Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe a Nigerian novelist, poet professor and a critic born in Ogidi in 1930. Things Fall Apart was his first novel and won the Man Booker International Prize in 2007. Achebe’s novel is extremely popular in modern African Literature. Through illuminating author’s purpose, skillfully decided formal diction, and the substantial influence of secondary characters, Chinua Achebe has produced an award winning novel that enlightens the reader about authentic Nigerian history. Author’s purpose is an important concept in Things Fall Apart. Achebe wrote the novel to inform readers about authentic Nigerian history. His main objective when writing the novel was to correct the misconceptions that British authors persuaded readers to believe. Achebe wanted to help apprise the African’s side of the story about the early days of British rule in Nigeria, where the author’s he thought to be inaccurate and insulting told of stories from the British viewpoints. Achebe wrote about Okonkwo who was an honored warrior and his inability to adapt to the new conditions living under British rule. “It is against our custom” (Hurston 25) said one of Okonkwo’s acquaintances. This quote helps the reader understand that the British rulers were not familiar with the practices in Nigerian societies. This quote is impactful because it describes Achebe’s purpose of informing the oblivious Britains. This word choice relates to informing readers by stating a
Things fall apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. It is set during the late 19th, early 20th century in a small village named Umuofia situated in Nigeria. This time period is important because it was a period in colonial history when the British were increasing their influence economic, cultural, and political influence in Africa. The novel deals with the rise and fall of Okonkwo, a man from the village of Umuofia. It also explains the effect of the appearance of the British on the Igbo society in terms of the destruction of social connections. In this text, there are several passages in which their
Post colonialism deals with cultural identity in colonized societies and the ways in which writers articulate that identity. Things Fall Apart is a good novel that serves as a reminder of what Nigeria once was. It shows how a society can deal with change, how change affects the individuals of that society, and how delicate a change can be; so much so that the people themselves are surprised at the change.
The focus of the individual is prominent in Things Fall Apart, a tale of an almost anti-social being in a world dominated by change. Achebe's main character, Okonkwo, is the window to the dramatization of social, economic, and political change of the nation known as Nigeria. The focus of the narrative is the struggle of a strong and well respected individual to maintain his own life course, and to differentiate this outcome from the end result of his lethargic father's life. The story embodies the ideal of embracing the individual's goals and aspirations to yield an outcome
When I first began reading Things Fall Apart, it helped me understand about the Nigerian culture. This novel is a post-colonial novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe in 1958. It is seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English, one of the first to receive global critical acclaim. The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo leader and local wrestling champion in the fictional Nigerian village of Umuofia who is afraid to share his feelings for fear of being thought as weak and he had to protect his reputation. He is a brave man, but stands alone a lot with his decision to fight. He believes everyone in the tribe has turned into women when they do not want to fight, but deep down he is just like them, but afraid of how people will now view him. When he starts to become violent he accidentally kills a man and is forced to leave his tribe. When he is allowed to
Stirling McKelvie Mrs. Ivey English IV – AP 11 February 2015 Annotated Bibliography 1. Achebe, Chinua – Things Fall Apart, 1958 The novel Things Fall Apart is about the destruction a young man named Okonkwo and the Igbo civilization. Okonkwo is an esteemed chief that observes the Igbo community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria.
Overall, Things Fall Apart exhibits the detrimental effects on the native Nigerian people during colonization. Achebe shows the consequences of being forced into a new way of life and the complete change in traditional Nigerian lifestyle and influences of every aspect of their culture in regards to religion and beliefs, government, social hierarchy, and
The single story of Africa has been reinforced by European hegemony, which has led to the changed perceptions of Africa in the West. Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, attempts to reverse the single story towards Africa by depicting African culture and customs which has led to the closer study of African way of life that couldn’t be justified with a Eurocentric perspective.
Throughout the book Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe challenges the typical stereotypes of colonial Africa. The story follows the lives of the Ibo people, and explains the culture and traditions of African tribes in Nigeria before and after being colonized by the Europeans.
Umuofia is a village in Africa, and the inhabitants there are usually united. However, when the Christians arrive and permeate the village, the clan changes but also falls apart. The novel in which this story takes place is called Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The story is about a well-respected man named Okonkwo who has three wives and many children, the oldest being Nwoye. Okonkwo is banished for seven years from Umuofia, and during those seven years, Umuofia is changed fundamentally by the Christian faith. Many people are converted, but the whole clan is in conflict. This novel demonstrates that Christianity destroys but also guides the Ibo culture in Umuofia.
The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a commanding account about the rise and fall of an African tribe. The powerful narrative depicts the life and customs of the people and how they change through the years. Theere are many different ideas and characters that are preseneted throughout the novel. The depiction of women is one aspect that is of extreme relevance. It can be shown through several passages in the novel that the women are actually the unseen power behind the mighty Umofian tribe.
The novel "Things Fall Apart" examines African culture before the colonial infiltration. Achebe's novel forces us to examine the customs and traditions that make up an informal culture. At times we may find some their practices appalling, but Achebe makes us realize that the traditions and customs are what essentially hold the Ibo together. Achebe wrote 'Things Fall Apart" with the intention of changing the common view of African culture. He wrote the novel from an insider's perspective, revealing that African culture was not solely based on barbaric and mindless rituals. Achebe reveals the affects of the colonial infiltration on African societies. Through his
The book Things Fall Apart successfully expressed how Chinua Achebe had succeeded in writing a different story. It pointed out the conflict of oneself, the traditional beliefs, and the religious matters of the Africans. Throughout the novel, Chinua Achebe used simple but dignified words and unlike other books, he also included some flashbacks and folktales to make the novel more interesting and comprehensible. Things Fall Apart was about a man named Okonkwo, who was always struggling with his inner fear although he was known for being a strong, powerful, and fearless warior. He feared of weakness, and failure more than the fear of losing
The novel, things fall apart was set in the late nineteenth century which was a period of conflict and drastic change in Africa, where indigenous societies clashed with imperialistic European powers. The author, Chinua Achebe adds this tension of the historic British colonial expansion to present another dimension to Okonkwo's tragedy. Achebe challenges ethnocentric views of Africa through his use of language throughout the novel. The author also includes themes of Cultural relativism by introducing the Ibo’s traditions and language.
Change impacts everyday life, to the big picture in people's lives. People have dealt with change for ages. It is a challenge that people must face at some time in our lives. In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, he shows the effects of change on a civilization of people and their ways of dealing with it. It shows the story of the Igbo people and their story of change from colonization. From the arrival of Christian missionaries, things began to change for these people, they had to learn to deal with a new culture, turbulent results followed. Achebe portrays a positive change through constructive institutions and a peaceful religion, however with negative tradeoffs such as racist hierarchical problems.
“As human beings we do change, grow, adapt, perhaps even learn and become wiser” (Wendy Carlos). Although true, this statement isn’t ubiquitous. Some cannot change and unfortunately there are repercussions. In “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Achebe, this is the case. The story discusses the lgbo community of Umuofia in Nigeria. The story concentrates on a respected member, Okonkwo, as he deals with making a name for himself in his community and ultimately dealing with the perceived threat of white men looking to spread their religion. The focus is on Okonkwo’s internal struggle with how he perceives the environment around him and whether he can change as a result. Through close examination of Okonkwo, particularly his internal fears, actions, and mindset, one can see that he has not made any progress in coming to terms with himself and his surroundings until it is too late.