Studied by 3 people“had risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of his clan”
C: Okonkwo is positioned as a tragic hero
“rules his household with a heavy hand”
"Do what you are told, woman," Okonkwo thundered, and stammered. "When did you become one of the ndichie of Umuofia?" (Okonkwo to Nwoye’s mother when he tells her to care for Ikemefuna)
T: Masculinity; gender roles
Okonkwo’s first wife is called Nwoye’s mother. Emphasises that the children she produces is valued more than her identity as an individual.
“his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness” … “it was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods … and of the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw”
C: “red in tooth and claw” is an allusion to “In Memoriam A. H. H.” by the nineteenth-century British poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Achebe remains conscious of both African and European narrative traditions.
his fear of weakness being greater than his fear of the gods foreshadows his beating of Ojiugo and the killing of Ikemefuna
“seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody”
“pounce” likens Okonkwo to a predator
4 transgressions
beating of Ojiugo during the Week of Peace
killing Ikemefuna
killing Ezeudu’s son; ironic that it is a “female ocho”
his suicide, an offence against the Earth
“Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it was the emotion of anger”
proverb: “if one finger brought oil, it soiled the others”
“Okonkwo's fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan.”
"[Ikemefuna] was like an elder brother to Nwoye, and from the very first seemed to have kindled a new fire in the younger boy.”
“living fire begets cold, impotent ash” (Okonkwo reflecting on Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity)
“our own men and sons have joined the ranks of a stranger”
“perhaps not a chapter, but a reasonable paragraph”
The final paragraph, written from the perspective of the District Commissioner, reduces Okonkwo’s life to a single paragraph about his death in his planned book The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of The Lower Niger. Achebe has filled an entire novel with evidence of the complexity and sophistication of Okonkwo’s character and the society he hails from, thus, the District Commissioner’s casual dismissal and belittling of him causes us to flinch with horror and dismay. Left unnamed, the District Commissioner, is representative of European colonisers in general. The conclusion of the book is a disheartening metaphor for the reduction of indigenous cultures in the eyes of their colonisers.
“Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi or personal god, and evil fortune followed him to the grave”
“ill-fated” and “evil fortune” position the blame on external sources
However, “bad chi or personal god” suggests that it is Unoka’s own failings, as his god is “personal”, that lead to his misfortune
“Inwardly, he was repentant. But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbours he was in error. And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan”. (Okonkwo after breaking the Week of Peace)
T: Okonkwo’s obsession with strength and toughness make him the epitome of Umuofia masculine values, it also brings him into conflict with other spiritual and social norms.
Umuofia society places importance on external performance - for example, using proverbs and the breaking of the kola nut. Religion acts as both a private and public act.
Okonkwo’s killing of Ezeudu’s son
Although the crime is accidental, Okonkwo’s banishment carries the suggestion of just retribution in its echo of Okonkwo’s purposeful attempt to shoot Ekwefi.
It is a “female ocho” - this reinforces how every act is coded based on gender in Umuofia society
Okonkwo’s “female” crime causes him to be exiled to his motherland - this represents Okonkwo’s continual fear of feminine qualities
“set fire to his houses, demolished his red walls, killed his animals and destroyed his barn. It was justice to the earth goddess, and they were merely her messengers” (men destroying his household as Okonkwo leaves Umuofia)
At the start of the novel, barns and houses are introduced as markers of wealth and success:
Nwakibie, the wealthy man that lends Okonkwo some yams, “had three huge barns, nine wives and thirty children”. Thus the destruction of these is symbolic of the start of Okonkwo’s tragic downfall.
“when a man says yes his chi says yes also”
“The saying of the elders was not true …. Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation” (Okonkwo is disheartened as he begins his new life in Mbanta)
This suggests individuals will their own fates
He denies the active role that men have in their own fate and refuses to accept his own actions as part of the cause for his exile, which exemplifies his hamartia (hubris). Okonkwo seems to renounce his previous work ethic, and also the key tenants of Umuofia society.
“It [the oracle] said that other white men were on their way. They were locusts, it said” (Obierika tells Okonkwo of the how the clan of Abame was destroyed by the white men)
When the locusts first appear in the novel, their arrival is celebrated by the villagers. They are a food source, sustaining Umuofia.
