...Things Fall Apart Essay Often in times, the themes an author expresses in his or her book frequently serve as a microcosm of the entire book, and even sometimes the actual feelings in the world at that particular time in history. In Things Fall Apart, a book about Nigerian culture from the viewpoint of a strong-willed, traditional tribesman and the effect of European influence on Africa, Chinua Achebe expresses a main theme of masculinity, which encompasses many other ideas such as the relationships between masculinity and femininity, masculinity and the upbringing of children, and masculinity and bloodshed/violence. Similar to other African cultures in Nigeria in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the male figure was dominant to the female. Achebe shows this behavior through the character development of Okonkwo, and his interactions between his 3 wives. The males would often do the “manly” work of the village which required much strength and a good work ethic, such as farming, and other tiring activities, while the women usually confined to the houses or huts and the surrounding gardens to carry out the household chores and care for their many children. In that society, a prosperous man often had many wives, and in order to fully be recognized as a man, the male figure of the household would have to be able to manage his wives and children. This idea is shown in the book when Okonkwo, the main character in the story states that “No matter how prosperous a man was, if...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...Things Fall Apart Literary Analysis The world is changing as do the people who live in it all the time, sometimes people just don’t fit with the changing world. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, tells the story of a great man named Okonkwo. When European missionaries arrive, Okonkwo’s culture that he once knew is changing dramatically. The book addresses the clash of cultures and destruction of Okonkwo’s world with their arrival. Achebe shows us that Okonkwo’s inability to adapt and his own characterization causes him to end his life. Okonkwo’s suicide was caused by a mix of the European missionaries and Okonkwo’s own characterization. Okonkwo never learns from his mistakes, he always thinks what he does is always right no matter what. All he knows came from his childhood and younger years. Unoka is disrespected among the society. The culture values physical strength, achievement, and masculinity. Unoka represents the opposite of these values, he enjoys expressing himself through words and music, he’s a very talented musician. Okonkwo learns that these qualities are not what the tribe values. Okonkwo grows up being the opposite of his father, he becomes the best wrestler, he’s physically strong, and represents hyper masculinity. Okonkwo also becomes a very successful farmer, but after a bad harvest due to bad, inconsistent weather Unoka tells his son “‘do not despair. I know you will not despair. You have a manly and a proud heart. A proud heart can survive general...
Words: 1820 - Pages: 8
...The human consequences between the two cultures in Things Fall Apart affect the Umuofia people's religion, agriculture, judicial system and social life. The Umuofia are polytheistic; their gods include Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves (settles disputes and tells the future) and Chi (personal god, judges work and accomplishment). The Umuofia people are obedient to their gods, will not war without their consent and depend on them to exact punishment. For example, when a daughter of Umuofia is murdered in Mbaino, the gods were consulted and they demanded that land and a Mbaino virgin be paid in retribution. To have bypassed this requirement and gone to war without consent would have meant sure defeat.. However, Umuofian people hadn’t obeyed their gods, and had gone to war that they were told not to go,...
Words: 546 - Pages: 3
...Alyssa Lubow 12.13.10 Period 3 Atypical Symbols May Be Deceiving At First Glance The sound of an infant’s scream pierces through the air and echoes among the trees of the Evil Forest. In modern culture, this situation would seem abstract, but to the Umuofians this is a typical occurrence. The Ibo people strongly believed in their religious and cultural practices. Throughout Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the author goes into great detail of the traditions of Umuofia. Many of these traditions may seem strange to today’s society, while people can also relate many other Umuofian traditions to their own. Although the Ibo people have altered ideas about the fate of children, the egwugwu and the Week of Peace are in some ways similar to modern religious and cultural practices. The Umuofians have customs that are similar to some of today’s western cultures. Throughout the land of Umuofia, it is believed that, “Now and again an ancestral spirit or egwugwu appeared from the underworld, speaking in a tremulous, unearthly voice and completely covered in raffia,” (Achebe 121). The egwugwus consist of masqueraders who impersonate ancestral spirits of the village, and in this way they honor the people of their clan who have died. This is similar to the Day of the Dead in the Mexican culture. This day includes the creation of private altars to honor the deceased. On the altars people set out sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the ancestor they are honoring....
