Things Fall Apart.docx
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Things Fall Apart.docx
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ThingsFallApart
ThingsFallApart
Chapters1–3
Summary:
Chapter1
OkonkwoisawealthyandrespectedwarrioroftheUmuofiaclan,alowerNigeriantribethatispartofaconsortiumofnineconnectedvillages,includingOkonkwo’svillage,Iguedo.Inhisyouth,hebroughthonortohisvillagebybeatingAmalinzetheCatinawrestlingcontest.UntilhismatchwithOkonkwo,theCathadbeenundefeatedforsevenyears.Okonkwoiscompletelyunlikehisnowdeceasedfather,Unoka,whofearedthesightofbloodandwasalwaysborrowingandlosingmoney,whichmeantthathiswifeandchildrenoftenwenthungry.Unokawas,however,askilledfluteplayerandhadagiftfor,andloveof,language.
Summary:
Chapter2Onenight,thetowncrierringstheogene,orgong,andrequeststhatalloftheclansmengatherinthemarketinthemorning.Atthegathering,OgbuefiEzeugo,anotedorator,announcesthatsomeonefromthevillageofMbainomurderedthewifeofanUmuofiatribesmanwhileshewasintheirmarket.Thecrowdexpressesangerandindignation,andOkonkwotravelstoMbainotodeliverthemessagethattheymusthandovertoUmuofiaavirginandayoungman.ShouldMbainorefusetodoso,thetwovillagesmustgotowar,andUmuofiahasafiercereputationforitsskillinwarandmagic.Okonkwoischosentorepresenthisclanbecauseheisitsfiercestwarrior.Earlierinthechapter,asheremembershispastvictories,welearnaboutthefivehumanheadsthathehastakeninbattle.Onimportantoccasions,hedrinkspalm-winefromthefirstheadthathecaptured.Notsurprisingly,MbainoagreestoUmuofia’sterms.TheeldersgivethevirgintoOgbuefiUdoashiswifebutarenotsurewhattodowiththefifteen-year-oldboy,Ikemefuna.TheeldersdecidetoturnhimovertoOkonkwoforsafekeepingandinstruction.Okonkwo,inturn,instructshisfirstwifetocareforIkemefuna.
Inadditiontobeingaskilledwarrior,Okonkwoisquitewealthy.Hesupportsthreewivesandeightchildren,andeachwifehasherownhut.Okonkwoalsohasabarnfullofyams,ashrineforhisancestors,andhisownhut,calledanobi.
Okonkwofearsweakness,atraitthatheassociateswithhisfatherandwithwomen.WhenOkonkwowasachild,anotherboycalledUnokaagbala,whichisusedtorefertowomenaswellastomenwhohavenottakenatitle.Becausehedreadsweakness,Okonkwoisextremelydemandingofhisfamily.Hefindshistwelve-year-oldson,Nwoye,tobelazy,sohebeatsandnagstheboyconstantly.
Summary:
Chapter3
OkonkwobuilthisfortunealoneasasharecropperbecauseUnokawasneverabletohaveasuccessfulharvest.WhenhevisitedtheOracle,Unokawastoldthathefailedbecauseofhislaziness.Ill-fated,Unokadiedofashamefulillness,“swellingwhichwasanabominationtotheearthgoddess.”ThosesufferingfromswellingstomachsandlimbsareleftintheEvilForesttodiesothattheydonotoffendtheearthbybeingburied.Unokaneverheldanyofthecommunity’sfourprestigioustitles(becausetheymustbepaidfor),andheleftnumerousdebtsunpaid.
Asaresult,OkonkwocannotcountonUnoka’shelpinbuildinghisownwealthandinconstructinghisobi.What’smore,hehastoworkhardtomakeupforhisfather’snegativestrikesagainsthim.Okonkwosucceedsinexceedingalltheotherclansmenasawarrior,afarmer,andafamilyprovider.Hebeginsbyaskingawealthyclansman,Nwakibie,togivehim400seedyamstostartafarm.BecauseNwakibieadmiredOkonkwo’shard-workingnature,hegavehimeighthundred.OneofUnoka’sfriendsgavehimanotherfourhundred,butbecauseofhorribledroughtsandrelentlessdownpours,Okonkwocouldkeeponlyonethirdoftheharvest.SomefarmerswhowerelazierthanOkonkwoputoffplantingtheiryamsandthusavoidedthegravelossessufferedbyOkonkwoandtheotherindustriousfarmers.Thatyear’sdevastatingharvestleftaprofoundmarkonOkonkwo,andfortherestofhislifeheconsidershissurvivalduringthatdifficultperiodproofofhisfortitudeandinnermettle.Althoughhisfathertriedtooffersomewordsofcomfort,Okonkwofeltonlydisgustforsomeonewhowouldturntowordsatatimewheneitheractionorsilencewascalledfor.
Analysis:
Chapters1–3
WeareintroducedimmediatelytothecomplexlawsandcustomsofOkonkwo’sclananditscommitmenttoharmoniousrelations.Forexample,thepracticeofsharingpalm-wineandkolanutsisrepeatedthroughoutthebooktoemphasizethepeacefulnessoftheIgbo.WhenUnoka’sresentfulneighborvisitshimtocollectadebt,theneighbordoesnotimmediatelyaddressthedebt.Instead,heandUnokashareakolanutandpraytotheirancestralspirits;afterward,theyconverseaboutcommunityaffairsatgreatlength.Thecustomsregulatingsocialrelationsemphasizetheircommoninterestsandculture,diffusingpossibletension.TheneighborfurthereasesthesituationbyintroducingthesubjectofdebtthroughaseriesofIgboproverbs,thusmakinguseofasharedoraltradition,asOkonkwodoeswhenheasksNwakibieforsomeseedyams.ThroughhisemphasisontheharmonyandcomplexityoftheIgbo,Achebecontradictsthestereotypical,EuropeanrepresentationsofAfricansassavages.
