Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
"Things Fall Apart" is a novel by Chinua Achebe that explores the life of Okonkwo, a respected leader and warrior in the Igbo community of Umuofia, Nigeria. The story examines themes of masculinity, tradition, and colonialism as it follows Okonkwo's rise to prominence and his struggle against the perceived weaknesses of his father, as well as his own vulnerabilities. Despite his achievements, Okonkwo's rigid adherence to traditional values leads to personal conflict, particularly with his son Nwoye, who embodies qualities Okonkwo despises.
The narrative is set against the backdrop of significant cultural change, highlighting the arrival of European missionaries and colonial authorities that disrupt the social fabric of Igbo life. As Okonkwo grapples with the shifts in his society, his attempts to maintain power and influence ultimately lead to tragedy, culminating in his exile and eventual demise. The novel poignantly addresses the clash between indigenous traditions and colonial forces, portraying the complexities of identity and belonging in a rapidly changing world. Through Okonkwo's story, Achebe offers a nuanced view of pre-colonial African life, revealing both its strengths and struggles.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
First published: 1958
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of plot: Late nineteenth century
Locale: Umuofia, along the lower Niger River
Principal Characters
Okonkwo , warrior and leaderObereika , Okonkwo’s close friendNwoye , Okonkwo’s eldest sonIkemefuna , boy held for a kinsman’s crime
The Story
Okonkwo’s father is cowardly, foolish, and poor in his life, an outcast at his death. When his father dies, Okonkwo, on the other hand, though still a young man, has three wives, two barns full of yams, two of his people’s titles, and a reputation as the strongest wrestler and the bravest warrior in the nine villages of Umuofia. Okonkwo takes great pride in these accomplishments, sometimes forgetting the assistance of his personal god, or chi, and of the man from whom he borrowed yams to start his own farm.
Despite his accomplishments, Okonkwo fears being seen as like his father. One of his great disappointments is his eldest son, Nwoye, who seems to inherit Okonkwo’s father’s weakness. Nwoye dislikes the men’s stories of war, preferring his mother’s childish stories. Okonkwo, who has a quick temper, often tries to beat these behaviors out of Nwoye.
A change happens when the village leaders put under Okonkwo’s care a Mbaino boy named Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna comes to Okonkwo’s village because the Mbainos killed a Umuofian woman; eventually the boy is to be killed in retribution. While living in Okonkwo’s compound, Ikemefuna exerts a good influence on Nwoye and wins the affection of everyone, including Okonkwo.
During Ikemefuna’s stay, the village observes the sacred Week of Peace that always precedes planting season. Violence is strictly forbidden for that week. Nonetheless, Okonkwo, in a fit of anger, severely beats his youngest wife. This angers the earth goddess. As punishment Okonkwo pays a fine. He repents inwardly but does not admit his error outwardly, and so it is said that he lacks respect for the clan gods.
Three years after Ikemefuna’s arrival, the village council decides it is time for him to be killed. The oldest man in the village warns Okonkwo not to take part, because Ikemefuna is like a son to Okonkwo. Okonkwo, fearful of appearing weak, not only attends Ikemefuna’s killing but also deals his death blow. This act disturbs Okonkwo afterward, which puzzles him, because he followed his people’s practice. Nwoye, who greatly loved Ikemefuna, resents his father’s action bitterly. Later, Okonkwo confronts his friend Obereika, who did not take part in the killing. Obereika says that although the oracle said the boy had to die, it did not compel a man to take part.
Shortly, the elder who advised Okonkwo to stay away from Ikemefuna’s execution dies. At his funeral rites, as the cannons and guns sound, there is a sudden silence in the dancing crowd. Okonkwo’s gun mysteriously explodes and kills the dead man’s son. Guilty of another crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo and his family are banished to his motherland for seven years. No longer can he hope to become a lord of the clan of his fathers, Okonkwo laments. His chi does not affirm his plans.
While exiled, Okonkwo maintains his material wealth with the assistance of his kinsmen and Obereika. Changes are happening, chief among them the arrival of white missionaries and governing officials. After some initial confusion and severe punishment for violence against the newcomers, there comes a time of peaceful coexistence. Some Umuofians are converted by the missionaries, and among them is Nwoye. He is attracted by the new religion’s criticism of such Umuofian practices as killing an innocent boy like Ikemefuna and throwing newborn twins into the Evil Forest to die. Learning of Nwoye’s conversion, Okonkwo beats him and banishes him from the family compound.
After seven years, Okonkwo returns to his fatherland with plans for regaining his former status and for leading his people in a war against the newcomers before they destroy Umuofia. Obereika says that by converting native people and employing them in government posts, the newcomers already inserted a “knife” into their community. The people have already fallen apart.
Okonkwo’s opportunity to incite his people comes when a native convert desecrates a Umuofian ceremony. Okonkwo rejoices as his people take revenge by tearing down the missionaries’ church building. Government officials, however, soon capture Okonkwo and the other leaders, punishing them cruelly.
Once their leaders are released, the people gather to determine whether to respond with conciliation or with war. A Umuofian who works for the new government arrives and orders the meeting stopped. Angered, Okonkwo kills him, and, fearful, the people disband. The officials who come to arrest Okonkwo are led to the place where he hung himself. Suicide is against the Umuofian tradition; Okonkwo is buried as an outcast.
Bibliography
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Gikandi, Simon. Reading Chinua Achebe: Language and Ideology in Fiction. Portsmouth: Currey, 1991. Print.
Iyasere, Solomon O., ed. Understanding Things Fall Apart: Selected Essays and Criticism. Troy: Whitston, 1998. Print.
Korang, Kwaku Larbi. "Making a Post-Eurocentric Humanity: Tragedy, Realism, and Things Fall Apart." Research in African Literatures 42.2 (2011): 1–29. Print.
Maleki, Nasser, and Marayam Navidi. "Foregrounding Achebe's Things Fall Apart: A Postcolonial Study." Canadian Social Science 7.6 (2011): 10–15. Print.
Ogede, Ode. Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. New York: Continuum, 2007. Print.
Okpewho, Isidore, ed. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. New York: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.
Okunoye, Oyeniyi. "Half a Century of Reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart." English Studies 91.1 (2010): 42–57. Print.
Lindfors, Bernth, ed. Approaches to Teaching Things Fall Apart. New York: MLA, 1991. Print.
Wren, Robert M. Achebe’s World: The Historical and Cultural Context of the Novels of Chinua Achebe. Washington: Three Continents, 1980. Print.