Things Fall Apart Quiz Study Guide

Why was Okonkwo famous?

He won against an undefeated wrestler, Amalinze the cat 

Describe Unoka (from adolescence and adulthood)

younger version 

• Lazy

• Improvident

• Tall, but thin

• Spends a lot of money 

• Lives in the moment 

• Extroverted

older version  

• Poor

• People thought of him as a joke 

• In debt 

Why had the men of Umuofia called a meeting?

Sons of wild animals dare to murder a daughter of Umuofia

Where does the story take place?

Igbo villages 

What influence did the oracle have on decisions made in Umuofia?

The oracle was considered a god as it had the power to punish people who disobey its commands 

What were Okonkwo’s greatest fear and greatest passion?

• Fear of failure and weakness

• Passion: to hate everything his father Unoka had loved 

What upset Okonkwo most about his son, Nwoye?

He was lazy 

What did Okonkwo bring home from his trip to Mbaino?

He brought Ikemefuna home 

How did Okonkwo begin his prosperous career?

Through wrestling

How did Ikemefuna react to living with Okonkwo’s family?

He was afraid at first, yet eventually viewed Okonkwo as a father 

What unheard of thing did Okonkwo do during the Week of Peace?

He beat Nwoye’s mother since she lied to him

How did the people view yams?

• King of crops

• Yams were very important to them

Describe the Feast of the New Yam.

An occasion for giving thanks to (honoring) the earth goddess + source for fertility

Who was Okonkwo’s favorite child, and what did he often say about the child?

Ezinma and he wishes that she were a boy 

What unacceptable thing did Okonkso do just before the Feast of the New Yam?

He fired his gun at his second wife 

Who was Chielo, and why was she important?

• The priestess of Agbala, oracle of the hills, and the caves

• She prophesied when the spirit of Agbala was upon her 

What sport did the villagers enjoy watching during their feasting?

Wrestling

What influence did Ikemefuna have on Nwoye?

• Nwoye thought of him as an older brother 

• Made Nwoye feel grown up

How did Okonkwo feel about Ikemefuna’s influence on Nwoye?

He was pleased by Nwoye’s development, but knew it was from Ikemefuna

 How did the villagers feel about the coming of the locusts, and what did they do about it?

• Many people were excited since they could feast on them

• They caught them for food

What did the village decide to do with Ikemefuna?

Kill him to use as a sacrifice

Who struck the last blow to Ikemefuna, and why?

Okonkwo since he didn’t want to be seen as weak 

What did Okonkwo do whenever he thought of his father’s weakness and failure?

He expelled it by thinking of his own strength and success

What did Okonkwo tell himself about his part in Ikemefuna’s death?

He won’t get punished as the Oracle said Ikemefuna was the sacrifice 

What did Obierika tell Okonkwo about his part in Ikemefuna’s death?

His part won’t please the earth and he’ll get punished

Describe the meeting to determine Obierika’s daughter’s bride price.

• 30 men appeared as they watched Machi (eldest brother) add ten more sticks to the previous fifteen to set Akuke’s bride-price, however Ukegbu (youngest brother) doesn’t bargain with sticks, but use cowries instead

• Her bride price is twenty cowries since both sides were in agreement 

The men began discussing rumors about white men. Who did the men think the white men were?

Lepers 

Describe the relationship between Ekwefi and Ezinma.

They are mother and daughter and Ezinma is the center of Ekwefi’s world

Describe Ekwefi’s difficulties in getting pregnant.

• She had 10 babies, but 9 of them died in infancy before 3

• Caused her despair and left her devoid of promise 

What did the medicine man tell Okonkwo after the death of Ekwefi’s second child?

• The child was an ogbanje, one of the wicked children who, when they died, entered their mothers’ wombs to be born again 

 Describe the burial of Ekwefi’s third child, and the reason for it.

• Ekwefi slept with her husband in her hut instead of her husbands 

• He used a sharp razor to mutilate the child while he dragged the baby to bury in the Evil forest

Explain the significance of Ezinma’s iwi-uya.

• She would live because her bond with the world of ogbanje had been broken 

How did Okonkwo cure Ezinma’s iba illness?

He created a medicine using leaves, sticks, and other medicinal shrubs and spread on a mat and threw it over her 

What was the purpose of the ceremony described in Chapter 10?

A case between Uzowulu and Odukwe regarding the reason why Uzowulu’s wife disappeared as well as Uzowulu being abusive

What did Chielo want with Ezinma?

She sent a message that Agbala (a divine leader) wanted to see Ezinma

What did Ekwefi do?

She followed Chielo and Ezinma

What did Okonkwo do when Chielo took Ezinma?

He calms Ekwefi and sits with her

What was the purpose of the uri ceremony?

Women’s ceremony where the daughter’s suitor brought palm-wine to celebrate with her immediate relatives

What was the significance in the amount of wine the family brought?

• Represents the wealth of the family

• Respect for the bride and her family

•  Provides community 

What happened at the end of the ceremony?

