Things Fall Apart: Chapters 1–25 Study Guide

How did Okonkwo bring honor to his village?

He defeated Amalinze the Cat, a famous wrestler who had been unbeaten for seven years.

What does Okonkwo have no patience for?

Unsuccessful or idle men, especially men like his father, Unoka.

How is Unoka characterized?

He is poor, indebted, carefree, fond of music and socializing, and unsuccessful as a farmer.

What does the palm-oil proverb suggest about Igbo language and communication?

Proverbs are highly valued because they enrich conversation and express wisdom indirectly.

Why was Okonkwo ashamed of his father at the time of his death?

Unoka died poor, deeply in debt, and without titles, so the clan did not consider him successful.

How is it evident that Okonkwo is cut out for great things?

He becomes famous as a wrestler and earns respect through hard work, wealth, and achievement.

Why is Okonkwo asked to look after a doomed lad?

After a woman from Umuofia is killed in Mbaino, a young man and a virgin are given to avoid war; Ikemefuna is placed with Okonkwo's household.

What are Okonkwo's experiences with war?

He is a respected warrior who has fought in battles and taken enemy trophies.

What is the reason for the meeting in Umuofia?

A woman from Umuofia has been killed by someone from Mbaino, so the clan decides how to respond.

What is the ultimatum that the villagers give to Mbaino?

Mbaino must provide a young man and a virgin as compensation or face war.

What do the elders decide about the young virgin and Ikemefuna?

The virgin is given to the man whose wife was killed, while Ikemefuna is placed in Okonkwo's household.

What is Okonkwo's fear?

He fears weakness and failure and is determined not to resemble his father, Unoka.

Why is Ikemefuna afraid?

He has been taken away from home and does not understand what will happen to him.

What reason did Chika give for Unoka's poor crops?

Unoka was not working hard enough; he could not blame his tools for his poor harvest.

Why was Unoka considered an ill-fated man?

He had little success, owed money, and was believed to have a bad chi, or personal spiritual force.

Why didn't Unoka have a burial?

He died from an illness considered an abomination against the Earth goddess, so his body was taken to the Evil Forest.

Who is Nwakibie?

He is a wealthy, respected man who owns many yams and can lend seed yams to Okonkwo.

What does Okonkwo mean when he says he would praise himself if no one else did?

He believes a person should recognize his own hard work and achievements rather than depend on other people's praise.

What does Nwakibie give to Okonkwo?

He gives Okonkwo 800 seed yams to help him begin farming.

What challenges does Okonkwo face after receiving the yam seeds?

Heavy rain damages the young plants, and later intense heat and drought ruin much of the crop.

What does Okonkwo learn about himself after the difficult year?

He learns that he is resilient and can endure severe hardship.

How do the other men at the meeting react when Okonkwo insults the man who contradicts him?

They criticize Okonkwo for disrespecting a fellow clansman and support the importance of proper conduct.

What is the cause of Okonkwo's success?

His hard work, determination, farming, and wrestling reputation—not inherited wealth from his father.

Why does Nwoye like Ikemefuna?

Ikemefuna tells engaging stories and songs, and the boys become close.

How does Okonkwo feel about Ikemefuna?

He grows fond of Ikemefuna but hides his affection because he thinks showing tenderness looks weak.

What does Ikemefuna call Okonkwo?

He calls him 'father'.

What is the Week of Peace?

A sacred week before planting when people must avoid violence and quarrels to honor Ani, the Earth goddess.

How has Okonkwo put the entire village in danger?

By beating Ojiugo during the Week of Peace, he has offended the Earth goddess and risked the clan's crops.

How do the villagers feel about Okonkwo's punishment?

He is fined and reprimanded; the priest treats the offense as serious because it threatens the community's relationship with the Earth goddess.

Why does Okonkwo want Nwoye and Ikemefuna to help plant yams?

He wants them to learn farming, work hard, and grow into capable men who can support their families.

What happens to Nwoye and Ikemefuna's relationship during the rainy season?

Their bond grows stronger as they share stories, work, and spend time together.

Why isn't Okonkwo enthusiastic for the Feast of the New Yam?

He dislikes waiting and inactivity and would rather be working.

How does Okonkwo demonstrate his capacity for violence?

He beats his wife during the feast and later fires his gun at Ekwefi, missing her.

