Why Things Fall Apart is important?
Things Fall Apart is set in the 1890s and portrays the clash between Nigeria’s white colonial government and the traditional culture of the indigenous Igbo people. Achebe’s novel shatters the stereotypical European portraits of native Africans. His decision to write Things Fall Apart in English is an important one.
How things fall apart summary?
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. He is haunted by the actions of Unoka, his cowardly and spendthrift father, who died in disrepute, leaving many village debts unsettled.
What lesson does uchendu try to teach Okonkwo when he calls the family together?
Uchendu urges Okonkwo to respect their cultural history and accept the help of his mother’s family with more grace and appreciation than he has shown. Uchendu not only reminds Okonkwo of how their culture works, but also looks beyond culture to talk generally about life.
What attracts nwoye to the church?
Why is Nwoye attracted to the missionaries? Nwoye likes the poetry of the new religion and it reminds him of his mothers stories. He switched to Christianity to get away from his father (rebellion). Uchendu agreed to give the missionaries are section of the Evil Forest.
Why does Obierika go to visit Okonkwo a second time two years after the first?
Why does Obierika go to visit Okonkwo a second time, two years after the first visit? He had seen Okonkwo’s son Nwoye among the missionaries.
How does uchendu respond to Okonkwo’s mood?
Uchendu perceives Okonkwo’s disappointment but waits to speak with him until after his son’s wedding. Okonkwo takes part in the ceremony. The following day, Uchendu gathers together his entire family, including Okonkwo.
What does Okonkwo do in exile?
In his mother’s village, Okonkwo will be in touch with his feminine side as he learns the feminine principle to honor his mother’s nurturing love. Okonkwo is banished to learn how to become a balanced man who understands the supremacy of his mother’s feminine qualities.
How does exile affect Okonkwo?
Okonkwo’s exile forces him into his motherland. He doesn’t deal well with his misfortune because he is so intent on being as successful and influential as his father was poor and powerless. His initial lack of gratitude toward his mother’s kinsmen is a transgression of Igbo cultural values.
What is the irony of Okonkwo’s death?
Observing simply that ‘Okonkwo’s suicide is reported off-stage’, 4 he neglects entirely the question of motive, contenting himself with the admitted dramatic irony of Okonkwo having provoked the very kind of shame he fought all his life to avoid.
How is the ending of Things Fall Apart ironic?
Tragic Irony In Things Fall Apart, the irony is that a proud, successful, and important man such as Okonkwo ends up hanging himself. This is what makes the irony surrounding his death tragic. Okonkwo’s death is especially ironic when we consider one major event at the beginning of the novel: the terrible harvest.
What do the Egwugwu symbolize?
The egwugwu are a symbol of the culture and independence of the Umuofia. The egwugwu are seen as ancestral gods, though in actuality they are masked Umuofia elders. The egwugwu serve as respected judges in the community, listening to complaints and prescribing punishments and deciding conflicts.