The author and his work

Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe is possibly

the best known and most influential writer of
fiction to have emerged from Africa. His
novel, Things Fall Apart, was published in
1958. It has been translated into forty-five
languages and is still read all over the world.
In this work, Achebe recreates the late
nineteenth-century world of an Igbo tribe
(known in English as the lbo), with its rich heritage of customs
and beliefs, and examines the impact of the first white
missionaries on the indigenous people of north-eastern Nigeria

Achebe lives and works in the USA, and is still passionately

interested in African politics. He has written a number of novels,
of which Things Fall Apart is considered his masterpiece. He has
received numerous awards and honorary doctorates. He has
also published short stories and essays, and his volume of poetry,
Beware Soul Brother, won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize in
1987. His greatest legacy is the way in which he has revealed
the complexity of traditional African culture to modern African
people and to his non-African readers around the world. In
November 2006, Achebe was recognised for his achievements
in the business and culture section of the Time magazine edition
60 Years of Heroes.

The Ibo in the late nineteenth century

Our knowledge of the world of the Ibo at this point in history
gradually increases as the story unfolds. This understanding
enables us to appreciate the main theme: the impact on the
lives of the Ibo caused by the arrival of Christian missionaries and
the subsequent establishment of British authority in Nigeria.
The tribe consists of a group of nine villages that are each
inhabited by a clan and linked by ties of blood. Village life is
governed by the rituals and traditions developed over many
generations, with slight variations from clan to clan. The Ibo
regard people from other parts of Nigeria as foreigners, and
sometimes go to war against these tribes.

This is a patriarchal society where men practise polygamy (marry

more than one wife), and women have little status. Okonkwo, for
example, regularly beats his wives, sometimes for the most trivial
reasons. Men live with their families in compounds called obis
Crops are stored in barns within the walls of the compounds.

Women are responsible for domestic chores such as cooking

and taking care of the young children.
Time is measured by the Ibo in periods of four day known as
market weeks, and it follows the rhythms of the seasons. The
people live a simple life as subsistence farmers, growing yams,
coco-yams, beans and cassava, and drinking palm-wine. Their
currency is the cowrie shell. They use utensils from the earth, such
as gourds for storing and drinking palm-wine, and pottery vessels
for fetching and storing water.

Attitude towards the gods

Chukwu is the creator of the world and the most powerful god,
but the tribe also worships many lesser gods. The gods are
feared and they are described in the novel as evil and
capricious. They inhabit the natural and supernatural worlds
and must be appeased. They sometimes demand acts of
violence such as the death of Ikemefuna.

The chi
This is the concept of one's personal god. Okonkwo worships his
personal god with offerings of kola nut, food and palm-wine.
Although the clan acknowledges that a good chi is helpful,
they still believe that a person is responsible for creating his or
her own success. Humility is valued, but a successful person is
respected for his or her achievements. For example, even
though Okonkwo is arrogant, the clan still respects him for his
achievements. By contrast, the Oracle tells Unoka that his
misfortunes are due to laziness and not to a bad chi.

The importance of the ancestors

The religious festivals and the rituals practised by the Ibo have
their origins deep in the past and reflect the continuity of life
over many generations. The ancestors of the clan are revered,
as they provide this close link between past and present. They
are called upon to administer justice during disputes between
tribe members. During sacred ceremonies, masked tribesmen,
known as egwugwu, represent the spirits of the nine sons of the
clan's first father.
The Oracle
In Umuofia, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves (also called
Agbala), interprets messages from the ancestors. These are
communicated to the tribe through the priestess Chielo. The
Oracle and the egwugwu take the place of a chief, but men
within the clan can earn various clan titles to enhance their
status. This is Onkonkwo's aim, which is destroyed by his exile
and the subsequent changes that take place in Umuofia while
he is away.

Gods and festivals linked to nature

 The gods of the Ibo are linked to the natural world. Events,
such as birth, marriage, death, planting and the harvest,
are celebrated through complex rituals.
 The Feast of Ani: Ani is the earth goddess who must not be
offended, or she may blight the harvest. The week
between harvesting and planting is sacred to her and is
known as the Peace of Ani. Ezeani is the priest of Ani.
 The Feast of the New Yam: This is a celebration of plenty
and is also sacred to Ani. Wealthy clansmen invite their
relatives to celebrate this important occasion with them.
The great wrestling match is traditionally held on the
second day of the feast.
 The sacred python: This is the physical manifestation of the
god of water, and so a python may not be harmed or
killed.
 Taboos
 Things and people who are seen as unnatural, such as
twins, the bodies of suicides, or those suffering from the
swelling disease, are cast out of the tribe into the Evil
Forest.
 The killing of a clan member is forbidden and is punishable
by death. However, an accidental killing - called a female
crime (a lesser crime) - leads to the exile of the perpetrator
for a certain number of years.
 Association with the outcasts (those dedicated to a
certain god) is taboo.
The impact of the Scramble for Africa on the Ibo
During the nineteenth century, Africa was made more
accessible to non-Africans by travelling explorers, traders and
missionaries. Britain, Belgium. Italy. France. Germany and
Portugal then embarked on a race to build colonial empires in
Africa, often with disastrous effects on the indigenous tribes.
Europeans believed their values to be superior to those of
Africans. They considered the values of the indigenous cultures
of Africa to be savage and irrelevant, and attempted to
superimpose their own European values on these cultures.