Okonkwo presented two cocks for the family 

Describe Ezeudu’s funeral.

• Shouting

• Firing of guns

• Beating of drums

• Clanging of machetes

• Men leaped up and down in a frenzy

How did the author describe a man’s life?

There were four titles and depending on how many they’ve gotten, it determines their stature (all four titles gets lords of the land) 

What happened during the frenzy?

Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced Ezeudu’s heart

What was the result of Okonkwo’s action?

Flee from the clan for at least 7 years

What was the reason for the clan’s actions against Okonkwo?

Justice of the earth goddess 

What did Obierika think about after this calamity, and what was his conclusion?

• He thought about why people get punished for accidents and inadvertent actions

• His conclusion was when one person instigates it affects everyone else 

Where did Okonkwo take his family to live?

Mbanta 

How did Okonkwo feel about his circumstances?

• Work no longer pleasured him as it used to be

• He slept or relaxed when there was no work to do 

Why did Uchendu talk to Okonkwo about the Mother Supreme?

• He will find refuge and comfort in his motherland 

• Comfort your wives and children for seven years before returning to the fatherland 

Who came to visit Okonkwo during the second year of exile, and why?

Obierka, to tell him that Abame has been wiped out 

Briefly retell the story of the destruction of Abame.

• A white man had appeared in a visiting clan. The Oracle told the elders that the strange man would break their clan and cause mass destruction among them. The Oracle mentioned after that more white men were to come. The people of Abame killed the white man, however three white men came later and shot everyone except the old and sick who were at home and the remaining men and women who hadn't attended the market. 

• A great evil had come upon their land, as their clan is now completely empty 

What was Obierika’s reaction to the story?

Their price was equal to their foolishness, but no one thought those stories were true

What event did Obierika describe on his next visit, two years later?

He described the missionaries who had come to Umuofia 

Who had Obierika found among the missionaries?

Nwoye

What was the iron horse?

Bicycle of the first missionary who arrived in Abame

Where did the missionaries in Mbanta build their church, why were they given that particular piece of land, and what happened to them?

• In the evil forest 

• They were given that land because they didn’t want missionaries in their clan and they wanted the missionaries to prove their beliefs (by surviving in worst conditions)

• None of them died because the white man’s fetish had power to talk to evil spirits 

What was it about Nwoye’s actions that disturbed Okonkwo so much?

Okonkwo disliked Nwoye’s beliefs because Nwoye didn’t believe in the same gods as Okonkwo 

What group wanted to be admitted to the Christian church, and what happened?

The outcasts (osu), people protested to try to drive them out, but the sermon said that they must receive them as brothers, the outcasts became the most dedicated to their religion

Describe the incident with the sacred python.

If a clansman killed a royal python accidentally, he made sacrifices of atonement and performed an expensive burial ceremony

What did Okonkwo do before he left Mbanta when his exile was ended?

He expressed his gratitude to his mother’s people by holding a feast 

What was the one elder’s message to those at the feast?

• Do not ask for wealth or money, but instead health and children (their form of abundance)

• The bond of kinship is important and powerful 

How did Okonkwo feel about his return to the clan?

He felt motivated to regain the seven wasted years

What message did Okonkwo give to his sons and daughters after Nwoye left the family?

If any of them prefers to follow Nwoye’s steps and turn against Okonkwo, then he will curse them 

Describe the changes that had come to Umuofia in the seven years that Okonkwo was in exile.

• The church had come and led many astray

• Not only the low born and outcasts joined, but also worthy men 

• The white men brought a government 

 Okonkwo asked Obierika why the people had lost their power to fight. What was Obierika’s reply?

• Have you not heard how the white man wiped out Abame?

• It is already too late

How did many of the other villagers feel about these changes?

They disagreed with it at first, however, acknowledged that the white man had brought wealth into Umuofia, so they began to trust in him

What was Mr. Brown’s conclusion about the religion of the clan? How did he act to gain converts?

• He preached against excess of zeal

• He trod softly on its faith 

About what was Okonkwo grieving?

• He mourned for the clan because they were breaking up and falling apart

• He mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia who had become soft like women

Describe the conflict started by Enoch.

During the annual ceremony in honor of the earth deity, he committed one of the greatest crimes by unmasking an egwugwu in public and killing the ancestral spirit

What was the result of the action taken by the egwugwu?

• They led the deceased egwugwu away

• Held a gathering in the marketplace 

How did Okonkwo feel when he returned from the white man’s prison?

He felt an emotion similar to happiness (clan was making amends)

Why did the men meet in the marketplace?

To decide their action on Enoch and the rest of the christians

What event happened in the marketplace?

Five court messengers came to stop the meeting. Okonkwo decapitated one of them.

What happened to Okonkwo?

• He was fined 200 cowries for his previous acts of violence, and was in prison momentarily

• Soon after he hung himself

What did Obierika tell the Commissioner?

• He is not here 

• We can take you where he is, and perhaps your men will help us 

What was the Commissioner’s reaction to the incident?

He thought about how he could use the incident in his book