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THINGS FALL APART

Chapter One

Note: Cowry shells threaded on strings were traditionally used as a means of exchange by many African cultures. The villages' distance from the sea makes them sufficiently rare to serve as money. Cowries from as far away as Southeast Asia have been found in sub-Saharan Africa. Note how Achebe immediately establishes his perspective from inside Umuofia (which is Ibo for "people of the forest") in the first sentence. The wider world consists of the group of nine related villages which comprise Umuofia and certain other villages like Mbaino.

1. What are Okonkwo's main characteristics as he is depicted in the first few chapter? List as many as you can, being as specific as possible.
2. Describe Unoka, Okonkwo's father. What are Okonkwo's feelings toward Unoka, and why? How does the (negative) example of his father shape Okonkwo's character and actions?
3. What do the early descriptions of Okonkwo's success and Unoka's failure tell us about Igbo society? How does one succeed in this cultural context? What do we learn from the system of the taking of titles? Who seems to be excluded from opportunities to gain such success?
4. Kola is a stimulant, comparable to very strong tea or coffee, which is served on most social occasions in this culture. It is also one ingredient after which Coca Cola is named. Note how the ritual for sharing kola is described without being explained. Why do you think Achebe does this? He will continue to introduce Ibo customs in this fashion throughout the novel.

Chapter Two

Note: Palm-wine is a naturally fermented product of the palm-wine tree, a sort of natural beer.

In this polygamous culture each household is enclosed in a compound. Each wife lives in a hut with her children, and the husband visits each wife in turn, though he has his own hut as well. Children are often cared for more or less communally.

1. What effect does night have on the people? What do they fear? How do they deal with their fear of snakes at night?
2. What is the cause and nature of the conflict with Mbaino?
3. Beginning with this chapter, note how women are related to the religious beliefs of the people. What is the purpose of the taking of Ikemefuna? Note how Achebe foreshadows the boy's doom even as he introduces him.
4. Describe Unoka, OkonkwoÕs father. What are Okonkwo's feelings toward Unoka, and why? How does the (negative) example of his father shape Okonkwo's character and actions? In what ways does Okonkwo overcompensate for his father's weaknesses? In what ways is he presented as unusual for his culture? What is his attitude toward women? Why does he dislike his son Nwoye so much?