SUMMARY OF THE PLOT

Structure of the novel
Each chapter consists of a series of episodes, which are
frequently relate in flashbacks. Dialogue intersperses these
episodes, along with proverbs and fables that enshrine the lore
of the clan.

Part Important plot developments

This deals with Okonkwos life in Umuofia during

the three years when Ikemefuna stays with
One Okonkwo's family. The rituals and rhythms of
the life of the clan are established. Part One
ends with the exile of Okonkwo and his family.

During Okonkwo's seven years of exile in his

mother's village of Mbanta, much of the focus
remains on Umuofia. Obierika, Okonkwos best
friend who visits him from time to time,
becomes the narrator of what is happening in
Umuofia. He describes the arrival of the
Two
missionaries, an event that brings about many
changes within the clan, including the
conversion of Nwoye to Christianity. Part Two
ends on an ominous note, as the clan elders
see the new religion as a threat to the future of
the clan.
Okonkwo returns to Umuofia, where he finally
understands that his way of life has
disappeared forever. Matters between white
authority and the traditional clansmen come
to a head, leading to the destruction of the
church and the arrest, imprisonment and
assault of the clan leaders. The novel reaches
its tragic climax when Okonkwo takes a stand
Three
and kills one of the court messengers. He is not
supported by the clan and, in despair, he
hangs himself. The novel ends with a cynical
insight into the narrow mindset of the District
Commissioner. He symbolises the ignorance
and arrogance of so many of the colonialists
who destroyed the indigenous cultures of
Africa.

Part One: Chapters 1-13

Chapter 1

Okonkwo, the major character, is in the prime of life. He has

three wives and eleven children, and has won fame as a great
wrestler, warrior and wealthy farmer throughout the nine
villages of his region. Okonkwo is bitterly ashamed of his father.
Unoka (a lazy. thriftless man who had died ten years earlier.
deeply in debt), and has always been determined to prove
himself as a man. He achieves this, as he is later chosen by the
tribe to look after Ikemefuna, a hostage from a neighbouring
village.
Chapter 2
A woman from Umuofia. Ezeugo, has been murdered by
villagers from Mbaino. Okonkwo leads a deputation to the
village with an ultimatum: there will be war unless a young man
and a virgin are sent to Umuofia as compensation. The virgin is
given to Ogbuefi Udo in place of his murdered wife, and the
bewildered young man, Ikemefuna, is given to Okonkwo to
look after while his fate is decided.

Okonkwo is a harsh, inflexible man, respected and feared by his

wives and children. He is very disappointed in his first son.
Nwoye, believing him to be too much like Okonkwo’s despised
dead father. Nwoye's mother, Ekwefi, is told to look after
Ikemefuna.

Chapter 3
Okonkwo is a self-made man who was given no help by his
father, sometime before his death. Unoka had consulted
Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves, about his poor
harvest. He was told that his laziness was the cause of his
misfortune. He later contracted a swelling disease and was left
to die in the Evil Forest. By contrast. Okonkwo, in order to
improve his situation, had become a sharecropper for a
wealthy neighbour. Okonkwo's indomitable will is his driving
force and it has enabled him to survive great hardships.

Chapter 4
Despite Okonkwo's harsh nature, he becomes fond of the
hostage boy. Ikemefuna. He is pleased when Nwoye becomes
close to Ikemefuna, hoping that his son will improve. Okonkwo
breaks the Peace of Ani, the earth goddess, by beating his
youngest wife. Ojiugo. As an act of repentance, he is
commanded by the priest to take a she-goat, a hen, a length
of cloth and a hundred cowries to the shrine of Ani.

Chapter 5
During the Feast of the New Yam to celebrate the harvest.
Okonkwo is frustrated by the lengthy preparations and picks a
quarrel with Ekwefi. When she defends herself, he becomes
enraged and beats her. His irrational decision to go hunting
with a rusty, old rifle almost ends in tragedy when he fires the
weapon at Ekwefi. Fortunately, she is unharmed. This incident
foreshadows the tragedy with the rifle in Chapter 13.
There is a great deal of preparation and excitement for the
great wrestling match to be held between the neighbouring
villages. As the drums build up during the afternoon, we meet
other members of Okonkwo's family: Nwoye's sister. Obiageli,
who has broken her waterpot, and Nkechi, daughter of his third
wife.