Why does Ekwefi enjoy watching wrestling matches?

She fell in love with Okonkwo after he won a wrestling match.

What is Ezinma's nickname or the meaning associated with her name?

'Ezinma' means 'the good child'; she is especially precious to Ekwefi.

How does Okonkwo conceal his fondness for Ezinma when she brings him his food?

He speaks harshly and orders her around instead of openly expressing affection.

What event takes place on the second day of the festival?

A wrestling competition takes place.

What does Chielo ask Ekwefi about?

She talks with Ekwefi about Ezinma, including her age, and shows interest in the child.

How does the crowd react when Okafor wins the wrestling match?

The crowd cheers enthusiastically, sings praise, claps, and celebrates.

How has Ikemefuna kindled a new fire in Nwoye?

He influences Nwoye to enjoy new stories and more traditionally masculine activities, and the boys become close.

How does Okonkwo feel about Ikemefuna's influence on Nwoye?

He is privately pleased because he thinks Nwoye is becoming more masculine, though he does not show warmth openly.

How does Nwoye feel about Okonkwo's stories of violence and bloodshed?

They trouble him; he prefers the gentler stories told by his mother.

What are the locusts harbingers of?

They signal the arrival of locusts, which the villagers welcome as food.

Why does Obierika's friend Ezeudu come to visit?

He warns Okonkwo not to take part in Ikemefuna's killing because Ikemefuna calls him father.

What does Okonkwo tell Ikemefuna about his fate?

He tells Ikemefuna that he is going home, hiding what is actually going to happen.

How does Nwoye react to the news of Ikemefuna's death?

He is devastated, and Okonkwo responds by beating him.

What does Ikemefuna think about as he walks through the forest?

He thinks about his family and imagines returning home to his mother and sister.

What does Ikemefuna do after a man strikes him with a machete?

He runs toward Okonkwo, crying out to him as a father for help.

What does Okonkwo do to avoid appearing weak?

Despite Ezeudu's warning, he takes part in killing Ikemefuna.

Why does Nwoye feel something snap inside him?

Ikemefuna's death deeply shocks him and brings back painful thoughts about the deaths of infant twins.

Why does Okonkwo feel like a sniveling old woman?

He is grieving Ikemefuna but despises himself for feeling sadness, which he associates with weakness.

What does Obierika say about Okonkwo's part in sacrificing Ikemefuna?

Obierika says Okonkwo should not have taken part and questions whether the act was right.

What does 'what is good in one place is bad in another' mean?

It reflects the idea that customs and morals can vary greatly between different cultures.

What is wrong with Ezinma?

She becomes seriously ill with a fever.

How does the medicine man explain the loss of Ekwefi's babies?

He says they are ogbanje—spirit children believed to die and return to their mother's womb to be born again.

How is Ezinma's bond with the world of ogbanje broken?

The medicine man finds and destroys her iyi-uwa, the object believed to connect her to the spirit world.

What happens to Ezinma when Okonkwo prepares the steaming pot of medicine?

Ekwefi keeps Ezinma under a blanket over the steaming medicinal pot as part of the treatment for her illness.

Why is a large crowd gathered on the village green?

The villagers gather to watch the egwugwu hear a dispute.

What does each of the nine egwugwu represent?

Each represents an ancestral spirit associated with one of the nine villages of Umuofia.

Where is Okonkwo during the egwugwu gathering?

He is among the masked egwugwu who judge the dispute.

How is the dispute settled?

The egwugwu hear both sides and tell Uzowulu to bring wine to his in-laws and beg for his wife; her family is told to return her if he does so.

What is the significance of the lesson in Ekwefi's tortoise folktale?

The tortoise's selfish trickery leads to consequences; the story teaches about the results of greed and deceit.

Why does Chielo come to Okonkwo's compound?

She comes as the priestess of Agbala to take Ezinma to the Oracle.

What does Ekwefi decide to do when Chielo carries Ezinma away on her back?

She follows Chielo because she is worried about her daughter.

Why do you think Okonkwo comes to the cave?

He is concerned about Ezinma and follows to make sure she is safe, even though he does not openly show his feelings.

What is the village celebrating?

The uri, a ceremony celebrating Obierika's daughter's upcoming marriage.

Why did Okonkwo make four trips to the cave?

He repeatedly follows Chielo and Ezinma to check on Ezinma's safety.

