Things Fall Apart Essay Questions

The Book ' Things Fall Apart ' Essay
The book 'Things Fall Apart" highlights many different aspects of African culture and shows us how
incredibly bright, beautiful, harsh, violent and mystical the lives of Nigerians were. In this text
several concepts will be questioned and analyzed, such as the importance of the character's daily life
and rituals, the language used throughout the writing, comparing how they deal with problems and
solving them, determining whether or not the text contains a local or grand narrative, and if there
are any references or correlations to essentialism, euro–centrism, the white man's burden and the
silent native?
'Things Fall Apart" starts with a poem that describes what will eventually occur, a precursor of what
is to come and befall the villagers of Nigeria. "Turning and Turning in the widening gyre, The
Falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things Fall Apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world" –W.B. Yeats, "
The Second Coming" (Achebe, 2). The way
the text is written one can compare it to how things are turning and falling apart, the story being told
is not linear. It jumps from one moment to another in time while still moving forward.
In a sense, it feels like the story is moving in a circular motion.
Some important aspects of Nigerian life in "Things Fall Apart" appear to be based upon one's
ability to provide, to be fearless, strong and to hold customs and rituals above everything else. The
book states that Okonkwo father "had taken no
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Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart The theme of the book Things Fall Apart, which focuses on the breakdown of a
society as well as the main character's personal breakdown, stems from many conflicts of interests
and misunderstandings throughout the book. There is not one single moment in the book where
everything falls apart, but many times throughout. In the beginning a lot of problems arise from
Okonkwo's anger problems, and his inability to see other's views. His ignorance is what ultimately
leads to his exile from his clan. It's not just the fact that he accidently killed a fellow clan member,
but many other events that had angered the village. One of the first problems was when he
disregarded the week of peace by savagely beating his wife. Wife...show more content...
The only emotion that he ever showed was anger; he hardly ever showed compassion towards
those around him, including his three wives or many children. His temper and his longing for
respect from those around him get him into trouble throughout the book. The first time being
when he beat his wife during their week of peace, in which no violence is supposed to take place.
Okonkwo makes sacrifices, pays his debt and he feels that all is forgiven; however his pattern of
violence continues. He attempts to shoot his wife Ojiubo after she makes a remark about his
inability to use his gun, once again giving in to his anger and insecurity. Okonkwo sees
compassion as weakness and this drives him to constantly respond to things that upset him with
anger. When he is told that Ikemefuna, a young boy who was placed into the care of Okonkwo's
family, is to be killed, he is also told that he must not interfere or take part in the killing. But when it
comes time for the boy to be killed Okonkwo is so afraid of looking weak that he himself stabs and
kills Ikemefuna. Later in the book, Okonkwo accidently shoots and kills a fellow tribe member, who
is a young boy. Okonkwo is then exiled from his tribe for seven years, and is overcome with
depression because he can never be in a place of power in his tribe. When he realizes that he will
never get the respect he deserves Okonkwo fully falls apart and takes his own

Things Fall Apart
How could the text be read and interpreted differently by two different readers?
Things Fall Apart
Language and Literature
Things fall apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. It is set during the late 19th, early 20th
century in a small village named Umuofia situated in Nigeria. This time period is important because
it was a period in colonial history when the British were increasing their influence economic,
cultural, and political influence in Africa. The novel deals with the rise and fall of Okonkwo, a
man from the village of Umuofia. It also explains the effect of the appearance of the British on the
Igbo society in terms of the destruction of social connections. In this text, there are several passages
in which their...show more content...
A Nigerian receiver could absolutely relate to this system, if he has already experimented this. As
regards of the British receiver, if he never knew about this, he wouldn't be able to get the full
message of what the author is trying to say and would find it hard to believe that strategy. By cons
if the lector's parents or grandparents have had to use this kind of technique in the old days before
technology advanced over time, the reader could understand the Nigerian procedure because his
parents or grandparents would've explain it to him. With these facts the Nigerian and British
interpretations on the way the Igbo society heal sickness could have similar and different thoughts.
In conclusion, the interpretations that a Nigerian and a British reader could have on certain passages
of the novel Things Fall Apart could be similar and different. The Nigerian receiver could interpret
the novel in a positive way, by explaining certain reasons of why their society, politics and
economy work. These interpretations could definitely relate to his life because he's Nigerian. The
British reader could also find some positive reasons of why things work in a certain way in
Nigerian, by saying for example that they're unique. However, this person could find their beliefs
ridiculous and would want to influence them in believing in whatever the British person believes in.
This brings up the question of

