https://www.echeat.com/ The aim of this essay is to analyze the novel “Things fall apart” and show the events that lead to Okonkwo’s downfall. The down fall of Okonkwo began when he first beat his wife during the week of peace; Okonkwo accused his younger wife ojiugo of negligence and severely beats her up and therefore breaking the sacred week. This was an event which first contributed to the downfall because Okonkwo knew that this week was not to be broken and if one had to do it, he or she was supposed to be punished. Another event was when he had beaten his second wife during a new yam festival; moreover, he had suppressed anger and was looking for an outlet. This happened when Okonkwo’s second wife merely cut a few leaves off banana tree to wrap some food, Okonkwo came to the site of that and according to page 34 “He gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping.” This was the beginning of Okonkwo’s downfall; he had too much anger in him in that he made mistakes due to his suppressed anger. Okonkwo had fear of failure and being called weak as his father, thus, it caused trouble in his life when ikemefuna the prisoner who stayed at Okonkwo’s house was killed .Okonkwo considered ikemefuna as one of his own sons. However, in chapter 7, the oracle of the hills and the caves pronounces that ikemefuna should be killed, and the oldest member of the clan informs Okonkwo of this. Okonkwo has an obsessive fear of anything that can be associated with the image of his weak, lazy and gentle father whom he always considered a failure .But Okonkwo as an ambitious man who has become a successful, respectable warrior of the clan by his own triumph because of this obsession he wanted to take part in the killing of the boy but this older clan member forbids him to do so. However, he persisted and he himself killed the poor boy. Obierika predicts that such action will lead to Okonkwo’s downfall by saying “what you have done will not please the earth .It is the kind of action for which the Goddess wipes out whole families .There were quite a few effort on Okonkwo from that horrible event at first Okonkwo was not able to sleep for days. He also kept on getting drunk, 2012-11-13T20:39:57.577-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Events-which-leads-to-okonkow-s-downfall_-34742.aspx The Tragic Hero of Things Fall Apart The Tragic Hero of Things Fall Apart The role of a tragic hero within a story line is essential in a dramatic film or written work. The hero has the standards of becoming a great character that can take charge of the story through courageous action and bold dialogue. However, since the character is deemed a “tragic” hero, his flaws will ultimately be his downfall, usually leading to the characters own demise. Nowhere is this ideal of a tragic hero more relevant that in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. The story is set in late nineteenth-century in a small village in Nigeria. The tragic hero in this case is a young man named Okonkwo. He is a dynamic growing character but is doomed from the beginning of the story with two major flaws that in the end will destroy his character. Okonkwo cannot physically display any of his emotions because he thinks it is a sure sign of weakness. His second flaw is that if and when he does show any emotion, it is an uncontrollable rage. Both of these flaws will get Okonkwo into trouble that he cannot handle. Okonkwo has been taught from a very young age that showing his emotions is a feminine characteristic, a sign of weakness within his culture. This is brought about because when Okonkwo was a child his father was not very involved with the community or with the elder counsel. The community is the most important aspect of everyday life for Okonkwo’s people. The village does not have a centralized government, but it is does have democratic ruling through the elder males (Ohadike xxii). Since Okonkwo’s father was lazy and drank too much, he did not receive any respect from the majority of the community. Okonkwo did not want this for himself so he always displayed a tough exterior so that he could have respect. This characteristic is clearly shown throughout the story. One such example is when Okonkwo becomes very fond of a boy that is in his care. Even though he likes the boy, Ikemefuna, he still treated him “as he treated everyone else – with a heavy hand” (Achebe 20). Even to a person who was considered part of his own family, he could not show the emotion of affection or graceful attention. In addition to not being able to show any true emotions, Okonkwo has 2012-03-15T21:34:22.26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/things-fall-apart-34512.aspx This essay on Things Fall Apart is only posted to aid other students. Please do not copy my work. Can such an important character in a story have faults? Many people look at the protagonist as the hero with no faults. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the main character shows this quality. Okonkwo portrays many faults, which leads him to his downfall. One example of Okonkwo’s greatest faults is his pride. His own success as a self-made man makes him impatient of others who are not as successful. For example, at a meeting of the tribe's elders, he calls another man a woman and says, "This meeting is for men." This man who had contradicted him had no titles, and so Okonkwo felt that he was not worthy enough. However, Okonkwo had to apologize to him. This is one example of Okonkwo’s faults. Another fault portrayed by Okonkwo is his temper. Okonkwo is hard and stern with his family, particularly his son, Nwoye, who does not take after him. It is Okonkwo's inner fear that he too would be a failure like his father. This makes him proud and hard. He is strict with his wives too and never shows his inner emotions. It is this that drives him to break the rules of the Week of Peace, by beating his wife when she does not send him his food as required. Breaking the rules of the week of peace is considered a sin against the Goddess of the soil, Ani. So this is both a personal error and an error against the rules of the tribe. This is another example of Okonkwo’s faults. The last example of Okonkwo’s faults is his disrespect for women. This is shown at the New Yam festival when he almost shoots his second wife, Ekwefi. He trys this with a gun as he thinks that she has cut down his banana tree when she has only cut a few leaves. This again shows his impulsive nature and volatile temper, faults which later rebound on him. When the Oracle of the Hills and Caves orders the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo, in order to show his fearlessness and impartiality, strikes the final blow with his machete, even as the boy 2012-02-13T13:10:05.573-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Okonkwo-s-Flaws-in-Things-Fall-Apart-34476.aspx Okonkwo's Faults in "Things Fall Apart" Can such an important character in a story have faults? Many people look at the protagonist as the hero with no faults. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the main character shows this quality. Okonkwo portrays many faults, which leads him to his downfall. One example of Okonkwo’s greatest faults is his pride. His own success as a self-made man makes him impatient of others who are not as successful. For example, at a meeting of the tribe's elders, he calls another man a woman and says, "This meeting is for men." This man who had contradicted him had no titles, and so Okonkwo felt that he was not worthy enough. However, Okonkwo had to apologize to him. This is one example of Okonkwo’s faults. Another fault portrayed by Okonkwo is his temper. Okonkwo is hard and stern with his family, particularly his son, Nwoye, who does not take after him. It is Okonkwo's inner fear that he too would be a failure like his father. This makes him proud and hard. He is strict with his wives too and never shows his inner emotions. It is this that drives him to break the rules of the Week of Peace, by beating his wife when she does not send him his food as required. Breaking the rules of the week of peace is considered a sin against the Goddess of the soil, Ani. So this is both a personal error and an error against the rules of the tribe. This is another example of Okonkwo’s faults. The last example of Okonkwo’s faults is his disrespect for women. This is shown at the New Yam festival when he almost shoots his second wife, Ekwefi. He trys this with a gun as he thinks that she has cut down his banana tree when she has only cut a few leaves. This again shows his impulsive nature and volatile temper, faults which later rebound on him. When the Oracle of the Hills and Caves orders the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo, in order to show his fearlessness and impartiality, strikes the final blow with his machete, even as the boy is calling him "My father, they have killed me!" Ogbuefi, the oldest man in the village had asked Okonkwo not to participate on the killing of the boy as 2007-04-23T03:52:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Okonkwo-s-Faults-in-Things-Fall-Apart-33093.aspx Compare and Contrast Things Fall Apart with A Tale of Two Cities One of the most valuable aspects of a book, or any literature, is the insight offered about the views of the author and the surrounding society and times. The way in which certain ideas are presented in different stories can be very telling about the attitude of the author, or maybe in describing a message he is trying to convey. This is perhaps the most important thing to walk away with after having experienced a piece of literature. It is sometimes difficult to find the underlying theme of a story, but it is imperative in order to find some common thread among several pieces of literature. The presentations of these common themes are key in making comparisons or discovering contrasts between pieces of literature that at first appear to be dissimilar and unrelated, such as “Things Fall Apart”, “Cry, the Beloved Country”, and “A Tale of Two Cities”. One of the most prevalent themes throughout these three books is change, and how the characters deal with it. The characters in each book were faced with decisions regarding changes that faced them, their family, or the whole of society. The way in which the characters reacted when faced with these