Words: 871 - Pages: 4
...In “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe the people of Nigeria are being colonized by Britain and trying to be converted to Christianity. For people that have only been familiar with one religion, learning new ways can be very controversial. When a civilization is predominantly led by chiefs of tribes these teachings make their status seem weak. All of the Igbos customs are based on religion, gender, and reputation. In chapter seventeen of “Things Fall Apart” Okonkwo and his son, Nwoye, get into a altercation. The reason being is Nwoye wanted to convert to christianity. To his father, this was considered ultimate dishonor. Although Nwoye felt as if it were the right choice, his father it, “Answer me!” roared Okonkwo, “Before I kill you!” (Achebe). Which expresses the importance of religion to Okonkwo. In this family, turning against customs is almost forbidden rejected but Nwoye thinks otherwise. The boy is content with leaving his father after all that has occurred. “Nwoye did not fully understand. But he was happy to leave his father. He would return later to his mother and his brothers and sisters and convert them to a new faith.” (Achebe). Okonkwo’s beliefs are far from christianity, as...
Words: 758 - Pages: 4
...“By comparing the 2 texts you have studied, how do they reflect the concerns of their time?” Texts are shaped by the concerns of their time and the comparison of texts provides an extensive insight into these ideologies. With the consideration of Chinua Achebe’s novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ (1958) and Niki Caro’s film ‘Whale Rider’ (2003) in tandem, the similarity in their didactic principles of the condemnation of ethnocentrism explores the impact of European imperialism upon Ibo and Maori societies. Both texts also criticise the suppression of females in the patriarchal view of the tribes, emphasizing the significance of gender recognition and together, they delineate the concerns that arise from 1900s colonialism Within Things Fall Apart (TFA), Achebe reprimands the subservience of traditional Nigerian Ibo culture through colonialism in the context of the nation’s independence in 1960. Presenting the loss of traditions resulting from imperialism, Achebe deliberately includes William Yeats’ “The Second Coming” in the epigraph to the novel as a foreshadowing of the imminent collapse of the Ibo tribe, thus immediately establishing the Greek tragedy convention. His use of proverbs where they are the “palm-oil which words are eaten” is an allegory that captures the intricacy of Ibo language, emending the European portrait of a ‘savage’ Africa which was a notion popularized at the time by Joseph Conrad’s “The Heart of Darkness” (1899). Furthermore, Achebe juxtaposes the Ibo’s...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...Although the novels The Poisonwood Bible, Heart of Darkness, and Things Fall Apart, written by Barbara Kingsolver, Joseph Conrad, and Chinua Achebe, respectively, have related themes, settings, and historical contexts, differing approaches to narration and description render each book highly distinct. It should be noted that some elements of setting are not shared, Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart take place during the early waves of colonialism, around the year 1900, while The Poisonwood Bible is set more than half a century later. Additionally, Things Fall Apart is set in what is now Nigeria, while both other novels occur in the Congo. However, these differences are insignificant compared to the effects of the vastly different attitudes of the narrators. Conrad’s Marlow presents a European perspective of Africa, which while...
Words: 623 - Pages: 3
...gloomy phenomenon,a dark continent.Chinua Achebe, the major exponent of the modern African novel,is greatly concerned with the two realities of social man –his individual and group identity,the legacy of colonialism, and the shift in the system of values of life leading to rampant corruption- moral and monetary. He is also concerned with the use of English as the medium of expression of African experience defining the relevance of colonial and post-colonial experience to the present .Achebe’s novels are dialectic tranformation of experience, a new way of looking at tradition to create a different order of reality through universalizing imagination.Though he has followed the established tradition of novel writing in English, Achebe has put few things ‘African’ and has successfully employed certain narrative techniques of narration to give authenticity and African flavour to his novels in order to attract the native audience and overseas readers as well. Chinua Achebe , the doyen of African writing, the major exponent of modern African novel.His novels evolve through the fundamental theme with which he is concerned, the loss of dignity and the tragic disintegration of the Nigerian culture.Beginning with the advent of European power, his novels span a series of political crisis that beset Nigeria, the collapse of...