Chapter 6
A great crowd has gathered to watch the wrestling match.
Ekwefi and Chielo, priestess of Agbala, discuss Ezinma. Ekwefi's
daughter. At first the crowd is entertained by the drums and
then by a contest between young boys of fifteen or sixteen. In
the main event, the two young men are evenly matched, but
eventually. Okafo defeats Ikezue to become the hero of the
crowd.

Chapter 7
After three years, Ikemefuna has become closely integrated
into Okonkwo's family. It is thus a shock when the Oracle
decrees that Ikemefuna should be killed. Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the
oldest and most respected man in the clan, advises Okonkwo
to have nothing to do with the killing as the boy regards
Okonkwo as a father. Ikemefuna is told that he will be returning
home, but is taken beyond the village by a group of men from
Umuofia. When the first blow is struck, Ikemefuna cries out to
Okonkwo for help but Okonkwo, fearing that he will be thought
weak, strikes him down with his machete. Nwoye is devastated
by the death of his great friend.

Chapter 8
Okonkwo is ashamed of his grief over Ikemefuna's death. He is
disappointed in Nwoye and wishes that his daughter, Ezinma,
had been a boy. Later, Okonkwo attends the negotiations of
the bride-price for Obierika's daughter, Akueke.

Chapter 9
Okonkwo's favourite daughter, Ezinma, almost dies from a
violent fever (probably malaria). Ekwefi is devastated by
Ezinma's illness, as her previous nine children had died. Ezinma
is believed to be an ogbanje, or child who dies and then
re-enters the mother's womb, only to die once again in a
continuing cycle. However, Ezinma has broken the cycle by
destroying her iyi-uwe, the stone which bound her to the spirit
world. Okonkwo treats Ezinma with traditional medicine and
she recovers.

Chapter 10
A trial is held in the village to determine the fate of Mgbafo
who has left her abusive husband, Uzowulu, and returned to
the home of her brothers. The egwugwu (tribesmen
representing the ancestral spirits), hear the case and settle the
dispute by ordering the man to beg his wife to return to him,
and to agree not to beat her in the future.

Chapter 11
One night, while Ekwefi and Ezinma are telling stories, Chielo, in
her role as the priestess of Agbala, rushes in and takes Ezinma
away carrying her on her back. Ekwefi follows Chielo on a long
journey through the darkness and eventually, she sees them
enter the caves of the Oracle. Okonkwo is also at the cave
mouth and he and Ekwefi, his favourite wife, wait together.

Chapter 12
The community gathers at Obierika's compound to celebrate
his daughter's Uri, when her suitor's family brings fifty pots of
palm-wine to his home. Okonkwo I exhausted as he had made
four trips to the shrine the previous night searching for Ezinma.
The praise-singer pays tribute to the great men of the
community and Okonkwo is acknowledged as the greatest
wrestler and warrior alive. The bride then leaves to spend seven
market weeks (twenty-eight days) with her suitor’s family.

Chapter 13
During the funeral of Ezeudu, a great man in the community,
Okonkwo's gun accidentally explodes, killing the dead man's
sixteen-year-old son. This is regarded as a 'female' crime
because it was an accident, but tribal law requires Okonkwo
to leave Umuofia with his family and to return to his mother's
clan at Mbanta for seven years. The men of Umuofia then
destroy his compound, his animals and his stores of food.
Obierika is troubled by Okonkwo's suffering, but can find no
answer to his questions.
Part Two: Chapters 14-19
Chapter 14
Although Okonkwo and his family are welcomed to Mbanta,
and he is given land for an obi and for farming, he is in despair.
Uchendu chastises him, reminding him that his motherland is his
refuge and that many people suffer more greatly than he does.

Chapter 15
Obierika visits Okonkwo in the second year of his exile and
describes the arrival of a white man on an iron horse (a bicycle)
in the region. The Oracle ordered the white man's death and
also prophesied the arrival of more white men who would bring
trouble to the Ibo people. In retaliation for the murder, the
village of Abame is destroyed. Obierika also brings Okonkwo
two bags of cowrie shells from the sale of Okonkwos yams and
seed-yams.

Chapter 16
During Obierika's second visit to Okonkwo, the events of the
past two years are told. The missionaries have arrived in the
villages of Umuofia and Mbanta. They have made many
converts to Christianity, in lu in Nwoye, who has been disowned
by his father.