However, when the colonisers arrive, the “locusts” become symbolic of a pest that overpowers and destroys the native people. This reminiscent to the Judaeo - Christian idea of locusts as bringers of suffering (such as in Exodus). Thus, Achebe gradually shows the shift in influence from Igbo traditional values to the Christian.
Nwoye is drawn to Christianity because it seemed to “answer” the “question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed”
Achebe shows that Christianity appeals to those who felt at-odds with certain Igbo practices. Perhaps, he suggests, that the Umuofia’s downfall is partly caused by their own internal weaknesses, as well as the colonisers.
“The white man is very clever … he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (okonkwo reflecting on the colonisers)
The Igbo custom of marginalising some of their people - allowing the existence of an ouctcast group etc. - hastens their downfall. When the missionaries enter Igbo territory and accept these outcasts, Umuofia is unable to unify and control its population. This lack of unity is reflected in the title of the novel, drawn from Yeats’s poem The Second Coming: “things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”.
Clash of cultures on both individual and societal levels
Misunderstanding exists from both perspectives. Just as Reverend Smith views Africans as “heathens”, the Igbo initially criticise the Europeans as “foolish”; mocking them as “albinos” and “ashy buttocks”.
Okonkwo vs. Obierika
Okonkwo rarely thinks; he is a man of action. He follows the tribe’s customs almost blindly and values its opinion of him over his own good sense. Obierika, on the other hand, ponders the things that happen to Okonkwo and his tribe. Obierika often makes his own decisions and wonders about the tribe’s wisdom in some of its actions.
Obierika does not advocate the use of force to counter the colonisers. He remains open-minded about changing values and foreign culture: “Who knows what may happen tomorrow?”
After Ezinma gives Okonkwo a dish of plantains, she assertively orders his to finish them. Okonkwo concludes that “she should have been a boy”
“Ezinma bubbled with energy like fresh palmwine.”
“At last Ezinma was born, and although ailing she seemed determined to live”
Okonkwo is “gravely worried” when Chielo takes Ezinma to the Oracle’s shrine
Okonkwo vs. Nwoye
Okonkwo’s character represents tradition: he holds the traditional ideas of status and masculinity in high esteem. To the very end of the novel, he refuses to accept change (the arrival and influence of the colonisers), which culminates in his tragic suicide.
In contrast, Nwoye questions and doubts certain aspects of Umuofia tradition. He is driven to convert to Christianity and join the missionaries.
“Among the Igbo the art of conversation if regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (narrator reflects on the way local business is conducted when Okoye visits Unoka)
Snake called a “string” at night. This shows that the people of Umuofia believe that the language they use affects reality and emphasise the importance of language in Igbo culture.
“He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists.” (Okonkwo)
“One of the most infuriating habits of these people was their love of superfluous words” (District Commissioner)
Okoye covers the true intent of his business (to reclaim Unoka’s debt) in an extensive set of proverbs. This is reflective of the Igbo “art of conversation” - where conversing is a matter of ritual and traditional practice. This is further exemplified through the breaking of the kola nut etc.
This quote encapsulates the cultural misunderstanding between the colonisers and the Igbo people. The District Commissioner fails to see the complex rituals and norms that centre around language in Umuofia, and reduces them to an unnecessary habit he considers “infuriating”.
“Okonkwo was ruled by one passion - to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness”
“[Okonkwo] was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood”.
Double meaning (of man with no title or a woman) expresses the alignment of weakness with 'femininity'
“One passion” - Okonkwo is singularly driven by this desire; unable to deviate from his harsh singular viewpoint
Achebe effectively utilises anaphora by repeating the phrase “a man”, juxtaposing Okonkwo’s strength and masculinity with the effeminacy of Unoka, an agbala
During the bride-price negotiation for Obierika’s daughter, Okonkwo tells Machi: “I have even heard that in some tribes a man’s children belongs to his wife”, who responds with disbelief.
Shows the variety and differences amongst the customs of different African tribes, contrary to the European portrayal of Africa as a place filled with the same “primitives”
Reflective of the wider theme that cultures struggle to make sense of the customs and norms of others
"[Ikemefuna] was like an elder brother to Nwoye, and from the very first seemed to have kindled a new fire in the younger boy.”
