Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

1. Context (Historical and Cultural Background)

Written in 1958, during the decolonization period.
Achebe challenges European stereotypes of Africa.
Portrays the Igbo society as sophisticated, structured, and humane.
Title comes from W.B. Yeats’ poem:
➔ “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”

🔵 Achebe’s key message:
➔ Colonialism causes cultural destruction.

✅ Focus Tip for Context:
Zoom in on ➔ Colonialism ➔ Cultural Pride ➔ Collapse

🧠 Memory Check (Context)

Q1: When was Things Fall Apart published?
➔ A1: 1958.

Q2: What stereotype does Achebe challenge?
➔ A2: That African societies were primitive and uncivilized.

Q3: Where does the title come from?
➔ A3: W.B. Yeats’ poem The Second Coming.

2. Setting (Time and Place)

Set in Umuofia, an Igbo village.
Time: Pre-colonial era initially → moves into colonial period.
Society based on yams (wealth), titles (status), gods/ancestry (belief system).
The arrival of the British upends the entire system.

✅ Focus Tip for Setting:
Zoom in on ➔ Umuofia ➔ Igbo Traditions ➔ Colonial Disruption

🧠 Memory Check (Setting)

Q1: What does yam farming symbolize?
➔ A1: Wealth, masculinity, and success.

Q2: What period is the first part set in?
➔ A2: Pre-colonial Nigeria, before British rule.

Q3: Why is setting important?
➔ A3: It shows the richness of Igbo culture and highlights what colonialism destroys.

3. Characters (Key Figures)

📌 Okonkwo

Proud, hardworking, obsessed with strength and masculinity.
Tragic flaw: Fear of appearing weak.

📌 Nwoye

Sensitive, gentle.
Converts to Christianity to escape Okonkwo’s harshness.

📌 Ezinma

Wise, Okonkwo’s favorite child.
Okonkwo wishes she were a son.

📌 Ikemefuna

Foster child sacrificed to maintain peace.
Becomes like a son to Okonkwo — his death haunts Nwoye.

📌 Mr. Brown and Reverend Smith

Mr. Brown = Tolerant, understanding missionary.
Reverend Smith = Harsh, strict, disrespectful of Igbo ways.

✅ Focus Tip for Characters:
Zoom in on ➔ Okonkwo-Nwoye-Ikemefuna triangle + Contrast: Mr. Brown vs Reverend Smith

🧠 Memory Check (Characters)

Q1: What is Okonkwo’s biggest fear?
➔ A1: Being seen as weak, like his father.

Q2: Why does Nwoye convert?
➔ A2: To find emotional refuge and reject his father’s brutality.

Q3: How do Mr. Brown and Reverend Smith differ?
➔ A3: Mr. Brown is respectful and understanding; Reverend Smith is intolerant and strict.

4. Plot Chain (Key Events)

Okonkwo rises: Fame and wealth through hard work.
Ikemefuna’s death: Ordered by the Oracle; Okonkwo strikes the fatal blow.
Accidental killing: Okonkwo exiled for 7 years.
Christian missionaries arrive: Gain converts, divide society.
Return from exile: Okonkwo finds Umuofia changed.
Final rebellion attempt fails: Okonkwo commits suicide.

✅ Focus Tip for Plot:
Zoom in on ➔ Rise ➔ Tragedy ➔ Collapse

🧠 Memory Check (Plot)

Q1: Why is Okonkwo exiled?
➔ A1: He accidentally kills a clansman — a crime against the earth goddess.

Q2: What happens when Okonkwo returns?
➔ A2: His village has changed — colonists have gained too much influence.

Q3: What is the final tragic act?
➔ A3: Okonkwo commits suicide, a taboo and ultimate disgrace.

5. Themes (Extended)

📌 Tradition vs Change

Clash between Igbo customs and colonial forces.

📌 Masculinity and Pride

Okonkwo defines masculinity through violence.

📌 Fate and Free Will

Personal choices (Okonkwo’s violence) and outside forces (colonialism) both cause downfall.

📌 Identity and Belonging

Community and family shape identity; colonization threatens them.

📌 Colonialism and Power

Christianity and British rule dismantle Igbo society from within.

✅ Focus Tip for Themes:
Focus on ➔ Tradition vs Change ➔ Masculinity ➔ Fate ➔ Identity ➔ Colonialism

🧠 Memory Check (Themes)

Q1: What personal flaw brings Okonkwo down?
➔ A1: His fear of weakness and obsession with masculinity.

Q2: How does colonialism exploit Igbo society?
➔ A2: By converting weaker individuals and exploiting internal divisions.

Q3: How is the idea of fate shown?
➔ A3: Despite Okonkwo’s efforts, forces beyond his control (colonialism) lead to his fall.

6. Structure and Form

📌 Structure:

Three-Part Division:
1. Okonkwo’s life before exile (stable society)
2. His exile (personal conflict)
3. Colonial destruction (external collapse)
Circular Rise and Fall:
Starts with power ➔ ends in disgrace.
Oral Storytelling Style:
Uses proverbs, folk tales, communal storytelling.
Gradual Build of Tension:
Slow loss of cultural identity mirrored in personal and community downfall.
Multiple Perspectives:
Shows internal struggles + external oppression.

✅ Focus Tip for Structure:
Zoom in on ➔ Three Parts ➔ Rise/Fall ➔ Proverbs ➔ Gradual Collapse

🧠 Memory Check (Structure)

Q1: How is the novel divided?
➔ A1: Into three parts: pre-exile, exile, and colonial collapse.

Q2: Why does Achebe use proverbs and folk tales?
➔ A2: To reflect Igbo oral traditions and communal wisdom.

Q3: How does structure mirror Okonkwo’s life?
➔ A3: His personal rise and fall parallels the rise and fall of his culture.

Section	Highlights
Context	1958; challenges colonial stereotypes
Setting	Umuofia; Igbo culture; colonial disruption
Characters	Okonkwo, Nwoye, Ezinma, Ikemefuna, Mr. Brown, Reverend Smith
Plot Chain	Rise ➔ Exile ➔ Return ➔ Fall
Themes	Tradition vs Change, Masculinity, Fate, Identity, Colonialism
Structure	Three parts; Oral storytelling; Gradual tension