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Chinua Achebe 's Things Fall Apart

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Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe Contemporary Classics Study Questions PART I Chapter 1 1. Describe Okonkwo’s position in the clan and his personality. Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe that is part of a consortium of nine connected villages, including Okonkwo’s village, Iguedo. In his youth, he brought honor to his village by beating Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. Until his match with Okonkwo, the Cat had been undefeated for seven years. 2. Describe Okonkwo’s father. His father is named Unoka. Okonkwo is completely unlike his now deceased father, Unoka, who feared the sight of blood and was a debtor, always borrowing and losing money, which meant that his wife and children often went hungry. Unoka was, however, a skilled flute player and had a gift for, and love of, language. By the standards of the clan, Unoka was a coward and a spendthrift. He never took a title in his life, he borrowed money from his clansmen, and he rarely repaid his debts. He never became a warrior because he feared the sight of blood. Moreover, he died of an abominable illness. On the positive side, Unoka appears to have been a talented musician and gentle, if idle. He may well have been a dreamer, ill-suited to the chauvinistic culture into which he was born. The novel opens ten years after his death. Chapter 2 3. What does Okonkwo think when he hears the gong? He wonders what was amiss, and he sensed in the crier’s voice that it may be a

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