1. Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe

2. 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

3. 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

4. Nigeria

5. Igbo Society Social & Political Structures
Lack of centralized political structures
Lived in autonomous villages and 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

6. Igbo Society Marriage Customs
Marriages were discussed in depth as they brought families and 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

7. 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 and 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

8. Things Fall Apart Purpose
Achebe’s purposes in writing the novel
To celebrate and remember the Ibo cultural traditions of Nigerians
To address the Western perception of Africa as “the Dark Continent” and counter Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

9. Things Fall Apart Background
The Igbo people and Okonkwo
The colonization of Nigeria
The setting and writing of the novel
I. Purpose
Achebe wrote his novel as a reaction to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
He felt it was a racist text
He wanted to tell the real story of Nigerian Africans
II. Igbo people
Igbo people are not idealized characters (they are real NOT perfect)
Okonkwo
He is not a likeable character
Masculine hero (strength, aggression, violence, recklessness)
He is a problematic character
Strength of the novel is its complexity (characters, morality/ethics)
Readers must grapple with complex themes and their own beliefs
III. Colonization of Nigeria
1890’s the British move into Nigeria
They bring Christianity and government
Indigenous people become second-class citizens
Natural resources: Palm Oil, Cotton, and wood
IV. The setting and writing of the novel
Setting: Period just preceding and the beginning British Colonization
Written: Nigeria was working to secure their freedom

10. Things Fall Apart Themes
Betrayal
Change and Transformation
Good and Evil
Culture Clash
Custom and Tradition
Choices and Consequences
Alienation and Loneliness

11. Things Fall Apart Characters
Okonkwo: The proud, ambitious, and ill-tempered tragic hero
Unoka: Okonkwo's father
Ikemefuna: A young boy given to Umuofia by a neighboring village as tribute.
Nwoye: Okonkwo's son.
Ezinma: Okonkwo's favorite daughter
Obierika: Okonkwo's great friend
Mr. Brown: A white man and missionary.
Mr. Smith: Mr. Brown's replacement.