Chapter 17
The missionaries build their church in the Evil Forest at Mbanta.
They do not die as expected, but begin to win converts. Nwoye
eventually finds the courage to join the church, but his secret is
revealed when Okonkwo's cousin, Amikwu, sees him among the
Christians and tells Okonkwo. After a bitter confrontation with his
father, Nwoye leaves Mbanta and returns to Umuofia to join the
mission school.

Chapter 18
Conflict develops between the clan and the Christian priest
Kiaga when he admits outcasts to the Christian church. The
matter comes to a head when it is rumoured that Okoli, one of
the outcasts, has killed a python (pythons are sacred to the
watergod). Okonkwo wants to use violence to expel the
Christians, but the clan ostracises the converts instead.
However, when Okoli dies, the clansmen believe that their gods
are still powerful.
Chapter 19
Okonkwo's exile is drawing to an end. He asks Obierika to build
two huts in which he and his family can live while Okonkwo
builds a new compound. Ekwefi prepares a lavish feast for
Okonkwos mother's kinsmen. Part Two ends on an ominous note
when one of the elders, in his farewell speech to Okonkwo,
expresses his concern for the younger generation and for the
future of the clan. He says that they have embraced an
abominable religion, which is destroying the traditions of the
clan.

Part Three: Chapters 20-25

Chapter 20
On his return home, Okonkwo hopes to redeem his former status
by marrying his daughters to important men and by initiating two
of his sons into the ozo society for men of rank. However, Umuofia
is much changed, with many prominent converts to Christianity.
The village is now under the authority of a district commissioner,
assisted by court messengers (called kotma), who are strangers
to Umuofia. The people are now imprisoned for following their
ancient customs and some, such as Aneto, have been hanged.
Okonkwo cannot understand why the white men have not been
expelled. Obierika explains that so many of the clansmen have
converted to the new religion, and support the government,
that the clan is now divided and is powerless to resist.

Chapter 21
Okonkwos return is barely noticed under the new circumstances.
The people of Umuofia are adjusting to the new dispensation
and enjoying their increased wealth from trade in palm-wine
and kernel. This is largely due to the influence of the missionary,
Mr Brown. He is a moderate man who tries not to clash with the
clan, preferring to persuade them to send their children to his
school and to build a hospital. Under him, religion and education
[go] hand in hand. Many clansmen become educated and
take up jobs as clerks and teachers, such as Nwoye, and some
go into neighbouring villages to spread the new faith. Shortly
after Okonkwo's return, Mr Brown is forced by ill health to leave
Umuofia.
Chapter 22
Mr Brown is succeeded by the Reverend James Smith, a
narrow-minded man determined to eradicate the traditions of
the tribe. The convert Enoch, son of the snake-priest, causes
open conflict when he unmasks an egwugwu during a sacred
ceremony. The egwugwu destroy Enoch's compound. When
they attack the church, Reverend Smith is joined by Okeke, his
interpreter, and this initially saves him from the angry men. Ajofia,
the most powerful egwugwu and head of the nine ancestors of
the clan, pacifies the other egwugwu. Reverend Smith is left
unharmed, but the church is destroyed.

Chapter 23

Okonkwo believes that the clan has taken a stand and he is

reassured. However, Reverend Smith complains to the District
Commissioner, who requests a meeting with six of the leaders of
Umuofia. By a clever ruse, he has them overpowered and
handcuffed. He imposes a fine of two hundred bags of cowries,
but insists that the leaders of Umuofia are treated with respect
during their captivity. His orders are disregarded by the head
messenger who shaves the heads of the prisoners, and starves
and assaults them. Messengers arrive in Umuofia and demand
immediate payment of 250 bags of cowries, or the prisoners will
be hanged. The men of Umuofia agree to this, unaware that
fifty bags will go into the pockets of the corrupt court
messengers.

Chapter 24
Okonkwo and the other leaders are deeply humiliated by their
treatment and return home in silence. The next morning, at a
meeting to decide on a course of action, Okika urges the clan
to root out [the] evil of the white man, even if this causes the
deaths of some of their own clansmen. Before a decision can
be taken, messengers from the court arrive to stop the meeting
and Okonkwo beheads one of the messengers. Instead of
falling
on the
other men,
the people
of Umuofia
allow them to
escape.

Okonkwo finally understands that he is on his own and that

Umuofia will never go to war against the white man.

Chapter 25
The District Commissioner arrives to arrest Okonkwo. Obierika
and a small group of men take the District Commissioner to a
tree from which Okonkwo has hanged himself even though,
under tribal lore, it is an abomination for a man to take his own
life. For this reason, Okonkwos body cannot be touched by men
of his own clan, but must be buried by strangers.