“inseparable” (Ikemefuna and Nwoye)
“[Ikemefuna] grew rapidly like a yam tendril in the rainy season.”
“yam, the king of crops, was a man’s crop”
"Agbala do-o-o-o! Agbala ekeneo-o-o-o-o," came the voice like a sharp knife cutting through the night.” (Chielo)
“Those sons of wild animals have dared to murder a daughter of Umuofia” (Ogbuefi Ezeugo, an orator, describing how a clanswoman was killed in Mbaino)
wider theme of lack of understanding between cultures
irony of tribes labelling each other animals
when Europeans universally view Africans as animalistic.
“ill-fated boy” (Ikemefuna)
Homeric epithet given to Ikemefuna foreshadows tragedy and implies his tragic fate has already been decided
As Ikemefuna is about to die, he cries “My father, they have killed me!”
Reduced to infancy before death, emphasising his innocence
Incorrect use of the past tense shows the confused state of Ikemefuna, yet also suggests that Ikemefuna views his death as inevitable
Separation of “my father” and “they” indicates that he does not believe Okonkwo contributed to his death. Thus, Okonkwo’s decision to deal the killing blow with his machete afterwards highlights his betrayal of their familial bond.
Ekwefi & Ezinma
“called her mother by her name”
Ezinma is Ekewfi’s “crowning glory”
eat eggs in secret
“if she heard Ezinma cry she would rush into the cave to defend her against all the gods in the world. She would die with her.”
(Uchendu tells Okonkwo not to be disheartened at living in his motherland)
“When a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut.”
“I did not hang myself, and I am still alive”
Uchendu advises Okonkwo to receive the comfort of Mbanta, his motherland, gratefully. However, Okonkwo does not heed his advice.
His thoughts are occupied with being able to “return [to Umuofia] with a flourish”. He asks Ezinma and Obiageli to wait for marriage in Umuofia; plans to rebuild his compound on a larger scale, take more wives, and get tiles for his sons. This inflexibility is perhaps what causes Okonkwo to ignore the other part of Uchendu’s advice; emasculated and humiliated by the colonisers he ends up hanging himself.
Enoch & Okonkwo
Enoch figures as a double for Okonkwo. Although they have different beliefs, they are both impulsive and obsessively adhere to them.
Both rebel against the legacies of their father.
“his father was the priest of the snake cult. The story went around that Enoch had killed and eaten the sacred python, and that his father had cursed him”
His father’s role as the snake-priest make his suspected killing of the sacred python all the more dire a transgression. Enoch’s attack is symbolic of the transition from the old religion to that of the new and the increasing generational rift within the clan
Ekwefi tells Ezinma the Snake-Lizard story; a lizard “gave his mother seven baskets of vegetables to cook and in the end, there were only three. And so he killed her”
Literally to educate Ezinma that vegetables shrink. However, also to distinguish the gender roles prescribed by the clan - women need to understand how to cook, while men do not need to have knowledge of such female matters.
(Okonkwo after death of Ikemefuna)
“Okonkwo you have become a woman indeed”
“He drank palm wine from morning till night”
Subtly hints at Okonkwo becoming like Unoka
Historically, indigenous peoples, including those from Africa, were often excluded from literature. Even works that criticized European colonists, such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, depicted Africans as savages. Achebe's novel is a response to these colonialist works of literature—Things Fall Apart is a postcolonial novel that strives to revise previous stereotypes by portraying both cultures with a neutral eye, focusing on the complexity and richness of Igbo traditions.
Achebe presents Western readers with a thriving, dynamic African society. He represents Igbo culture as rich and complex, highlighting the intricacy of religious and justice rituals, such as the role of oracles and the negotiation between villages. This portrayal counters the simplistic and derogatory depictions often found in colonial literature.
The novel shows the cultural confrontation between the Igbo traditional way of life and European influence during the period of British colonization. This clash is evident in the changes brought by the missionaries and colonial government, affecting the social, religious, and political structures of the Igbo people. This theme can be linked to W.B. Yeats's reflections on Irish colonization, underscoring the universal impact of colonialism.
Achebe also draws out the similarities between the cultures, illustrating shared human experiences and values, which may have the effect of fostering understanding and empathy among readers. However, he resists idealizing pre-colonial Igbo life, portraying the gender pressures and cruelty present in Igbo society. For example, Okonkwo's treatment of his wives and children reflects the harsh aspects of traditional gender roles.
