Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Introduction

• Main Character: Okonkwo
  • Gained fame by defeating an undefeated wrestling champion.
  • Became wealthy with three wives and ten children.
  • His success contrasts with his father, Unoka, who was a gentle musician in debt.
  • Driven to be the opposite of his father, fierce and hyper-masculine.

Rising Action

• Okonkwo as Guardian
  • Chosen to care for Ikemefuna, a boy from a neighboring clan.
  • Ikemefuna adapts and sees Okonkwo as a father figure.
  • Nwoye, Okonkwo's son, grows close to Ikemefuna.
  • Despite warnings, Okonkwo participates in Ikemefuna's death due to fear of losing respect.

Climax and Falling Action

• Tragic Events
  • Okonkwo accidentally kills a clansman, resulting in seven years of exile.
  • Missionaries arrive, altering village dynamics.
  • Nwoye converts to Christianity, disappointing Okonkwo.
  • Okonkwo vows vengeance after being humiliated by British officials.

Resolution

• Okonkwo's Downfall
  • Okonkwo commits suicide.
  • District Commissioner reflects on Okonkwo's potential mention in his book.

Characters

• Okonkwo
  • Respected leader, driven by fear of weakness.
  • Unable to adapt to European changes, ends his life.
• Unoka
  • Okonkwo's father, seen as lazy and in debt.
• Ikemefuna
  • A ward to Okonkwo, seen as a son until his tragic death.
• Nwoye
  • Okonkwo's son, rebels against his father's strictness.
  • Converts to Christianity.
• Ekwefi
  • Okonkwo's second wife, deeply cares for her only surviving daughter.
• Ezinma
  • Okonkwo's favorite child, bold and respected.
• Obierika
  • Okonkwo's closest friend, cares for Okonkwo’s land during exile.
  • Advises Okonkwo against his rash actions.

Symbols

• Roaring Flame
  • Represents Okonkwo's intense masculinity and rage.
• Yams
  • Symbolize wealth, status, and masculinity.
• Locusts
  • Symbolize the destructive arrival and impact of Europeans.

Themes

• Culture and Change
  • The novel explores the impact of European colonization on Igbo society.
  • Highlights a rich Igbo culture with its own systems and traditions.
• Fate vs. Free Will
  • The Igbo belief in Chi affects perceptions of fate and personal drive.
  • Okonkwo’s life is a struggle between his will and fate.
• Betrayal
  • Okonkwo feels betrayed by the clan's passive acceptance of Europeans.
  • His actions against Ikemefuna and responses to Nwoye's conversion deepen these themes.