In the final lines of the novel, the complete lack of

understanding that the District Commissioner has for the people
he has subdued is made clear: he will include the story of
Okonkwo as a paragraph in a book he is writing, called The
Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.
LOOKING AT CHARACTER
Okonkwo's family

Name Description
The main character; an heroic figure in the tribe
Deeply ashamed of his father and therefore
determined to succeed Fiercely traditional; is
one of the egwugwu
Aims to achieve all the titles as a senior man in his
clan
A man of action; proud and often arrogant;
harsh,
Okonkwo inflexible and impatient
Uncompromising, unforgiving and intolerant of
others;
hot-tempered and often irrational
Bitterly opposed to the missionaries and the
British
officials
Respected and feared by his wives and children;
loves
Ezinma deeplg; Slllll'lWrislngly, he '9 ows to love
Unoka Ikemefuna
CW«lDnikwo's father
Charming, sociable, lazy and hedonistic (or
pleasure-loving)
Prefers music and drinking to working in his fields
Has no titles
Extravagant and therefore, in debt
Okonkwo's
Contracts the first and seniorsickness
swelling wife, who
andhasdies
many
a
Nwoye's children
shameful death
mother Obiageli
in the EvilisForest
her daughter
Looks after Ikemefuna
Ekwefi Okonkwo's second wife and his favourite
Marriage to Okonkwo is a love-match, as she left
her first
husband to live with him
Mother of Ezinma, Okonkwo's favourite child
Ojiugo Has lost nine
Okonkwos children
third wife and is terrified that Ezinma,
too, will
die
A feisty woman who occasionally stands up to
Okonkwo

Name Description
~
Nwoye
Okonkwo's eldest son
~ Sensitive and thoughtful
~ Afraid of his father
~ Loves Ikemefuna as a brother
Becomes a Christian
~

~ Okonkwo and Ekwefi's daughter

Ezinma
Okonkwo's favourite child - he wishes she
~ were a
~ y
Close to and deeply loved by her
~
mother
~ Devoted to her father
An ogbanje who finds her iyi-uwa, thus
~ breaking the cycle
of recurring birth and death
~
A favourite of Chielo
Grows into a beautiful, intelligent woman

Other characters

Name Description
Ikeme ~ Like a son to Okorrkwo
funa ~ A good friend of Nwoye
~ More manly than Nwoye
Trusts Okonkwo, but is killed by him
~
Obieri ~ Okonkwo's close friend, who sometimes
ka disagrees
his actionswith
~ He is a thinker who also criticises some of
of the clan
~ the
When traditions
Okonkwo goes into exile, he gives
to. slnarecroppers
Okonkwo's yams to preserve some of his
for his return
~ friend's
Is the linkwealth
between Okonkwo and Umuofia
~ A moderate man who believes in
Chielo ~ Ekwefi's
compromise friend
~ Loves Ezinma as a daughter
~ Is also the priestess of Agbala (the Oracle
thetheCaves)and
~ of
Takes Hills
on a completely different persona
as the priestess of the Oracle
when functioning
The ~ In Part One, the clan is sometimes treated
clan
Umuof as a single to emphasise its unity
character
of
ia

Questions
Chapter 1

Find examples of diction (or word choice) from paragraphs one and
three that establish Okonkwo's character for the reader.
Achebe uses figurative language in a specific way in the novel.
2.1 Comment on the effect of the simile telling us that Okonkwo was
as slippery as a fish in water.
2.2 The simile like a bush-fire in the harmattan is another comparison
drawn from nature. Why has Achebe used this type of comparison
in his writing?
What is the effect of the many simple and compound sentences used?
Unoka uses a proverb to justify his behaviour when he explains why he spends his money on palm-wine.
4.1 Quote the proverb and explain it in your own words.
4.2 What does this proverb reveal about Unoka's character?
4.3 How did Unoka's clan regard this attitude when he was young, in contrast to when he was an older
man?
Quote from the novel to show how Okonkwo felt about his father.
What is the only consolation that Okonkwo feels as Unoka's son?

Theme
Which themes are illustrated in Unoka's song to the kite (a bird that is similar to a hawk)?
Read from, One day a neighbour. to Okoye rolled his goatskin and departed. Comment on what is
revealed about the Ibo traditional way of life in this passage.
How does Achebe introduce a feeling of foreboding at the end of the chapter and what is the purpose
of this technique?

Chapter 2
Explain in detail why the members of the clan fear the dark.
In your own words, explain the proverb When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.
What do the details of Okonkwo's exploits in battle tell us about the value system of the tribe? Give
examples to support your point of view.
Why do the people of Mbaino choose to give up two hostages, instead
of gOing to war with Umuofia?
Explain the role of the Oracle in war.
What does the adjective imperious tell us about Okonkwo's character?
Write a paragraph in which you discuss how the theme of fear is revealed in Okonkwo's character.
What is the effect of Okonkwo's harshness on the character of Nwoye?

