Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe

Achebe, about African Literature “The reason African Literature came into existence because these things that were supposed to represent [Africans] were inaccurate. There was a vacuum, a gap to be filled” ~Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe brief biography Born 1930 in a Christian family in Ogidi in Eastern Nigeria Went to college, taught at university Received the Nigerian National merit Award in 1987 By 1995 over 8 million copies of Things Fall Apart were sold

Igbo Society Social & Political Structures Lack of centralized political structures Lived in autonomous villages & towns, ruled by their elders Organized in patrilineages Democracy was obtained through a council of elders, age groups, councils of chiefs, women’s associations, and secret societies

Igbo Society Marriage Customs Marriages were discussed in depth as they brought families & entire villages together Most husbands practiced polygamy Igbo women lived in separate houses, cooked for themselves, and raised their own children Unhappy women could leave a marriage

Igbo Society Igbo Religion (polytheistic) Chukwu (the supreme being) is everywhere at the same time--therefore there are no shrines or altars for worship Ekwensu=trickster god who caused problems The ikenga = a wooden carving that symbolizes a man’s strength & success--a priest invokes a spirit into it & the men consult it for advice Chi = a person’s personal god…follows you throughout life and can be either malevolent or benevolent…but chi does not control destiny

Things Fall Apart brief background Story is set between 1860 & 1890--written between 1952 & 1958; a time when Nigeria was finally ending colonial rule Central theme=what happens to the values that define Okonkwo’s cultural community & define his sense of moral order when everything collapses in the face of European colonialism Colonial rule destabilizes traditional values & institutions There is a crisis of authority & power, which leads to a crisis of culture