changes is very different from one story to the next. In Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” the theme of changing society is obvious in the revolution. The conditions of life grew continually worse for the peasants, who were the majority of the population in France at the time. The aristocrats were taking what little prosperity was left from the common people, turning France into a giant slum, sporadically dotted with grand castles and nobles living overly extravagant lifestyles. While France was taking this prolonged turn for the worse, the people of France were growing intolerant with the conditions forced on them by the aristocrats. The peasants decided they would confront their growing oppression. Led by a few, the people would revolt, and bring about their own change. They stood united and strong, refusing to back down until they had accomplished what they set out to do. Obviously the French Revolution was historically a success, although the book doesn’t reveal the outcome as it expects the reader to already be aware of this fact. 2007-04-18T03:24:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-Contrast-Things-Fall-Apart-with-A-Tale-of-Two-Cities-32986.aspx Achebe's Life and Work Chinua Achebe was born November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, in eastern Nigeria, the son of a mission-school teacher, one of the early converts to Christianity in his community. (Unlike Okonkwo in TFA, Achebe’s great-grandfather, who raised his father, had expressed tolerance towards the Christian missionaries and had no objections to his grandson’s conversion.) He was baptized Albert Chinualumogu, in tribute to Prince Albert, but adopted a purely African name when he went to university. Grandfather was an important man in the traditional Igbo culture, so the story of Things Fall Apart is to some extent based on family history. As one might suspect from his father’s occupation, the family was devoutly Christian, and he was encouraged as a child to feel superior to the “heathen” around him, although as an adult he has questioned whether his neighbors should rather have felt superior to the Christians, as having fallen away from traditional ways. Simon Gikandi points out that Achebe was in fact part of a privileged group within colonial culture, and Achebe too has observed that Christians had access to jobs and education that were denied to others. He was educated at prestigious colonialist schools and graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1953. He then worked in Nigerian radio (he was director of external broadcasting from 1960-67) until the Biafran War, during which he served the Biafran government, primarily as an ambassador to Europe and the United States seeking financial support for the fledgling state. He published his first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958, while Nigeria was still under colonial rule, and followed with three more novels in the next eight years: No Longer at Ease in 1960, Arrow of God in 1964, and A Man of the People in 1966. The last named work, which ends with a military coup in an unnamed African country, was published just as a coup took place in Nigeria, generating particular interest in the novel as a kind of prophetic statement. Following the war, he went through a period of relative silence (producing essays and stories, but no new novels) until Anthills of the Savannahs appeared in 1987. Achebe gives the following account of the inspiration for his own writing: When I 2006-10-15T14:07:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Summary-of-Things-Fall-Apart-by-Chinua-Achebe-31527.aspx “Convert to Christianity, you filthy little piece of Shit!”, “You don’t deserve your land, so we are taking over and teaching you animals how to be more like human….more like us.” That’s what would a European would say to a native Indian dude. Well….welcome to Imperialism. Imperialism is basically about countries bulling other countries, or taking over other countries. It is the domination of control by one country of the political, economic, and/or social life of another country. So During the late 1800’s British controlled the lands of India. During the time when India was in control by the British there were positive and negative effects that were going on. Well, if you want to look at the positive side then it would be best if I show it from the eyes of a British. I don’t think that many Indians were happy with their country begin taken over. Imperialism helped out India and did a great number of positives things for them. The Europeans gave India modern thoughts, modern science, and modern life. The British build roads, canals, railways, telegraphs, and many other things. Because of the help of British India gained new territories. The British taught them political peace and order. They also introduced education (western education). They treated India as if it was their “little brother”. “Little Brother my Ass!!!” would say a real true Indian to the British for taking over their country. See like I said, if you want to look at the negative sides then it would be wise if I show it from the eyes of real Indians. The British