AnotherimportantwayinwhichAchebechallengessuchstereotypicalrepresentationsisthroughhisuseoflanguage.AsAchebewritesinhisessayonJosephConrad’snovellaHeartofDarkness,colonialistEuropetendedtoperceiveAfricaasafoilornegationofWesterncultureandvalues,imaginingAfricatobeaprimordiallandofsilence.ButthepeopleofUmuofiaspeakacomplexlanguagefullofproverbsandliteraryandrhetoricaldevices.Achebe’stranslationoftheIgbolanguageintoEnglishretainsthecadences,rhythms,andspeechpatternsofthelanguagewithoutmakingthemsound,asConraddid,“primitive.”
OkonkwoistheprotagonistofThingsFallApart,and,inadditiontosituatinghimwithinhissociety,thefirstfewchaptersofthenovelofferusanunderstandingofhisnature.Heisdrivenbyhishatredofhisfather,Unoka,andhisfearofbecominglikehim.ToavoidpickingupUnoka’straits,Okonkwoactsviolentlywithoutthinking,oftenprovokingavoidablefights.Hehasabadtemperandruleshishouseholdwithfear.OkonkwoassociatesUnokawithweakness,andwithweaknessheassociatesfemininity.Becausehisbehaviorissomarkedlydifferentfromhisfather’s,hebelievesthatitconstitutesmasculinity.However,itstrainshisrelationshipwithNwoyeandleadshimtosininChapter4bybreakingtheWeekofPeace.Hisrashbehavioralsocausestensionwithinthecommunitybecauseheexpressesdisdainforlesssuccessfulmen.Ikemefunalaterdemonstratesthatmasculinityneednotprecludekindness,gentleness,andaffection,andNwoyerespondsfarmorepositivelytoIkemefuna’snurturinginfluencethantoOkonkwo’sheavy-handedness.
Despiteitsfocusonkinship,theIgbosocialstructureoffersagreaterchanceformobilitythanthatofthecolonizerswhoeventuallyarriveinUmuofia.Thoughancestorsarerevered,aman’sworthisdeterminedbyhisownactions.IncontrasttomuchofcontinentalEuropeansocietyduringthenineteenthcentury,whichwasmarkedbywealth-basedclassdivisions,Igboculturevaluesindividualdisplaysofprowess,asevidencedbytheirwrestlingcompetitions.Okonkwoisthusable,bymeansofhisownefforts,toattainapositionofwealthandprestige,eventhoughhisfatherdied,pennilessandtitleless,ofashamefulillness.
Chapters4–6
Summary:
Chapter4
TheclandecidesthatIkemefunawillstaywithOkonkwo.Ikemefunaishomesickandscaredatfirst,butNwoye’smothertreatshimasoneofherown,andheisimmediatelypopularwithOkonkwo’schildren.Ikemefunaknowsmanystoriesthatthechildrenhaveneverheardbeforeandhepossessesmanyimpressiveskills,suchasmakingflutesoutofbamboosticksandsettingtrapsforlittlebushrodents.ToOkonkwo’sdelight,healsobecomeslikeanolderbrothertoNwoye.OkonkwohimselfgrowsquitefondofIkemefuna,buthedoesnotshowanyaffectionbecauseheconsidersdoingsoasignofweakness,whichherefusestotolerateinhimselforothers.IkemefunasoonbeginstocallOkonkwo“father.”
DuringtheWeekofPeace,Okonkwonoticesthathisyoungestwife,Ojiugo,hasleftherhuttohaveherhairbraidedwithouthavingcookeddinner.Hebeatsherforhernegligence,shamefullybreakingthepeaceofthesacredweekinatransgressionknownasnso-ani.ThepriestdemandsthatOkonkwosacrificeanannygoatandahenandpayafineofonelengthofclothandonehundredcowries(shellsusedascurrency).Okonkwotrulyrepentsforhissinandfollowsthepriest’sorders.OgbuefiEzeuduobservesthatthepunishmentforbreakingthePeaceofAnihasbecomemildinUmuofia.Healsocriticizesanotherclan’spracticeofthrowingthebodiesofallwhodieduringtheWeekofPeaceintotheEvilForest.
AftertheWeekofPeace,thevillagersbegintoclearthelandinpreparationforplantingtheirfarms.NwoyeandIkemefunahelpOkonkwopreparetheseedyams,buthefindsfaultwiththeirwork.Eventhoughheknowsthattheyaretooyoungtounderstandfarmingcompletely,hehopesthatcriticismwilldrivehissontobeagreatmanandfarmer.IkemefunasettlesintoOkonkwo’sfamilyandshareshislargestockoffolktales.
Summary:
Chapter5
Justbeforetheharvest,thevillageholdstheFeastoftheNewYamtogivethankstotheearthgoddess,Ani.Okonkwodoesn’treallycareforfeastsbecauseheconsidersthemtimesofidleness.Thewomenthoroughlyscrubanddecoratetheirhuts,throwawayalloftheirunusedyamsfromthepreviousyear,andusecamwoodtopainttheirskinandthatoftheirchildrenwithdecorativedesigns.Withnothingtodo,Okonkwobecomesangry,andhefinallycom
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