Achebe includes references to the white prelates as albinos and officials wearing beige shorts as “ashy buttocks.” These descriptions serve to dehumanize the colonizers, mirroring how Africans were dehumanized in colonial literature. However, the sympathetic character of Mr. Brown, a Christian cleric, undercuts a one-sided reading and suggests a more nuanced view of European characters.
Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity and his subsequent productive life illustrate the positive aspects of cultural change. His new life and the saving of his sister from the plight of the changeling are presented as blessings, indicating that not all aspects of colonial influence were negative.
Things Fall Apart chronicles the double tragedies of the deaths of Okonkwo, a revered warrior, and the Igbo, the tribe to which Okonkwo belongs. In literature, tragedy often describes the downfall of a great individual caused by a flaw in the person’s character. Okonkwo’s personal flaw is his unreasonable anger, and his tragedy occurs when the tribe bans him for accidentally killing a young tribesman, and he returns to find a tribe that has changed beyond recognition. The Igbo’s public demise results from the destruction of one culture by another, but their tragedy is also caused by their turning away from their tribal gods.
Introduction
Chinua Achebe's 1958 novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ offers a profound retrospective study of Igbo society before and during the period of British colonialism in Nigeria. Achebe’s postcolonial novel seeks to challenge the portrayals of Africans as primitive by authors such as Greene, Cary and Conrad, by presenting the richness of Igbo traditions. However, Achebe does not idealise pre-colonial Igbo life, acknowledging the gender pressures and cruelties within the society, to create a complex and nuanced picture of the society. The novel delves into the cultural confrontation between traditional Igbo life and European influence, highlighting both the conflicts and the similarities between these cultures. The narrative's structure as a tragedy underscores the double demise of Okonkwo, a revered warrior, and the Igbo tribe, both of which succumb to internal flaws and external colonial forces.
Female Power
Through religion - Chielo; Ani
Through storytelling (high value placed on language)
Through courage (Ekewfi)
Through their husbands (Ndulue and Ozoemena)
Comfort (see proverb); Mother is Supreme
Females can display traditional masculine qualities associated with strength (Chielo’s voice is like a knife; Ezinma orders Okonkwo to finish his breakfast)
“Ndulue and Ozoemena had one mind … He could not do anything without telling her”
Ozoemena was a great warrior “who led Umuofia to war”. However, he and his wife are placed on the same level, sharing “one mind”.
Rejection 2023 Q12
The rejection of emotions and affection (Okonkwo and Unoka; Okonkwo’s rejection of familial bond and killing of Ikemefuna)
The rejection of Okonkwo and rejection of change (Okonkwo is rejected by the clan after killing Ezeudu’s son; Okonkwo’s difficulty adapting to exile in the motherland)
The rejection of change with Christianity (Okonkwo behead a court messenger and devastated that his clan will not engage the colonisers in war, he takes his own life)
Okonkwo’s wives 2023 Q13
Serve to display the patriarchy of Igbo society
However, some are powerful and respected
Bring female qualities to the narrative. Okonkwo shows rare affection for Ekwefi and Ezinma (he waits with Ekewfi at Agbala’s cave)
Setting 2023 1R Q12
???
Ezinma 2023 1R Q13
Shows Okonkwo’s rare emotional side
Shows rare masculine qualities in women
Serves to show the importance of religion; superstitions of ogbanje
Obierika 2022 Q10
Acts as a level-headed foil to Okonkwo; against killing Ikemefuna
Acts as a more flexible foil to Okonkwo; questions Igbo traditions, culture, and tribal law (why should Okonkwo be punished for a crime he committed inadvertently)
Acts as a more accepting foil to Okonkwo: he views the colonists more objectively.