Things Fall Apart Essay
In the novel Things Fall Apart, a vast number of topics are covered, but none in such a detailed
fashion as the collisions of cultures. In both the communal lifestyles of Okonkwo's tribe, or in the
strict hierarchy of the white men, there is sense. Each holds a deep center of spirituality, be it pagan
or Christian, and each adheres to a certain code of rules and traditions far different from the other.
Most importantly, however, they both hold on tightly to their incredible stubbornness.
In the Umuofia tribe, tradition ran deeper than the roots of their palm trees. From the ways of
greeting a visitor with a kola nut, to burial rites, every aspect of their lives was in some way
centered on the gods of their ancestors. Each individual had a...show more content...
Their laws were harsher, and focused on individuals rather than community. Murder warranted
execution, as did many other crimes against established and strict rules. On top of this, the white
men believed in One God, but this one God was also three gods, and had a son without having a
wife. Not only was this "Christianity" rather odd and confusing, but they were also pressuring
others to believe in it. The white men demonised all that the clans had ever known to be true, and it
was not entirely out of malice. Rather, the white men saw the African natives as primitive men, in
need of the aid of the "advanced" white men. As with countless people before them, the colonial men
of the story had bought into the idea of non–white cultures being in desperate need of white saviours,
a sentiment still rampant in society and fiction even today. In fact, the main flaw on the part of the
white men and missionaries of Things Fall Apart was neither their Christianity nor their whiteness,
but rather that they refused to learn in full the customs of those they were evangelizing, because they
saw native culture as something wild and entirely uncultured, rather than for what it was––another

Things Fall Apart
In the African culture, women participate in many activities of the society. Many literary works have
mentioned the image and the role of women in the African tradition. However, women in African
culture are often viewed inferior to men although they play an important role in the society. Things
Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe's first and most famous novel, is one of the many literary works that
mentioned the role of women and how women are viewed in the African society. In the novel,
women are mistreated and viewed as the weaker gender. They seem to have little power in the
society. However, reading through the novel, readers will see that women in Ibo culture play such
important roles in education, religion and society in the Ibo community that...show more content...
After being warned by Chielo, Okonkwo has to let the priestess take Enzima with her. Another
example in the novel that portrays the religious power of the women is when Okonkwo beats his
wife during peace week. When his second wife came to her friend's house and did not return to
prepare the meal for him on time, he was so angry that he beat her. Wife beating is not allowed
during the Week of Peace. Therefore what Okonkwo has done has broken the peace with the
goddess of earth Ani. As a result, Ani makes the tribe has little harvest as a punishment for the act of
Okonkwo. It can be seen that Ani has powerful affection on the harvest of the community. It can be
seen that "certain key elements of society are governed by the women." (Rhoads) Throughout the
novel, women in Ibo culture have many religious powers as in the examples of the priestess and the

Things Fall Apart Rhetorical Questions
Chinua Achebe, in her novel Things Fall Apart, depicts a story of not only a man using great
strength and aggression to disguise his mental weakness, but also a story of great Nigerian tribal
traditions that strech back many generations. Achebe accomplishes this by using literary devices
such as details and rhetorical questions in specific scenes of the story.
During the big feast, the first tradition that was revealed was doing the job to the fullest extent.
Achebe revealed this by giving extra detail about Ekwefi saying two goats is enough. Their
society runs on a rank based system, so by having extra goats it shows that you are worthy of a
higher rank because you are a better provider for your family and friends. The next tradition that

