Questions:
1. Comment on Chinua Achebe’s portrayal of Pre-Colonial Africa in Things Fall Apart.
2. Discuss the significance of the title Things Fall Apart.
3. Critically elaborate on the struggle between tradition and change in Things Fall Apart.
4. Write an essay on Things Fall Apart as a postcolonial novel.
5. Critically analyze the character of Okonkwo.
6. Write a note on Things Fall Apart as a tragedy.
7. Comment on the tragic and the heroic elements of the novel Things Fall apart.
Answer:
“If you don’t like someone’s story,” the Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic Chinua Achebe remarked to ‘The Paris Review’ in 1994, “write your own.” Achebe exemplified this in his groundbreaking first novel, “Things Fall Apart” (1958). Through measured and precise prose, he explored a tribal society breaking under the strain of colonialism. Set in 1890 during Nigeria’s early colonial period, “Things Fall Apart” portrays the transition of Igbo society from initial contact with British colonialists to the increasing dominance of British rule. This postcolonial novel aims to correct prior stereotypes by presenting both cultures impartially, highlighting the intricacies of Igbo traditions. The protagonist, Okonkwo, experiences a tragic downfall within this narrative.
The title “Things Fall Apart” is derived from a line in William Butler Yeats’s poem, “The Second Coming,” alluding to the chaos brought by the arrival of British colonialism and Christian missions in Africa, clashing with traditional Igbo culture and religion. Okonkwo embodies both a catalyst and a victim of this chaos. The disintegration of the old religious order is most starkly illustrated when Enoch unmasks an egwugwu, leading to anarchic conflict among the villagers and culminating in Okonkwo’s suicide.
The plot of ‘Things Fall Apart’ is organized in a cyclical pattern. The structure of the novel reveals Okonkwo’s youth in Umuofia, his seven-year exile in Mbanta, and his return home. The novel is divided into three parts, each covering one of these phases. This tripartite structure also reflects a gendered narrative, tracing Okonkwo’s journey from fatherland to motherland and back. This gendered framework contrasts with Okonkwo’s obsession with his own masculinity. Despite his efforts to gain status and embody traditional Igbo masculinity, Okonkwo feels perpetually emasculated. His quest for recognition frequently puts him at odds with his community, leading to his downfall and that of Umuofia and the nine villages.
Achebe portrays the Igbo as possessing sophisticated social institutions and a rich, civilized culture with traditions and laws emphasizing justice and fairness. Their society operates as a simple democracy, where decisions are made by consensus among all males. Ironically, the Europeans, who claim to spread democratic values, attempt to suppress these clan meetings. The Igbo society also allows significant social mobility, with men being judged not by their fathers’ wealth but by their own achievements, and high rank attainable for all freeborn Igbo.
Digression is a key technique in Achebe’s storytelling. While the central narrative focuses on Okonkwo’s tragedy, Achebe frequently digresses to share anecdotes and minor incidents, blending documentary elements with a lively narrative that prevents the novel from reading like an anthropology text. This approach allows readers to see the Igbo through their own perspective, celebrating rituals and holidays marking significant moments in the year and in their lives. Thus, the novel and its protagonist symbolize the fall of African culture at the hands of colonizers. In his essay, “Publishing in Africa,” Achebe argues that the African writer must harness the “spiritual bond that exists between the true artist and his community” to guide himself and his readers towards a meaningful future. “Things Fall Apart” critiques colonialism, embodied in the tragic fall of Okonkwo.