He is almost single-minded in his goal to be a great man, discarding anything that may be considered cowardice or effeminate. Okonkwo is a short-tempered and abrupt man who is proud and obstinate. His exploits as a wrestler, having defeated a famous tribesman who was thought unbeatable, helped elevate his status. He has worked hard and made a name for himself as a provider and a respected clansman receiving titles from the community. This has brought shame on him however Okonkwo has made himself into a man that shares none of this shame. He is in immense debt and refuses to work his way out from under it. Effeminacy is used to describe any man considered not to uphold the masculine ideals as constructed by the culture. Okonkwo’s father, Unoko, is seen as lazy, squandering, and ‘effeminate’ in the eyes of the village. It follows a respected tribesman Okonkwo who has endeavoured to make something of himself despite his start in life. Things Fall Apart begins in a pre-colonial setting in a village called Umuofia, a part of the Igbo clans. It raises the inescapability of change and the uncertainty of exactly what that change will bring. These lines from The Second Coming describe a moment in history when the past has been obliterated and the future is unknown but arriving any ominous minute. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.’ ( W B Yeats)Īchebe’s use of Yeats’ poetry in his prologue is adept for the context of this novel. ![]() Things fall apart the center cannot hold ‘Turning and turning in the widening gyre While many found this transition to be fulfilling, establishing Nigeria as a protected and wealthier region, many traditional tribesmen such as some represented in Chinua’s novel struggled with the change. The education system played a large part in this as mission schools took young converts and trained them to be the intellectual, commercial, civic, and military elites, who would then often be promoted by the British colonial government. Treaties and trade policies were established.Ĭolonial administrators encouraged conversion to Christianity and it spread from 1860 onwards. Among the emissaries were businessmen, soldiers and missionaries. Following the discovery of quinine, a medicine which removed fear of catching the deadly disease malaria, the British pushed further into the continent than ever before. They quickly tapped resources such as palm oil and cotton and established themselves with certain aristocratic groups. Outspoken in his criticism of writers who engaged the African continent in their writings, such as Joseph Conrad in Heart of Darkness, Chinua employed Things Fall Apart to correct literature’s stereotypical portrayal of Africans and show a more multifaceted and valuable culture.Īfter the outlawing of slavery in 1807, the British established relations with Nigeria in the guise of preventing others from engaging in the slave trade. , that they had poetry and, above all, they had dignity’. ![]() Okonkwo, however, is an example of what happens to a person who concerns himself more with avoiding his father's traits than with living his own, independent life.Chinua Achebe’s writing is underscored by his desire to establish that ‘African peoples did not hear of culture for the first time from Europeans that their societies were not mindless. It’s common for people to fear being like their parents, and overcompensate by behaving in the completely opposite way. You know, like the kid with the alcoholic dad who decides never to touch a drink, or the one that has a hideously penny-pinching mom who grows up vowing to never shop at a discount store or use coupons while grocery shopping. ![]() Most people, though, do see qualities in their parents that scare them. Okonkwo doesn’t respect anything about his father, which is a bit extreme. ![]() One of the most fascinating parts of Things Fall Apart comes from watching Okonkwo's ongoing battle against being like his father. Do you mean to tell us that you’ve never been afraid of becoming like one of your parents? Even an eensy bit scared? But if you think you can’t relate to this book, think again. We bet your dad hasn’t murdered your adoptive brother, and we’re guessing that your country hasn’t just been colonized and your culture shattered. So, unless you’re from Nigeria, you might not be able to relate to the Igbo culture. What is Things Fall Apart About and Why Should I Care?
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