Critical Analysis Of Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe published the fictional account Things Fall Apart in 1958. It was written to provide
a new perspective on the African culture and the societies of the pre – colonial villages in Africa. He
tried to dispel stereotypes and overshadow the writers who previously persuaded the world to shun
Africa and its culture. Things Fall Apart told the story of the village of Umuofia over a period of
many years and how they behaved and what happened with white foreign missionaries entered their
lives and started the village of Umuofia on the path to falling apart.
In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe portrayed men as the dominant sex in Igbo culture; however
women were as dominant or potentially more dominant than men in their own ways. He...show more
content...
Women also endured a lot more during their lifetime from their husbands than would have been
thought to have been acceptable for the peace of the community and tradition, although some
punishment methods may have been a little extreme. The men of the village of Umuofia in
precolonial Africa were allowed to treat their wives in ways that modern American wives would
not think of tolerating. When one wife to decided to cut a few leaves off a banana tree,
capricious Okonkwo flew into a fit of rage and beat her. "Neither of his wives dared to interfere
beyond an occasional and, tentative 'It is enough Okonkwo,' pleaded from a reasonable distance."
(page 38) She was able to have been beaten and Okonkwo's other wife weren't allowed to interfere,
less they get a beating too. After his wife received the beating, she got upset and seemingly bold
when he told Ikemefuna, the prisoner of conflict to get his gun and she whispered a remark that his
guns never shot. Okonkwo was immediately devoid of anything but anger and "he heard it and ran
madly into his room for the loading gun and aimed it at her. He pressed the trigger... he threw down
the gun, and jumped into the barn and there lay the woman... frightened but quite unhurt." (Achebe
38–39) Okonkwo committed attempted murder on his wife and, these types of behaviors was not
necessarily the norm, but was allowed since it was committed against a woman, and Okonkwo was
showing a firm hand.
Woman sustained the clan. "These women

Things Fall Apart
Characters are the heart of a book. They make the story interesting and help explain the theme
and plot. Without a strong list of characters a book becomes dull. In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall
Apart the characters help explain the lost Ibo culture, from strong to lazy, to women and a
sacrifice to prevent war. The main character sets up the plot of a book, through their life and point
of view the story is told. The main character in Things Fall Apart is a strong and culture hearted
man named Okonkwo. He can be described as a tragic hero from his journey and life told in the
book. As a sacrifice to prevent war in Umuofia a boy named Ikemefuna is traded to the village he is
given to Okonkwo's family and he becomes apart of their family. Mr....show more content...
He is the greatest wrestler in the land and has four wives and a large land size and farm all of this
and no thanks to his father Unoka. Growing up his father was poor and gave him no land and no
wife and Okonkwo was forced to start his adult life from scratch. Because of his father Okonkwo
fears laziness and everything his father enjoyed. "Even as a little boy he had resented his father's
failure and weakness,[...] a playmate had told him that his father was agbala. That was how
Okonkwo first came to know that agbala was not only another name for a woman, it could also
mean a man who had taken to title" (Things Fall Apart 12). If he see a sign of laziness in his
children a punishment is followed. Because of his father's laziness it motivates him to succeed.
This flaw of the fear of weakness and being like his father is one characteristic that makes him a
tragic hero. He is a dedicated to the tradition of the Ibo culture and follows the traditions of his
culture(reword this). Okonkwo is also ill–tempered he tends to beat his wife's if they do something
wrong, once he threaten to get his gun. This can be seen from a statement in the book "Okonkwo
ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of
his fiery temper" (12). Okonkwo can be described as a tragic

Things Fall Apart Essay
The book "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe is a fictional look at the social and cultural life
of an African tribe of the lower Niger River region. It depicts the every day life of the tribe and its
members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe.
     The book focuses on one of the tribe members, Okonkwo. He
is a well respected member of the tribe. Okonkwo is a good example of a respected member of the
tribe who also has great renown. He is known as a great wrestler and warrior of the nine villages of
the tribe. He is a very powerful and influential member.
     Throughout the story, certain unfortunate events occur,
preventing Okonkwo's rise to the top. Those who knew his...show more content...
Eventually though, Okonkwo realizes that the boy must die. Though it is obvious that he is
disturbed by this, he does not show it, and even slays the boy himself, lest he should be thought
weak.      This is one example of Okonkwo's character. He is
willing to put aside all feelings he has for the boy in order to do what he feels must be done to
retain his sense of strength.      During a burial ceremony for one
of the tribesmen, Okonkwo accidentally kills the dead man's son. The prescribed punishment for
this is exile for seven years. Okonkwo and his family then move to his mother's old tribe to serve
his exile.      This accidental death is just one of many crushing
incidences Okonkwo has to deal with. He serves out his seven years as he is supposed to, with
grand ideas of his return to his village. When the seven years are up Okonkwo does not necessarily
return in triumph. Though his daughters are beautiful and worthy of marriage to a king, he is unable
to immediately induct his sons into the group that he wishes.
     When Okonkwo returns to the village, he finds that the white
man has moved in, bringing Christianity with him. This is a struggle that shows Okonkwo's
inflexibility and objection to change from tradition. Eventually, Okonkwo slay's a man working for
the British and ends up hanging himself as a result of his actions. Suicide is forbidden by the clan,

