Things Fall Apart is one of the first novels by the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe and is the most popular book in modern African literature. The novel was first published in 1958 and is very popular all around the world. The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, leader of the Ibo tribe and local wrestling champion in the fictional Nigerian village of Umuofia. Chinua Achebe was himself a part of the Igbo (Ibo) tribe. The story takes place in Nigeria around 1890, mostly in the villages Umuofia and Mbanta, close to the east bank of the Niger River. The action covers approximately 15-20 years but some scenarios from the past are also viewed to further the reader 's understanding of the characters ' background. The people of Umuofia live in huts and are very primitive, surrounded by a dense and dark forest which they both fear and respect. Their rules are strict and not to be broken, or else one might be exiled. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is a strong warrior and a clan leader in Umuofia. He has three wives and eight children but unlike most men, he cares more for is daughter Enzimna than his oldest son, Nwoye because he thinks he is lazy, weak and effeminate. Okonkwo was always embarrassed by his father, Unoka, who was lazy and effeminate but that made him the strong leader who he became. When he was young, he defeated the best wrestler in the village, earning him lasting prestige. Okonkwo does whatever he can to look strong and is terrified of looking weak. As a resault, he
Okonkwo constantly struggled to create the same masculine character in Nwoye that he made for himself and constantly found a reflection of his effeminate father, Unoka, in Nwoye. Chapter two describes the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye in Nwoye’s youth. “Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness... He sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating” (13-14). Okonkwo’s efforts to change Nwoye’s resemblance of Unoka were causing their relationship to be pushed apart because of Okonkwo’s violence and Nwoye’s resistance.
Prompt 2
Okonkwo is driven by his hatred of his father and the fear he will become like him. Okonkwo saw his father, Unoka, as a coward and is ashamed to be his son. Everything that Okonkwo does is meant to set him apart from the legacy of his father. First, this is evident in his beating of his wives and even his aggression with his children. He is trying to show his strength and ensure he is not portrayed to be like his father: powerless and incapable.
The novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, defines an important literary example of the historical conflict of European colonialism in Nigeria during the
The novel “things fall apart” is about the fatal demise of Okonkwo and the igbo culture of Umuofia. Okonkwo is well known and respected leader in his community, who is successful in everything he does, such as wrestling and farming. He is quick with his hands and takes pride in his accomplishments. Okonkwo’s family relationship makes him a sympathetic character because of his support and an unsympathetic character because of his cruelty.
In many ways Okonkwo showed that he had no sympathy for others , However at times he could be sympathetic.
He has a large number of kids, (eight minimum) and three wives, From the text, we know he has at least four sons and two daughters. He has three wives; Nwoye 's mother, Ekwefi, and Ojiugo. Their jobs are to prepare his food, take care of his home, and raise the children. If they disobey or step out of line, they 're beaten. Okonkwo sees the women as his property.
Among those of the same culture, individuals who are adaptive and open-minded can be successful when there is cultural collision.
When the Igbo and European cultures collide, Okonkwo gradually spirals out of control, losing everything he values and his own sense of self. From the beginning of the novel, Achebe depicts Okonkwo as a virile warrior and a successful farmer within the Igbo tribe. Reacting with violence to anything he considers “womanly” or “weak”, “He was a man of action and man of war” (10). Because of his reputation as a warrior he is highly respected by his community.
Unoka was described as lazy, improvident and not capable of thinking about tomorrow. From this Okonkwo was ashamed of his father and strives to be nothing like him. Okonkwo’s hatred towards his father has hardened his heart and has made him incapable of being a person of compassion and understanding throughout the novel. His hatred for his father has made him fear failure and weakness throughout the story. His fear of failure has brought him to his downfall.
Q1: Explain how Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, influenced his life.
A1: Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, influenced Okonkwo’s life because he had been a failure in life. Unoka was a lazy and improvident debtor. In his youth he lived a carefree life and would visit different villages and market to play on his flute and feast.
Everyone as a human being has experienced some form of change in our life, big or small, and it has a lasting effect on who they are and how they act. In Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, change is a forward facing theme of the whole story, we see change in all forms occur throughout the book; the arrival of the white men and their changing of the igbo culture, the tearing apart of Okonkwo’s family by religion and traditions, and the change that occurs within Okonkwo himself when he realizes he cannot prevent change from happening in the community and culture he loved. Change is destructive in ‘Things Fall Apart’, especially to such a magnitude as we see in the story, it is destructive to communities, to families, and especially to individuals.