His and Okonkwo’s conversations show difference between African cultures
Authority 2022 Q11
Okonkwo’s authority (tragedy)
Authority in Umuofia (egwugwu, elders, religion; complex society)
Authority of colonisers (cultural clash) (Mr Brown vs. Reverend James Smith)
Ikemefuna 2022 1R Q10
Relationship with Nwoye —> conversion to a Christian
Relationship with okonkwo, and eventual betrayal, effect on okonkwo
Power of agbala
Shame 2022 1R Q11
Okonkwo’s shame of femininity (unoka, nwoye)
Shames the Week of Peace; exile
Final shame of suicide
Conflict 2022 Q10
Internal conflict of Okonkwo (Ikemefuna)
Internal conflict of Nwoye
External conflict between traditional and Western influence
Death 2021 Q11
Death of Ikemefuna
Death of Ezeudu’s son
Death of Okonkwo
Honour November 2021 Q13
Unoka vs. Okonkwo
Loss of honour (exile and Nwoye converting to Christianity)
Attempt to regain his own, and his clan’s honour, by decapitating a white messenger. Suicide the greatest dishonour
Weakness June 2021 Q10
Okonkwo’s fear of weakness (Unoka)
Okonkwo’s demonstration of weakness (Ikemefuna’s murder)
Okonkwo’s ultimate weakness, his hubris (reversal of chi proverb; eventual suicide)
Loss June 2021 Q11
Loss of prestige and reputation (exile)
Loss of traditional Igbo ways
Loss of life, and loss of the narrative of the indigenous people (final chapter)
Power November 2020 1R
Okonkwo’s power
Tribe’s power (religion; elders)
Loss of both of their power to the colonists (district commissioner jails egwugwu members who burned down Enoch’s compound); loss of power in telling their own story
Women January 20211R Q12
Gender roles
Violence against women
Powerful women
Change June 2019 Q12
Okonkwo’s refusal to accept change
Contrast with Nwoye.
Change in Umuofia with arrival of colonists. Suicide.
Ikemefuna and Nwoye June 2019 Q13
Close “inseparable”; looked up to; seemed to know everything
Under his influence, he became more like Okonkwo
Ikemefuna’s death leads to his conversion to Christianity and distancing from Okonkwo.
Unoka and Okonkwo June 2019 1R Q12
Strives to be opposite of father
More like father; death of Ikemefuna
More like father; suicide, dishonour against Earth
Punishment June 2019 1R Q13
Punishment for violating Week of Peace
Punishment for Uzowulu beating wife is his embarrassment at having to beg her to allow him to return. The villagers are surprised that such a ‘trifle’ should be discussed by the egwugwu
the District Commissioner punishes the six leaders of the village for the egwugwu’s actions by sending them to jail and fining them two hundred and fifty bags of cowries
Commissioner informs them that the British "have brought a peaceful administration to you and your people so that you may be happy."
IRONIC He may sincerely believe this statement, and he may also believe that the British control the court messengers when he assigns them as guards and as fine collectors. The court messengers (or kotma), however, not only abuse the prisoners, but they collect a fine considerably larger than what the Commissioner asks for so they can keep a sizable portion for themselves.
Church undermines power
Separates Igbo people
Umuofia society based on a strict hierarchal system of titles; destroyed by giving power to outcasts and people giving up titles to join the Church
Violence January 2019 Q12
Violence in Amalinze the cat; being first to bring home a head; celebrate and reverd
Violence in holy week; violence punished
Refusal of clan to use violence against the colonists
Mr Brown January 2019 1R Q12
Mr Brown respects Igbo beliefs and customs. He discusses his beliefs with Akunna. a clan leader. They both agree on certain beliefs. He tempers the zeal of the converts:
He ‘was very firm in restraining his flock from provoking the wrath of the clan’.
He encourages Igbo to adapt: Mr Brown builds a school and hospital in Umuofia and urges the people to attend. He knows the British way — to do away with the traditional government of the Igbo people and instate their own form of government. Mr. Brown informs the Igbo people that they will need to adapt (learn to read and write) so they will not lose all their autonomy — and their traditional beliefs.
Foil with Reverend James Smith
Friendship
Nwoye and Ikemefuna
Ekwefi and Chielo
Okonkwo and Obierika
Marginalisation of women causing division
“Nneka had had four previous pregnancies and childbirths. But each time she had borne twins, and they had been immediately thrown away. Her husband and his family were already becoming highly critical of such a woman and were not unduly perturbed when they found she had fled to join the Christians.”
Fear
1. okonkwo's fears of weakness;
2. clan's fear of gods;
3. both link to wider umuofia society's fear of change with the arrival of the missionaries
Note 
Flashcard (43)