came to India and totally messed up what the Indians had….their own unique kind of culture, ethnicity, custom, and just shoved them in the trash can. They broke many of the India’s finest crafts. They stopped the economic development. The country’s poverty grew, and the standard of living fell. A real Indian like Mohandas Gandhi says that the English committed a great crime. They had given them no responsibility for their own government. And it is true; the English did almost everything for them, as if India wasn’t able to do it by themselves. As overall, I say that Imperialism did not do well for any country. The English gave the countries no responsibility for their own; they destroyed many of their things. They build railroads, yes it was good, but they 2006-07-18T00:05:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imperialism-in-Things-Fall-Apart-30334.aspx Things Fall Apart: Significance of title and the events that led up to Okonkwo falling apart What does the title means? Things Fall Apart is a tragic novel which is set in the Igbo community of Africa. Chinua Achebe, who is the author of this novel, portrays how an ambitious, well known, and respected African, Okonkwo, life falls apart. He was a man with great intensity and personality. He had accomplished his goal to become rich and famous, an advantage that was unseen before in his family. Okonkwo's life first began to fall apart when Ikemefuna, a prisoner who stayed at Okonkwo's home, was killed. Okonkwo considered Ikemefuna as one of his own sons. He was truly saddened when he was killed. There were quite few effects on Okonkwo from that horrible event. At first, Okonkwo was not able to sleep for days. He also kept on getting drunk, and that was a sign that he was miserable. Another thing, his family would look at him as if it were his fault that Ikemefuna is dead. This can be seen as an event where Okonkwo looses belief from his family. This relates to Okonkwo loosing faith in his father. Another significant incidence where Okonkwo's life falls apart was when he was thrown out of the clan for seven years. From this event, one can see that Okonkwo's hopes dreams have begun to fall apart. His hopes of being a rich and popular individual had drifted away with this disturbing incident. Okonkwo had no longer had his farm or animals. Also Okonkwo lost faith with most of his friends. This goes to show that Okonkwo lost faith with his friends, like his father lost faith with his. Another episode that showed the downfall in Okonkwo's life was when Nwoye, his oldest and favorite son, converted to the white mans religion, Christianity. To Okonkwo this was very upsetting because Nwoye was his eldest son, and Okonkwo had the greatest expectations for him. When news came to him that Nwoye was among the white men, one could have foreseen that only no good was coming to Okonkwo after that. Taking a quick look at Okonkwo's life, the title Things Fall Apart goes perfectly with the book. Starting from the event with Ikemefuna, you could see that Okonkwo's life was starting to fall apart. Then, later on, when Okonkwo was kicked out of his clan, his chance of being 2005-08-14T00:51:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Things-Fall-Apart-Events-that-led-up-to-Okonkwo-Falling-27618.aspx " Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe's An analytical look at why the village of Umofia fell apart. Faith has always been a guiding force in man's life. Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart is a story that describes the effects of a new Christian religion in a tribal village of Africa. The tribe has their own language, known as Obi, a dignified culture and a value system that has continued for many years as they trace back into their ancestry. Yet, voids that this culture can no longer fill for modern tribesmen enable white missionaries to intrude upon this system and convert many of the tribe's younger members to the Christian faith. The tribal system falls apart because younger members are unable to remember persons of the past, unable to relate to violence when they have lived in safety and peace and are uninterested in a faith that does not fulfill their needs for music, joy and love, instead of discipline of a higher being. Okonkwo, the protagonist of the story, could remember to "another time" when children, like his own son Nwoye, were not lazy. He could also remember the indolence of his own father, Unoka, and that his father had not received any titles as a clansman. He was determined to be a respected farmer of yams to ward off the shame of his unsuccessful and dishonorable father. Fortunately, among these people a man was judged by his worth and not according to the worth of his father... As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings. Okonkwo had clearly washed his hands and so he ate with kings and elders. (page 8) This was Okonkwo's motive in life and so he remained prosperous throughout his life and worked hard to prove to others that he was not the same man as his father. Unfortunately, this was not the feeling shared by many in the clan and Okonkwo, in trying to make-up for his father's mistakes, took on the responsibilities of an old man as a young boy and had the mind set of an elder in the community because as was stated, those were the people he ate his meals with and held his discussions with. 2005-08-05T03:18:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-Umofia-Fell-Apart-in-Things-Fall-Apart-27554.aspx [i:5511a9d18a]"King Oedipus" and "Things Fall Apart": Talk about how these tragedies are similar in structure and how both demonstrate their belief in heroes who posses a tragic flaw.