Words: 1695 - Pages: 7
...the 20th Century. He is a reputable source coming from the University of Nigeria and it relates to the book Things Fall Apart and the Imperialism that occurs in the story. His essay was also a reliable source for figuring this out. Bays, Daniel H. "The Foreign Missionary Movement in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries, The Nineteenth Century, Divining America: Religion in American History, Teacher Serve, National Humanities Center." National Humanities Center. Web. 26 Feb. 2016. http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/fmmovement.htm. This site provided data on the missionary movement and mentality that...
Words: 426 - Pages: 2
... ------------------------------------------------- Course Outline Revision Date: Fall 2010 ------------------------------------------------- Catalogue Description: This course examines the literary traditions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean through an intensive study of selected works. Negritude is explored in its own right but also in its relationship with the literature of Europe and the Harlem Renaissance. Particular emphasis is placed on the socio-cultural and political forces that shaped this literature as well as the mode of presentation. General Education Goals: ENG 232 is affirmed in the following General Education Foundation Categories: Humanistic Perspective and Global and Cultural Awareness of Diversity. The corresponding General Education Goals are respectively as follows: Students will analyze works in the field of art, music, or theater; literature; and philosophy and/or religious studies; and will gain competence in the use of a foreign language; and Students will understand the importance of global perspective and culturally diverse peoples. Course Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following: 1. discuss the universality and the diversity of literary thought; 2. apply critical and analytical approaches to the study of African and Caribbean literature to compose critical and analytical essays about such literary works and, specifically, about literary elements; 3. ...
Words: 1313 - Pages: 6
...Things Fall Apart Essay You will organize and write an essay that conveys your understanding of one of the themes present in Things Fall Apart. You can create your own topic or choose from the list below to help you get started. Take into account our various class discussions and your Writing Seeds in order to go beyond the obvious and to the heart of authentic reflection. A strong essay has clear and fluid sentences, cohesive organization, and an insightful purpose. A completed essay will have all of the following elements: • A clear, thoughtful, and well-organized thesis (using subordinate clause) that ties to the novel and serves as a foundation for the entire essay • Well-structured topic sentences (with subordinate clause) that relate to the thesis and provide a focus for each body paragraph • Seamlessly integrated quotes from the novel to support your thesis and TSs (five total, at least two per body paragraph) • Thoughtful analysis that sheds light on the topic sentences and goes beyond a surface understanding of your chosen theme. • An introductory paragraph to set up your argument and chart your course • A concluding paragraph to wrap-up your points and express the relevance of your topic outside of an academic setting (how is this significant in the real world? why should someone outside of class care?) • Formatted through MLA guidelines and submitted on time to turnitin.com 1. How does the father-son relationship...
Words: 536 - Pages: 3
...English IVB (AKA English 12) | Activity | Points | % of Total | Discuss | 90 | 7% | Exam | 20 | 2% | Explore | 10 | 1% | Final Exam | 100 | 8% | Journal | 80 | 6% | Practice | 250 | 20% | Quiz | 390 | 31% | Test (CST) | 100 | 8% | Test (TST) | 200 | 16% | | Total Points for the Course : 1240 | Unit 1: The Romantics | Lesson 1.1: Introduction to the Romantics | Activity 1.1.1: Study - Historical and Literary Context | (Documents: Study Sheet) | Get an overview of the historical and literary context for the reading. | | Duration: 40 min | | | Activity 1.1.2: Quiz - Comprehending the Study | Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material. | | Duration: 20 min | Scoring: 10 | Points Earned: _____ | Lesson 1.2: Romantic Poetry | Activity 1.2.1: Study - Romantic Poetry: Spontaneous Overflow | (Documents: Study Sheet) | Learn about the characteristics and leading writers of Romantic poetry. | | Duration: 40 min | | | Activity 1.2.2: Quiz - Comprehending the Study | Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material. | | Duration: 20 min | Scoring: 10 | Points Earned: _____ | Activity 1.2.3: Read - Poems from the Romantic Canon | (Documents: Reading Guide) | Read selections from a variety of Romantic poets. | | Duration: 1 hr | | | Activity 1.2.4: Quiz - Comprehending the Readings | Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material. | ...