Things Fall Apart Compare And Contrast Essay
In a society that is presided over by unjust authority, there will always be that one person who
makes it out. The one who decides to change the way him and his neighbors live in the eye of the
community. There are those who push themselves to their limits but still do not achieve fully, yet in
a way they are just a catalyst for the movement, they are the ones adding the next step on the ladder
for the person below them. In 1984 they had Winston Smith, Things Fall Apart they had Okonkwo,
and in The Road they had the father. All characters in each novel were conquering not a quest set
upon them, but a quest they had set upon themselves. They felt like they had what it took to push
past their own limitations and break through the societal restrictions placed on them. In each novel
the hero had a quest in which they followed for the betterment of their lives and the people around
them, a personal quest given upon themselves to acquire what they want more than anything. The
Road is a novel exemplifying the end...show more content...
The road is a symbol of their journey and keeping sane in the midst of the chaos the world is in.
While the little boy is still young and is incapable of contributing, the father has his own quest to
survive while safekeeping the boy and providing for him as much as possible. The father's wife
doubted his motive to helping his son survive through everything but he wanted to prove the
mother wrong, he wanted her to see that he would do whatever he could to make sure the boy
stayed alive. The father also felt the boy was given to him by god, and it was his duty to protect
him. "He mistrusted all of that. He said the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril
and all else was the call of languor and of death." (McCarthy 162) Here the man is explaining that
his dreams are just a distraction, and that if he is happy in this

Literary Analysis Of Things Fall Apart
EA 3.2 Literary Analysis: character analysis Who are you? Who am I? These are some of the
questions we ask each other when identifying culture. In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua
Achebe, Okonkwo, the main protagonist faces many difficult changes in his ibo culture.
Okonkwo is perceived as a strong, strict man who never likes to show emotion because he fears
that it might make him seem weak. Throughout, the book it shows Okonkwo facing his fears and
developing as a character. The cultural collision challenges Okonkwo's identity, as a person
because it identifies his persona and his beliefs, whereas if someone takes that from him, he fears
his obligation in life will fall short once the white men take everything he worked hard to built.
To begin, Okonkwo is shown to be a self made, well respected member of the Umuofia clan.
Though, he seems stern, most of his life is dictated with fear. For example,the passage states "
And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father's contemptible life and shameful
death."(Achebe,18/1). This helps the reader understand that Okonkwo faces many challenges in
life to prove to his village and the people themselves that he is nothing like his father, Unoka and
is haunted by the fact that one day he will become a man whom he promised he will never become.
The passage states " Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid
of being thought weak."(Achebe,61/1). This helps the reader understand the reason why

Things Fall Apart Pt. 1 Study Questions Answers
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe Study Questions 1)– Achebe would choose to take the title of
"The Second Coming" probably because the Igbo tribe falls apart inside due to social issues &
more as it was said in the poem, "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.". This deepens/extends
the meaning of Achebe's title and novel because the main center of the Igbo tribe was losing its
strength and conflicts were bound to happen because of this. 2)– Okonkwo was quite popular
throughout the villages. After a wrestling match he began to gain fame. He was tall, huge, and had
bushy eyebrows with a wide nose. He also used physical violence to make his point or release his
anger. In addition, he hardly ever showed any other expression than...show more content...
Proverbs were frequently used in their culture. It adds more of a meaning to how they
communicate and communication was very important in keeping the Igbo society united. Similar
folktales told in my culture are the multiple tales of Anansi the spider. The moral of the fable of
the tortoise told in Ch. 11 is basically one who causes troubles for others, causes it for him/herself
as well so it's best not to be selfish and take advantage of others. . These stories reflect the
importance of different cultures and their values. 5)– The story takes place in the village of Umuofia
in Africa. It contained nine villages and there they embrace the Igbo culture. In Igbo culture, men
are superior to their wives. The old wise elders have authority also. They worshipped nature gods
such as earth and sky gods. Important celebrations include the Week of Peace and the Feast of the
New Yam. The role of war, religion, and the arts were very important. The role of war is to show
how manly the men are and the role of religion is traditional because they pray to the gods since
that is what their ancestors did. The arts' role was a form of entertainment but also for rank because
when Okonkwo won the fight against Amalinze, he was noticed, became famous and people thought
highly of him. An individual's role depends on their rank in the clan and how worthy they proved to
be. Okonkwo's culture is very different than