[/i:5511a9d18a] Many ancient societies have a record of tragic tales that observe problems of human life and the nature of the gods. For instance, both Greek and Nigerian tragic tales of King Oedipus and Things Fall Apart prove to be similar in structure. Both civilizations demonstrate their belief in tragic heroes who posses a tragic flaw as well as a belief in the ultimate powers of their gods. In Greek tragedies, the audience was often familiar with the storyline, so the authors had to incorporate tragic traits of heroes and climactic plot structure for the audience to be in suspense. The structure of the prologue, plot, and the characteristic of the protagonist in Things Fall Apart and King Oedipus help the authors arise the emotion of suspense in the reader. The prologue, or the brief introduction, of both stories establishes the background of the story in order to begin in media res. In King Oedipus, Sophocles sets up the background information and gives the reader a sense of the present situation. Quickly, the Priest announces the purpose of the story when he explains that blight has taken over Thebes and has caused famine in the country. Oedipus pledges to find and punish the murderer of King Lais to stop the curse on their land. Sophocles assumes the audience is familiar with this tragic story, so he presents this information to the reader for the effect of dramatic irony to work properly. Similarly, in Things Fall Apart, the first chapter acts as an introduction as it presents details about life and culture in the Nigerian area during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The legends of the fight with a spirit of the wild by the founder of the village and social rituals dealing with kola nuts and alligator pepper help familiarize the reader with the society. Achebe also sets up Okonkwo's character and social standing. Many townspeople respect him for his strength and noble virtues. The tragic heroes are introduced and both stories begin in media res, or in the midst of action. The prologue has the effect of familiarizing the reader with the protagonist so that suspense builds up during dramatic irony when the reader is aware of the hero's downfall before the hero 2005-08-05T03:18:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-of-King-Oedipus-and-Things-Fall-Apart-27553.aspx Things Fall Apart, who is responsible for the division and downfall of Umoufia? In the historical novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe we gain knowledge of the African societies as they once were. Achebe shows us what happened to this particular (fictional) community in the 19th century, as the downfall of their village occurred. The book begins by introducing us to the main character, Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a strong character who is a leader in his town of Umuofia. This man has gone through many challenges in his life. It was hard for him growing up with his father Unoka who was "lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking of tomorrow" (Things Fall Apart, page 4). His father was known in the village as being a failure, but Okonkwo wanted to change his family's status. He worked hard to overcome his past and never followed in his father's footsteps. He rose from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of his clan. Okonkwo's clan is very religious and has very strong beliefs and customs. In this clan the men have power over their women. They have more than one wife, and their wives are bought with a bride price and defined by their husband. Okonkwo had three wives, all of which lived in separate huts with their children. Although the children lived with their mothers, they still belonged to the father. Sometimes Okonkwo was violent towards his family, beating them and even threatening to kill them. This was not prohibited, however he did get in trouble for beating his youngest wife Ojiugo because it was during their "Week of Peace", and he must make sacrifices to repent from his mistakes. The people of the clan have many folk tales and proverb's, such as this one spoken by Okonkwo's uncle Uchendu: "There is no story that is not true. . . . The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others" (Things fall Apart, 130). When this proverb was spoken Uchendu didn't know just how true it would come to be. Okonkwo led a good life, he had plenty of yams planted, which were a sign of good wealth and he went on with his life changing his family's status greatly. However this did not last long, soon things went wrong. At the funeral for Ogbuefi Ezeudu, Okonkwo's gun accidentally goes off, 