Words: 4072 - Pages: 17
...“He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Jarica Linn Watts To cite this article: Jarica Linn Watts (2010) “He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart , Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 46:1, 65-75, DOI: 10.1080/17449850903478189 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17449850903478189 Published online: 27 Jan 2010. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 501 View related articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rjpw20 Download by: [Indiana University Libraries] Date: 24 February 2016, At: 16:43 Journal of Postcolonial Writing Vol. 46, No. 1, February 2010, 65–75 “He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Jarica Linn Watts* University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA Downloaded by [Indiana University Libraries] at 16:43 24 February 2016 jarica.watts@utah.edu Jarica 0 100000February 46 2010 &Article OriginalofFrancis 1744-9855 (print)/1744-9863 JournalandPostcolonial 10.1080/17449850903478189(online) RJPW_A_448194.sgm TaylorLinnWatts 2010 Writing Francis This article delineates different strains of Achebe’s narrative technique in Things Fall Apart, arguing that earlier critics have failed to account fully for two fundamental principles...
Words: 6891 - Pages: 28
...University 10 February 2014 Of Interpreters, Schools, and Courts: An Analysis of the Postcolonial Themes of Language, Education, and Power in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Through his awareness of the European literary tradition of negatively stereotyping the African natives as uncivilized peoples and putting the West in the pedestal in terms of cultural superiority and advancement (Guthrie 51-52), it can be asserted that the renowned African novelist and intellectual Chinua Achebe may had realized, at one point in his life, that in order to have a more realistic portrayal of the dynamics of Western and non-Western contact, there is a need to break such convention which undeniably favours the West. Perhaps, this is the reason why Achebe had written Things Fall Apart in such a way that it provides readers the African point of view of culture, identity and colonization thereby eradicating the dominant and unwarranted perception that the peoples of Africa are mere savages that have no customs, beliefs and traditions. Indeed, by providing a somewhat balanced approach in portraying the dynamic societal changes experienced by the Ibo people due to the conflict between their traditional culture and the foreign culture brought by their English colonizers primarily through religious and educational instruction, Things Fall Apart indubitably qualifies as a relevant and interesting novel that can be analysed through the lens of postcolonial discourse. Since the novel provides...
Words: 3273 - Pages: 14
...Martin Owens Western Culture 103 Dr. Frye Essay #3 12/9/13 Accepting Differences Saves Lives Change can be hard to accept for many people. One’s who have been raised to think, act, and participate in life in a certain way tend to find it harder to accept change. However, as the old saying goes, things fall apart so that new things can take its form. In the book Things Fall apart by Chinua Achene, there was conflict between the traditional villagers and the European colonial establishment because the whites were blind to the insight of the African culture and the villagers where stirred the wrong way by a single man. Conflict rose due to stubbornness. Once both worlds are mixed together, the whites and the African clans are almost at agreed terms, and then Okonkwo returns trying hard to turn everyone back to their roots which would eventually end in tragedy. The White commissioners meant well; however, they were blind to the insight of the African tradition so they did not understand why Okonkwo reacted to certain situations in such way that he did. Beforehand, the white commissioner Mr. Brown went to the village trying to change the clan’s views. He sat down and talked with Akunna about religion and in return he learned something himself. While trying to explain Mr. Brown put emphasis on how “there are no other gods, Chukwu is the only God and all others are false” (180). After telling Akunna about the Christian way of thinking, Akunna responds by telling him they’re...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