Chapter 3
Theme
Fill in the blank spaces in the statements below to revise your knowledge of the traditional way of life of
the clan.
The people consult the __ when they are troubled or need advice.
When the land is exhausted, good farmers make new fields in --'
Men with the sickness are left to die in the
Men may inherit __ , __ and __ from their fathers.
Possessions are carried in
Palm-wine is drunk from a
The first wife is a higher __ than the other wives.
Men grow crops such as __ , but women grow __ , __ , and --'
Character
Okonkwo's first year as a sharecropper does not go well as the weather
is the worst ... in living memory. How does this help to build his character?
What do Unoka's words of encouragement reveal about his character?
Why is Okonkwo unable to accept his father's words of love?

Chapters 5 and 6

Looking at the text

Refer to Chapter 5. Read from, The Feast of the New Yam, to began to leave for their homes, and then
answer the following questions.
the significance of the lavish preparation of food for
the Feast of the New Yam.
Why is Okonkwo unenthusiastic about this feast? Answer in
your own words.
How, besides cooking, do the women make this feast a special occasion?
Why does Achebe mention that Ikemefuna finds the memories
of his home becoming remote and vague?
Discuss Okonkwo's behaviour over the incident of the banana tree.
Even though she has been beaten, Ekwefi still comments disparagingly about Okonkwo as a hunter.
What does this reveal
about her character?
The firing of the rusty gun reveals an aspect of Okonkwo's character that we have seen earlier when he
breaks the Peace of Ani. What does
it tell us about him?
The firing of the gun foreshadows another important event later
in the novel. What is it and how does it affect Okonkwos life?

Chapters 7 and 8

Looking at the text

Read from the start of Chapter 7 to the paragraph ending, He calls you his father, and then answer the
following questions:
Identify and comment on the use of figurative language in this image He grew rapidly like a yam-tendril in
the rainy season, and was full of
the sap of life.
Explain in your own words how Okonkwo defines manhood
Why does Nwoye prefer his mother's stories to the violent tales
told by his father?
Nwoye is frightened of disappointing his father, and so he pretends to share his views. How does this
make us feel about their
future relationship?
What role does Ikemefuna play in the relationship between father
and son?
Discuss the response of the tribe to the coming of the locusts, and comment on the themes illustrated in
this episode.
How does Achebe give added impact to the shock of the news of Ikemefuna's impending death?

Chapters 9, 10, and 11

Looking at the text in Chapter 9
Okonkwo knows that the wife banging on his door must be Ekwefi because of her audacity. What
does this word mean and what does it tell us about their relationship?
What was the effect on Ekwefi of the loss of her children?
Why was the body of Onwumbiko so brutally mutilated and denied burial?
In your own words, explain the concept of the iyi-uwa.
Ezinma leads the crowd on a long and unnecessary journey to find
her iyi-uwe, when all the time it is buried within Okonkwo's compound. What does this tell us about
her character?
Looking at the text in Chapter 10
How do the egwugwu convince the clan that they are indeed the spirits of the nine ancestors?
What is the aim of tribal justice, as seen in the case of the run(3\)IVay wife?
Looking at the text in Chapter 11
What characteristics of the tortoise are illustrated in the story of Tortoise and the birds that Ekwefi tells
Ezinrna?
Contrast the behaviour of Chielo, Ekwefi's friend, with Chielo, priestess of Agbala.
What is the impact of the image of Okonkwo and Ekwefi waiting togetheY at the end of the
chapter?

Chapter 12
How do the women of the clan cement their relationships on this special day?
How does Okonkwo confirm his superior status in his family as the women prepare to leave?
Explain Obierika's ambivalent attitude to the great market of Umuike.
Obierika's compound is compared to an ant-hill. What is the impact of this simile?
Why does Achebe include mention of the cow that has escaped into the fields?
Comment on the rules of expected conduct that bind the women in the clan.
How does Obierika honour Okonkwo in his speech to the in-laws?

Chapter 13
The peace of the early morning is shattered by the ekwe, or drums.
1.1 Why are the ekwe described as talking?
1.2 What is the symbolic impact of this violent noise?
1.3 How else does Achebe create a feeling of rising tension as the
drums beat out their message?
1.4 Why does Okonkwo feel a sense of personal dread when the
dead man is named?
In your own words, explain the implied threat in the words of the
one-handed egwugwu over the corpse.
Read the paragraph beginning The drums and the dancing began again.
3.1 What is the impact of the simple sentence All was silent?
3.2 How may the accidental killing of this young man be seen as a kind of poetic justice for Okonkwo?
Comment on the penalty Okonkwo has to pay for this crime as
an aspect of tribal justice, and contrast it with twenty-first-century
views of justice.
Explain why this crime is regarded so seriously by the clan.
Comment on the way in which Okonkwo'S compound is destroyed.
Explain how Obierika's thoughts about some of the customs of the clan that he does not understand
form a link between Part One and Part Two.