Things Fall Apart
When I read Things Fall Apart, I had a clear mind of what a life could be like Okonkwo's. For the
rest of the reading, a question was contacting me in different places of the novel. Okonkwo was an
angry man in front of his Nigerian tribe and changed when Christian missionaries came to the Ibo
village; also, I responded to the book, and my personal applications to a different culture were
related to a missionary trip that was a powerful one back in 1956 in Ecuador. As I kept on reading,
there was a strong connection between the novel and the Operation Auca missionary trip in
Ecuador in 1956. The life of a native like Oknokwo's and his tribe are rough and can be a problem
with the more civilized people in a country. God needed some of...show more content...
Kiaga. 'You fear that you will die. Why should that be? How are you different from other men
who shave their hair? The same God created you and them. But they have cast you out like lepers.
It is against the will of God, who has promised everlasting life to all who believe in His holy
name. The heathen say you will die if you do this or that, and you are afraid" (pg. 157). As the
missionaries grew close with the clan members, the more people began to adapt Christian faith,
despite of some aggression. The third location is on pages 160 to 161 where the Christian
missionaries were part of killing the sacred python and Okoli killing it. " 'They say that Okoli
killed the sacred python,' said one man. 'It is false,' said another. 'Okoli told me himself that it
was false.' Okoli was not there to answer. He had fallen ill on the previous night. Before the day
was over he was dead. His death showed that the gods [native Nigerian gods] were still able to fight
their own battles. The clan saw no reason then for molesting the Christians" (pgs. 160–161). The
final location is on page 190 where some people did not appreciate the Gospel and the missionaries'
words. " 'You can stay with us if you like our ways. You can worship your own god. It is good that a
man should worship the gods and the spirits of his fathers. Go back to your house so that you may
not be hurt. Our anger is great but we have held it down so that we can talk to you' " (pg.

Things Fall Apart
The Place of Women in Igbo Society (Things Fall Apart)
Women are often thought of as the weaker, more vulnerable of the two sexes. Thus, women's roles in
literature are often subdued and subordinate. In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, women are
repressed by an entrenched structure of the social repression. Women suffer great losses in this novel
but, also in certain circumstances, hold tremendous power. Achebe provides progressively changing
attitudes towards women's role. At first glance, the women in Things Fall Apart may seem to be an
oppressed group with little power and this characterization is true to some extent. However, this
characterization of Igbo women reveals itself to be prematurely simplistic as well as limiting, once
...show more content...
In addition, it is an insult to a man or boy if they possess any female qualities. Guilt ridden after
murdering Ikemefuna, his surrogate son, Okonkwo sternly reprimands himself not to "become like a
shivering old woman" – this he considers the worst insult (65). Okonkwo also relates negatively to
his oldest son Nwoye, who according to Okonkwo possess weak qualities and thus acts like a
woman. He wanted Nwoye to listen to "masculine stories of violence and bloodshed" rather than
the stories told by women which were for "foolish women and children" (54). The stories that men
told were about bravery and war and young men were expected to listen to this instead of fairy tales
that women told. "So Okonkwo encouraged the boys to sit with him in his obi, and he told them
stories of the land" – while Nwoye feigned that he liked the stories his father told him to make him a
man, he preferred his mother's that he heard while growing up that kept his spirit gentle.
Okonkwo has three wives, who are the primary female figures in Things Fall Apart. His three wives
each hold varying roles of importance in the household just as they do in the novel. The
characterization of Ekwefi, Okonkwo's second wife, almost seems insignificant to one reading from
a patriarchal standpoint, but when reevaluated, one will find that she is a well of knowledge, love,
and fierce independence. Although she was married to another

Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo is a tragic hero in "Things Fall Apart" Question ( 2 ): Discuss Okonkwo in Chinua
Achebe 's "Things Fall Apart" is a tragic hero. Answer: In Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall
Apart" Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Aristotle's Poetics defines a Tragic Hero as a good man of high
status who displays a tragic flaw 'hamartia' and experiences a dramatic reversal 'peripeteia', as
well as an intense moment of recognition 'anagnorisis'. Okonkwo is a leader and hardworking
member of the Igbo community of Umuofia whose tragic flaw is his great fear of weakness and
failure. Okonkwo's fall from grace in the Igbo community and eventual suicide, makes Okonkwo a
tragic hero by Aristotle's definition. Okonkwo is a man of action, a man of war and a...show more
content...
Okonkwo things that, "No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women
and his children ... he was not really a man" Okonkwo wrestles with his fear that any sign of
weakness will cause him to lose control of his family, position in the village, and even himself.
Like many heroes of classical tragedy, Okonkwo's tragic flaw, fear, also makes him excessively
proud. Okonkwo's downfall is a result of the changes created by the coming of the British
Colonisers to Igbo. The introduction of the Colonisers into the novel causes Okonkwo's tragic flaw
to be exacerbated. Okonkwo construes change as weakness, and as a result of his interpretation,
Okonkwo only knows how to react to change through anger and strength. He derives great
satisfaction, "hubris" or proud arrogance, from the fact that he is a traditional, self made man and
thinks that to change would mean submitting to an outside force (Christianity). Following
Okonkwo's seven year exile, the village Okonkwo once knew has changed due to the influence of
Christianity and the influence of the British missionaries and officers. Okonkwo's initial reaction is
to arm the clan against the Colonisers and drive the British people out of Igbo. "He has put a knife
on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart" (152). Okonkwo has always used his
strength and courage to protect the community from destabilizing forces, and as

Conflict In Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart
Brandon Rogers
Chinua Achebe's (1958) novel Things Fall Apart focuses on pre and post–colonial life in modern day
Nigeria during the late Nineteenth century. Things Fall Apart is seen today as the first globally
accepted novel written by an African author. That being said, Achebe's novel is extremely popular in
both African schools, and taught in English–speaking countries all around the world. This novel
follows the life and misfortunes of the main protagonist, Okonkwo. Throughout the novel, Chinua
Achebe (1958) does a great job of the rise and fall of Okonkwo and the Igbo culture.
Throughout the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (1958) discusses the pattern of conflict
between traditional African values, as practiced by the Igbo society, and those of the...show more
content...
In my opinion, both the Igbo society and Okonkwo fell apart. This has a great deal to do with the
arrival of the Christian missionaries, whose goal was to get the Igbo people to abandon their
traditional values and practices in order to convert to Christianity. I also believe that the sense of
family in the Igbo society was destroyed due to the fact that some of the Igbo people actually did
convert to Christianity. The actions of the missionaries destroyed the most valued aspect of the
Igbo society, causing it to fall apart. In my opinion, I believe that things fell apart in this novel for
the worse. I say this because the Igbo society was invaded, and controlled by a foreign power
which condemned the traditional values of Igbo society. The ultimate example of how things fell
apart throughout this novel explained by the suicide of the protagonist Okonkwo. Upon seeing
Okonkwo's hanging body, Obierika stated ferociously "That man was one of the greatest men in
Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog..." (Achebe, 1958,

Things Fall Apart Cultural Collision Essay
Throughout history, cultures from different regions of the world have collided, impacting the lives
of many who encountered them. When these collisions are seen for the better, they can cause
advancements in technology, medicines, religion, government, and more. However, cultural
collisions can be negative, causing dismemberment, chaos, revolts, and deaths. In the novel Things
Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the son of the main character, named Nwoye, has seen the positive
side of a cultural clash when Christian missionaries come to their homelands. Through
interactions with his father, the missionaries, and the new religion, Nwoye was able to receive a
positive impact from the cultural collision by being able to start a new life where he could feel
happy and welcomed. During Nwoye's childhood, tensions between his father Okonkwo and
himself was a reoccurring incident. Okonkwo had always had great anxiety for Nwoye's laziness,
and "sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating." (Achebe 23) This was due to Nwoye's
resemblance to Okonkwo's father, Unoka, who Okonkwo despised. These beatings impacted Nwoye's
...show more content...
The missionaries spoke about how "there is no slave or free" (Achebe 149) in the eyes of god,
and how He is accepting of you no matter who you are or where you come from. Nwoye was
captivated by the poetic hymns of song and the rightfulness he was feeling in the new religion's
presence. Due to his interest, he would sneak off to the church without his father knowing.
However, when Okonkwo found out about Nwoye's doings, he "sprang to his feet and gripped him
by the neck." (Achebe 145) In fear and in anger of his father's reaction, Nwoye decides to go to
Umuofia where the missionaries would teach the new Christian converts to read and write. From
there, Nwoye says that he would only come back to convert his mother, brothers, and

