Abrie Berkowitz Honors English 3-4 Summer reading project 2014 Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart is a historical fiction novel that is broken up the same way A Thousand Splendid Suns is-into parts, which are further broken up into chapters. The three-part, 25 chapter story is about 150 pages in length. Okonkwo, the a powerful village man, has an audacious perspective that is brought forward significantly in the novel. Chinua Achebe used a flashback effectively in chapter 16 when Obierika discovered that Nwoye was with the converted Christians. The author also uses foreshadowing when he describes Ikemefuna as ill-fated, which is followed later on by his murder from Okonkwo. Foreshadowing is also used when the locusts arrive, which is a …show more content…
Achebe mentions that the Oracle says “that other white men were on their way. They were locusts” in chapter 15 to symbolize the white settlers arriving and taking over the Igbo’s land and resources. When the Igbo eat the locusts, it symbolizes how harmless they think the settlers to be. Fire is the way Okonkwo is perceived throughout the novel and alludes to his anger. Okonkwo is physically and mentally abusive and destructive, as is a fire. Just as fire will keep going and get more intense as time doesn’t stop it, the same happening with Okonkwo. He gives into his anger and allows it to rule him until it becomes his weakness and destroys …show more content…
I always wonder why so much of a critic review on a story is just a summary of the story itself. If the reader wanted to know the summary he/she would just google one! Although much of the article was a summary of Things Fall Apart, it was refreshing to hear that someone cared so much about the book itself and how it touched her. Hearing about how Adams discovered Achebe’s novel in a bookstore as a young person helps teens like me somewhat relate and makes a connection to feel more personally connected with Adams. It doesn’t matter whether teens like the book or not, hearing that Poppy discovered the book at what was made to see as somewhat close to our age helps one appreciate the story a touch