Chapters 14 and 15

CHAPTER 14
YEARS OF EXILE BEGIN
Setting and plot
Although Okonkwo's mother has been dead for thirty years, Okonkwo is still
remembered in Mbanta, and he and his family are welcomed by his uncle, Uchendu. Okonkwo is given
land for a compound, fields to farm, and 300 seed-yams to plant. Okonkwo has great difficulty
accepting the loss of his hopes of becoming one of the lords of his clan. Uchendu chides him, reminding
him that in times of sorrow, a man finds refuge in his motherland. He also reminds Okonkwo that he is not
alone in
suffering, as this is part of what it is to be human.
CHAPTER 15
OBIERIKA'S FIRST VISIT TO OKONKWO
Plot
Obierika has proved himself a good friend by selling okonkwos yams, and giving his seed-yams to
sharecroppers. He brings two bags filled with cowries from the proceeds of these activities.
Obierika tells Okonkwo about the arrival in Abame of the white man who was riding an iron horse. The
Oracle prophesied that this man would break their clan and spread destruction among them, and so
he was killed and his bicycle tied to a tree. This provides the evidence of his death for the three whites
who come to look for him. The consequence of this is the massacre of the Abame villagers by three
white men and a band of ordinary men like us. Obierika is greatly afraid for the future.

The arrival of the white man in the village provokes different reactions.
.. The Oracle perceives a danger to the tribe. The traditional manner of dealing with a threatening
person is to kill him or her. However, when this is done, it provokes retribution in the form of the massacre
of the people of Abame.
.. Uchendu cannot comprehend the reality of this change and persists in his belief that the white
men must be albinos.
~ Obierika now begins to believe the stories of white men who enslaved African people, and he is
afraid that this is the start of something catastrophic.
~ Okonkwo believes that the men of Abame have allowed this to happen. He implies that if they
had been armed, they would have defeated the white men and their helpers, and that this would have
resolved the problem.

Question
Explain how Obierika's attitude to this episode is tvpical of his character.

Chapters 16, 17, & 18

Looking at the text in Chapter 16
During the two years between Obierika's visits to Okonkwo, there have been great changes. What are
they?
Why are the traditional leaders of the clans, such as the priestess of Agbala and the men who hold titles,
sceptical of the new faith?
Nwoye's sudden arrival in Umuofia follows his conversion.
3.1 What is it that captivated Nwoye and drew him to Christianity? 3.2 Give evidence from Part One of
the novel that demonstrates this predisposition in Nwoye.
3.3 What are the immediate consequences of Nwoye's conversion?
How does Okonkwo react to his first encounters with the missionaries who come to Mbanta?
Contrast the way the Ibo respond to the words of the missionaries with the way they respond to the
singing of the gay and rollicking tunes of evangelism.

Looking at the text in Chapter 18

What is the attitude of the missionaries to the religion of the Ibo?
What prevented the clan from killing those among them who converted to the new faith?
Explain in your own words why the issue of the admission of outcasts to the church is a good example of
the theme of the clash of cultures.
Why would the killing of the sacred python be a logical consequence of the admission of the outcasts
into the church?
How does the clan interpret the death of Okoli?

CHAPTER 19 Okonkwo’s EXILE COMES TO AN END

Plot and theme
Okonkwo is glad that the seven wasted years are almost over, and prepares for his return to Umuofia by
sending money to Obierika to build him a new compound. However, he has idealised Umuofia during his
absence, and mistakenly believes that his own clan is strong enough to withstand the changes that have
happened in Mbanta.
Ekwefi prepares a farewell feast. The chapter ends on an ominous note, as Uchendu
speaks of his fear for the you generation in these words:
You do not know what it is to speak with one voice. And what is the result? An abominable religion has
settled among you. A man can now leave his father and his brothers. He can curse the gods of his fathers
and his ancestors ... I fear for you: I fear for the clan.
Thus, Things are starting to fall apart as a result of the clash of cultures, which is eroding the various clans'
sense of identity.
CHAPTER 20 Okonkwo’s RETURN TO UMUOFIA
Plot and character

Looking at the text

Explain the following simile in the first paragraph of the chapter:
The clan was like a lizard ... grew another.
Explain how Okonkwo planned to resurrect himself as a leader in Umuofia.
What is the main difference between the church in Mbanta and the church in Umuofia?
Who are the kotma?
Why is it impossible for the clan to rid themselves of both the church and the government of white
people?

