart, is not clearly stated. However we know that it is taking place during English colonization in Nigeria. The settlers come in on "iron horses", which we later discover are bicycles. Also both the settlers and the villagers have guns. These objects prove to us that it takes place in the 1800's.The majority of the story takes place in Umuofia, which is one of nine smaller villages that combine in the creation of one large clan. The political and cultural traditions that occur are very closely connected to the structure of the clan. The clan's judicial system consists of nine “egwugwu”s, one representative from each village, forming with a well developed court system. The small villages communicate by and forth by drums and when one village loses a member, the rest of the clan travels to pay respects. Multiple interactions between tribes and villages adds to the complexity of the setting of the novel.
The setting in this novel plays a huge part. Okonkwo, "strong man", is proud of his village and lives to one day obtain a title of his land. He lives his life trying to obtain this privilege and in doing so he even kills a beloved son. He has lived his live earning a name in Umuofia, starting at a young age as a vibrant, fearless wrestler and warrior. After the accidental death of Ezeudo's son Okonkwo is exiled to his motherland. This is possibly the harshest punishment in the eyes of Okonkwo. However the time spent there is found to be worthwhile, and he learns the values of kinship.
The two villages described in Things Fall Apart are quite different, but each village teaches Okonkwo an important life lesson. Umuofia is his fatherland, and proves to be a strong village. They are a village that has conquered many neighboring villages and are known throughout the land for their fierce warriors. Where his motherland is a smaller village, and teaches him the values of kinship, and shows him generosity and hospitality.
External links
- [Teacher's Guide] at Random House
- [Study guide]
- [Resource connecting the novel to historical evidence.] From MSN Encarta
- [Describes the citicism technique demonstrated in the novel.] From ViruaLit
- [Words present in the novel used in past SAT's] Includes definitions, words in order from the book, and three different tests.
- Chinua Achebe Article on the author.
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