What preparations are made for the ceremony?

The families prepare food and palm wine, including yams and kola nuts, and animals are slaughtered for the feast.

What does Okonkwo recall about Ezeudu?

Ezeudu was the elder who warned Okonkwo not to take part in Ikemefuna's death.

What happens when Okonkwo's gun fires the last salute?

A piece of the gun explodes, and Ezeudu's son is accidentally killed.

What must Okonkwo do now that he has committed a crime against the Earth goddess?

He must leave Umuofia for seven years because the killing was accidental, a 'female' crime.

How does Obierika help Okonkwo?

He stores Okonkwo's yams and helps protect his belongings while Okonkwo is away.

Where is Okonkwo going to stay?

He goes to Mbanta, his motherland, to live with his maternal relatives.

What happens to Okonkwo's compound?

It is destroyed by burning, and his animals are killed as part of the clan's customary response to cleanse the land.

How does Obierika feel about Okonkwo's punishment?

He questions the justice of the punishment because the killing was accidental, but recognizes that the clan must follow its laws.

What is the significance of the proverb in the last line of the chapter?

It suggests that the clan's laws and customs affect everyone; Okonkwo's actions bring consequences even though the killing was accidental.

Who is Uchendu?

He is Okonkwo's maternal uncle, the younger brother of Okonkwo's mother.

What does Okonkwo receive from Uchendu and Uchendu's sons?

They give him land to build a compound and start a farm, along with seed yams and support.

Why is Okonkwo unhappy working on his new farm?

He feels discouraged because exile has interrupted his plans and he must rebuild his success from the beginning.

What is the 'great passion' that has ruled Okonkwo's life?

His ambition to become a great, respected man and rise above his father's failures.

Why does Uchendu call together his children and Okonkwo?

He wants to teach Okonkwo about the importance of family, kinship, and the support offered by one's motherland.

What does Uchendu say about Okonkwo's suffering?

He reminds Okonkwo that others suffer too and that a person turns to their motherland for comfort in difficult times.

What is Obierika's news about Abame?

The village of Abame has been destroyed by white men.

What does the Oracle say about the strange men?

The Oracle warns that the strangers will bring destruction to the clan.

What happens when the men discover the man with the iron horse has been killed?

Other white men return with guns and attack Abame while many villagers are gathered in the market, killing many people.

How do Uchendu and Okonkwo feel about the Abame villagers' actions?

They believe the villagers acted foolishly by killing the stranger without understanding the consequences or seeking more information.

What does Obierika jokingly suggest that Okonkwo do to repay him for selling the yams?

He jokes that Okonkwo could repay him by killing one of his sons, highlighting the absurdity of repaying kindness with violence.

What have the missionaries built in Umuofia?

They have built a church and gained a small group of converts.

Which villagers become converts?

People with low status or who feel rejected by the clan, including some efulefu (outcasts), are among the early converts.

What does Nwoye say to Obierika about Okonkwo?

He says that Okonkwo is no longer his father.

What does the missionary say about the villagers' gods?

He calls their gods false and tells them to worship the one true God.

Why is Nwoye captivated by the new religion?

Its teachings speak to his doubts and distress, especially his feelings about the killing of Ikemefuna and the abandonment of twins.

Why do the rulers of Mbanta give the missionaries a plot of land in the Evil Forest?

They expect the forest's supposed spiritual dangers to kill the missionaries or drive them away.

Who is Mr. Kiaga?

He is the interpreter and leader who helps the missionaries communicate with converts.

Why does Nwoye hesitate to enter the church?

He is troubled by his father's reaction and feels torn between his family and the new religion.

How do the villagers react when the missionaries survive twenty-eight days in the Evil Forest?

They are surprised, and the church gains credibility and attracts more converts.

What is the significance of the first woman convert?

Her conversion shows that the new religion can appeal to people who have suffered or felt excluded under traditional customs.

Why does Nwoye go to Umuofia?

He leaves to attend the missionaries' school and learn to read and write.

What does Okonkwo fear about the future?

He fears that his children and other young people will abandon their traditions and join the Christian church.

How does Okonkwo's realization about 'living fire begets cold, impotent ash' reflect his relationship with Nwoye?

Okonkwo sees himself as strong and forceful, but his harshness and rigid expectations have pushed Nwoye away rather than making him like his father.