Style
Achebe makes an allusion to Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, act 2, scene 2, line 201, when he uses the
metaphor of method in the overwhelming madness of the new religion. The line from the play is,
Though this be madness, yet there's method in't.
Character and theme
Mr Brown is a moderate and humble man, and so his mission steadily gains ground. But. the arrival of
Reverend Smith is the catalyst that tips the balance and looses anarchy upon the world of Okonkwo.
Differences in character between Mr Brown and Reverend Smith

Mr Brown Reverend Smith

Is a restrained man who Is arrogant and rejects the
understands possibility
that the Ibo need to be led of compromise. He is a religious
towards
the new faith zealot
Prevents his converts from Encourages zealots, such as
flagrantly Enoch,
offending the traditional members who commits the unforgivable
of the
clan. Understands that crime of
unmasking one of the egwugwu.
acceptance and This
understanding are a gradual leads to the burning of the church
process and
nearly costs Reverend Smith his life
Is a humble i not racist Is racist in his attitude towards the
man wh in
his attitudes, but treats the Ibo with tribe: sees things as black and
respect. Gets to know important white.
And black was evil. Sees the Ibo
men,
such as Akunna, aJT1ld engages in as
sonsthe
of darkness and wages war
debate with him to try to against their customs
understand
his point of view. Alkunna respects
him
and presents him with a carved
elephant tusk
Is patient and bases his mission Is impatient and takes strong
work measures
on his growing understanding of against those converts who do not
the
people among whom he w©rk§ measure up to his standard of faith

Encourages his flock to become Reinforces the worst aspects of the

educated and to work as administration and calls on the
teachers,
the or in
new administration. This helps District
Commissioner to avenge the loss
to
reconcile the tribe to the white of church. This leads to the arrest
the
administration. Deals with his of
Okonkwo and other important
difficulties
with the tribe in his own way, men, through this, to the tragic
and
without
calling in the District Commissioner climax
of the novel - the suicide of
Okonkwo

CHAPTERS 23 & 24
OKONKWO'S IMPRISONMENT AND THE AFTERMATH
Plot and theme
looking at the text in Chapter 23
What is ironic about the sense of happiness that Okonkwo feels?
What is implied in the use of the word sweet-tongued to describe the
messenger sent to Umuofia by the District Commissioner?
Contrast the behaviour of the leaders of Umuofia with the actions of
the District Commissioner and his twelve men.
What is the thematic impact of the words the dominion of our queen,
which the District Commissioner uses to describe the land of the lbo?
The District Commissioner instructs the messengers to treat the
leaders of Umuofia with respect, but they are humiliated and mistreated.
What comment does this make on the theme of colonial authority?
Comment on the issue of the fine levied on Umuofia.
Discuss the impact of the following simile: Umuofia was like a startled animal with ears erect, sniffing the
silent, ominous air and not knowing
which way to run.

looking at the text in Chapter 24

Contrast Okonkwo's attitude to the situation with that of Egonwanne.
What drastic course of action does Okika urge in his speech?

Style
Read the last three paragraphs of the chapter, noting the following aspects of style:
The short sentences give a sense of great drama to the action of Okonkwo killing
the messenger. It is as if we are watching the episode in slow motion.
The same technique is used to show the reaction of the tribe to the killing. It is as if Okonkwo, too, absorbs
each detail separately.
The simplicity of the style creates a tone of deep sincerity.
The final sentence of the chapter is poignant. Through understatement, it allows us to appreciate the
depths of betrayal that Okonkwo feels.

CHAPTER 25 THE DEATH OF OKONKWO

Plot and theme
The final chapter of the novel is pervaded with a feeling of tragic inevitability as the District
Commissioner's men arrive to arrest Okonkwo, but instead are taken to his hanging body. The last
paragraph rings the death knell for the life of the tribe, and by extension, for all indigenous people in
colonial Africa. We can imagine the type of book that the District Commissioner in his arrogance and
ignorance will write.
Looking at the text
Read the whole chapter carefully, and then answer the following contextual questions:
Obierika's response that Okonkwo is not here is what we would expect of a member of the clan.
1.1 Discuss his words in the context of the culture and traditions of
the tribe.
1.2 Explain how the response of the District Commissioner reflects the
theme of the clash of cultures. Quote to Support your answer.
Discuss the tone and the implied attitude expressed by the following words: The resolute administrator in
him gave way to the student
of primitive customs.
Comment on the impact of the following examples of diction in the passage from, It is against our
custom, to cleanse the desecrated land: 3.1 offense
3.2 desecrated
Obierika expresses the injustice of what has happened when he
accuses the District Commissioner of driving Okonkwo to kill himself. Explain what he means in a short
paragraph.
The District Commissioner believes that the story of Okonkwo's end will make interesting reading. What
does this observation tell us about the District Commissioner's character?
Write a short paragraph explaining how the end of the novel reflects the theme of the book expressed
in its title, Things Fall Apart.