Things Fall Apart Argumentative Essay
In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo faces a lot of different challenges in his life.
When he returned to his motherland after being exiled everything he knew was different. In the end
he could no longer overcome the challenges and he chose to end his life. He rebelled against change
in his religion, faced racism, and struggled with complications in his life style. This novel suggests
that we see things fall apart when people choose to judge others based on their religion, race, and
lifestyle.
One evidence that support this argumentative essay is race. One thing that happens is the abame
clan. In the abame clan a lot of people died not just one person and also the abame clan has been
wiped out . The missionaries request a piece

Follow–Up Questions:
1.Toil has a negative connotation as it refers to hard work without cessation. While Okonkwo was
serving his punishment in exile, Obierika brought word to Mbanta about the government the white
men had brought with them. In this government, the District Commissioner oversees the judging of
"men who had offended against the white man's law" (174). The court messengers were the ones
who had to do hard work: they, nicknames "Ashy Buttocks," were responsible for fetching the
defendant and forcing prisoners to work (175). When Okonkwo finally returns to Umuofia, the
District Commissioner continues to do his facile task of judging the Ibo people and dishing out
punishments. To describe the District Commissioner's work as a toil is an overstatement.
2....show more content...
When asked to take Okonkwo's lifeless body down from the tree, the District Commissioner
refuses for fear of giving the native Ibo people "a poor opinion of him" (208). He believes it would
be in his best interest to keep out of "such undignified details" (208). Ironically, the majority of the
Ibo people did not have a high opinion of the white people who brought over their foreign language,
religion, and culture that was challenging the indigenous traditions.
3.To the reader of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is the most important character in the book as he is
the main character and all occurrences revolve around his life. Okonkwo's life doesn't just
encompass one paragraph of one chapter, it is contained in an entire book. To the District
Commissioner, Okonkwo is no one of consequence, just somebody who tried to escape punishment
by committing suicide. For this reason, the District Commissioner thinks that Okonkwo deserves
only one paragraph that would make him known solely as a "man who had killed a messenger and
hanged himself"

Things Fall Apart Test Essay
Things Fall Apart Test Things Fall Apart. Those three words spell misery for whatever they
describe. This phrase is the title of a novel by Chinua Achebe. Achebe chose to use this phrase from
a poem, The Second Coming, by William Butler Yeats. By writing The Second Coming, "Yeats
describes an apocalyptic vision in which the world collapses into anarchy because of an internal flaw
in humanity.("Things")" which helps to convey his feelings about humanity.Chinua Achebe decided
to use a line of this poem to depict the effect of British imperialism and to indicate the state of life in
Umuofia.
Between these two pieces of literature, there are some contradicting themes and ideas. While in the
poem, the apocalypse in the end of the world are caused by the second coming of Christ, in Things
Fall Apart, the apocalypse or the end of the world is caused by the arrival of the British
missionaries. In the second coming, the end of the world is caused by the internal flaw of human
society....show more content...
Both the novel and the poem share the idea of apocalypse. The poem illustrates the second
coming of Christ as the apocalypse while the book, on the other hand, represents the idea of
apocalypse as the end of world as the Ibo people knew it. When the British arrived, they persuaded
the Ibo people to believe that all of their values and traditions were immoral and unjust. However,
between these two pieces of literature, there are some contradicting themes and ideas. While in the
poem, the apocalypse in the end of the world are caused by the second coming of Christ, in Things
Fall Apart, the apocalypse or the end of the world is caused by the arrival of the British
missionaries. In the second coming, the end of the world is caused by the internal flaw of human

Things Fall Apart Essay Questions

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Things Fall Apart Essay Questions