2005-08-05T03:17:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Who-is-Responsible-for-the-Downfall-of-Umoufia-in-Things-Fall-Apart-27552.aspx Two entirely different cultures are brought together in unique fashion in Courtney’s The Power of One, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Costner’s Dances with Wolves, to reveal a common theme. When two cultures collide, the infringing and more imposing civilization generally retains its customs while either altering or destroying aspects of the weaker culture’s way of life. Peekay demonstrates this theme through his childhood and adult experiences in The Power of One. Okonkwo and lesser characters are able to endow this idea in Things Fall Apart, and likewise, Lt. John Dunbar is able to do so in Dances with Wolves. When two cultures come together, religion, politics, and views of intolerance are all affected. Religion has been the bearer of wars and strife amongst civilizations because of the enormous role it plays in defining a society. Therefore, when two cultures come together, the more dominant culture’s religion will typically prevail. This scenario is evident in The Power of One, on occasion. The most obvious instance of this occurring is when Peekay returns home from his amazing adventure with Hoppie and cannot find his Nanny waiting to embrace him. Peekay proceeds to question the members of the household in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of his Nanny, of Zululand descent. His mother is relatively uneasy to tell Peekay the truth. However, the boy’s persistence coerces her to disclose what really happened to his Nanny who had been with him from birth, when she was deported to a facility for the mentally unstable. Apparently, Peekay’s Nanny had been banished to her homeland because she refused to remove her defining amulets and accept Christianity. Peekay does not truly understand his Nanny’s ostracism and realizes that there are many new changes with Dee and Dum, the two housemaids, as well. It is now obligatory for them to remove their religion oriented jewelry and read from Bible under the newly instated policy of Peekay’s authoritarian mother. There is evidence of religion being affected drastically in Things Fall Apart as well. The encroachment of the English serves as a catalyst to the collapse of the Ibo tribe’s pillars of faith and philosophy. At first, the white men are nothing more than a humorous attraction with amusing stories of a single God. However, there are a few members of the Ibo tribe who embrace this awkward religion. Nwoye, son of Okonkwo, is of those who are attracted 2004-12-21T06:40:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Broken-Traditions-in-Things-Fall-Apart-25931.aspx The book Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe tells the story about a native living in Africa during the period of European imperialism. By placing the book during this time period Achebe can first explain traditional Ibo culture and then talk about the effect that the white European evangelists had on Ibo society. The book dispels the commonly held view of Africans before colonization as savage and godless beings. Achebe explains the very advanced social order in Umuofia and the complex Ibo religion. In bringing together what I have learned about Europe and Africa during the time of Imperialism I will draw a comparison between the two continents politically, religiously, and economically. Europe was ruled by a set of very powerful and competing monarchs during the time of imperialism. In these monarchies a king and queen had supreme power over their countries. In Umuofia there was a democratic system of government with no one ruler and a complex system by which people could gain political power through economic success. I think it is very ironic that when the white missionaries came they lectured the natives on how everyone was equal in the eyes of God, but yet they had supreme rulers in their own countries and a very unfair social caste system. Contrary to popular belief the Africans had a very complex religion before Christianity came. Everyone in the community was extremely religious, even obeying their religious leaders when they were told to kill their own children who were thought to be purveyors of communal misfortune. This seems very barbaric to us but their religion was strictly adhered to for what to them were completely rational reason. There were a collection of gods for different occurrences in nature and life, such as rain and fertility. Overall the religion was adapted to a suit the agrarian-based tribal society. The Ibo religion contained a lot of superstition and strange rituals, which I think made its followers more vulnerable to Christian influence. The Europeans built their church on land that was supposed to be cursed, but when nothing happened to them a few people started to question their current beliefs. Overall, I think the main reason that the village and so many others all converted to Christianity was due primarily to social and economic pressures, and not a change in religious views from being “enlightened” by the Christians. The economy of Umuofia and 2004-02-22T20:05:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Things-Fall-Apart--48.aspx