Things Fall Apart

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Things Fall Apart

• Chinua Achebe

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• Until the lions have their own historians, the
  history of the hunt will always glorify the
  hunter.
• --Chinua Achebe

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The Novel

• Achebes novel deals with the changes in culture
  brought about in what is now Nigeria, when the
  white man began colonizing the area in the late
  19th and early 20th centuries. The Novel focuses
  primarily on the Igbo people.

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Nigeria

• Nigeria
• Largest country in Africa (130,000,000)
• 50 Muslim, 40 Christian, 10 Traditional
• Comprised of various tribal societies with
  independent cultures and histories.
• Yoruba
• Igbo
• Hausa

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Colonialism

• What is Colonialism?
• Political Domination
• The Establishment of a Government
• Large-Scale Religious Conversion
• Forced Economic Dependence

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Justifications for Colonialism

• Economic
• Colonialism provided a huge natural resource
  base for small European powers
• Colonies provided ready markets for finished
  products
• Religious The need to spread Christianity
• Cultural The White Mans Burden

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The Igbo

• The majority of Igbo are farmers. Their staple
  crop is yam, and its harvesting is a time for
  great celebration.
• They have no centralized chieftaincy, hereditary
  aristocracy, or kingship customs Instead, the
  responsibility of leadership has traditionally
  been left to the village councils.It is possible
  for an Igbo man, through personal success, to
  become the nominal leader of the council.

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The Igbo

• Before the influence of Europeans and Christian
  missions, most Igbo practiced some form of
  ancestor worship, which held that in order to
  gain success in this world, one must appease of
  the spirits of the deceased.

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Igbo Vocabulary

• Agbala - woman, or man without title
• ?Bride-price - converse of dowry the
  bridegroom's family pays cash or goods to the
  bride's family ?
• Chi - personal spirit?
• Egwugwu - a masquerader who represents the
  ancestral spirits of the village at trials and
  ceremonies. The egwugwu ceremony of the Ibo
  (chapter 10)?
• Foo-foo - pounded yam, traditional staple food
  of Igbo

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Vocab

• Kola nut - seed pod of evergreen trees common in
  Western Africa, which contains caffeine and is
  offered as a gesture of friendship and
  hospitality.
• Obi - male living quarter

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Important Ceremonies and Traditions

• Bride price?
• Dry Season?
• Egwugwu ceremony
• ?Engagement ceremony
• ?Funeral Ceremony?

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Ceremonies and traditions

• Feast of the New Year?
• Kola-nut ceremony
• ?Palm-wine tapping?
• Polygamy
• ?Week of Peace

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Major Characters

• Okonkwo--The Tragic Hero, a hard working leader
  of Umoufia, Okonkwo fears weakness and laziness.
  His rage causes a great deal of tragedy and
  sorrow in his life.
• Nwoye--Okonkwos eldest son. Okonkwo fears that
  he will be soft and lazy like his grandfather.
  Nwoye tries to please Okonkwo, but rarely does

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Characters

• Enzinma--Okwonkwos favorite child, ironically a
  daughter. She Is the only child of Ekwefi,
  Okonkwos second wife.
• Ikemefuna--Okwonkwos adopted son. He is given to
  Okonkwo to pacify a debt with another tribe.
• Unoka--Okonkwos father. Okonkwo is ashamed of
  him because he was a lazy man.

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Characters

• The District Commisioner--An authority figure in
  the white colonial government in Nigeria. He
  thinks that he understands everything about
  native African customs and cultures and he has no
  respect for them
• Mr. Brown --The first white missionary to travel
  to Umuofia. Mr. Brown institutes a policy of
  compromise, understanding, and non-aggression
  between his flock and the clan.

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Characters

• Reverend James Smith--The missionary who replaces
  Mr. Brown. Unlike Mr. Brown, Reverend Smith is
  uncompromising and strict. He demands that his
  converts reject all of their indigenous beliefs,
  and he shows no respect for indigenous customs or
  culture.