What are the answers to Uchendu's questions in things fall apart?

Answer 1

If I have to come with another title, I would probably borrow a couple words from French writer Jean Jacques Baudelaire and say: African Colonization, "The Flower of the Evil". I read a couple comments on the book, and found out that no one really captured the message that novelist-Chinua Achebe - tried to vehicle. " Things Fall Apart" sounds so nostalgic for those who believe that Africa civilization and traditional culture were beautifully unique and that colonialism was 100% evil; of course, some African civilization traits before the "white men" were really great. Remember the yearly Wrestling event where all 9 villages gathered to celebrate the yam festival? Remember the main character of the novel Okonkwo beating Amalinze the Cat? Remember the famous African drums and young girls singing at the moonlight? Remember all those great African proverbs in the book? All those nostalgic cultural elements felt apart when colonization was introduced in Africa.

But, to effectively interpret "Things fall apart" Time and Space are two crucial variables that we need to consider. We are in 1959 in Africa. During those days all literature (oral or written) were "engaged literatures," geared toward fighting Colonialism. Shenghor wrote: the" Negitude". Oyono wrote: the old Nega and the Medal. Camara Laye wrote the Black Kid. All those literatures were written to celebrate the beauty of the Africa traditional culture as if everything was perfect. Chinua Achebe had no choice but to follow "the engaged model" of the African Literature of that time. At the end of "Things Fall Apart" Achebe seemed to regret why he did not choose a better title for his novel.

Chinua Achebe realized that "the African traditional culture that every African writer tends to celebrate, had serious unrevealed dark spots. For example, in Thinks Fall Apart, twins were considered by the Ibo tradition as evil creatures and were consequently killed in the secret forest. Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna with a machete. Those are some examples of the dark sides of the Africa traditional civilization. Again, lf I have to find another title to replace "Things Fall Apart", I would write: African Colonization, the flower of Evil" . I have no doubt in my mind that colonization was evil because of its negative aspects and the division (balkanization) that colonization has created among black African countries. But, let's acknowledge that, colonization had its advantages. Chritianism was introduced to pacify the "savage and primitive side" of the Ibo traditions - (killing twins, and children, beating women etc…)

Given the above analysis of the African traditional culture, do we still believe that "things really fell apart"? To answer this question, I invite everyone to review the very last sentence of the Book. After much thought, the real title of the book should have been "the pacification of the primitive tribes of the lower Niger"

Answer 2

Uchendu is the younger brother of Okonkwo's dead mother. After Okonkwo and his family gets exiled from his own clan, Uchendu recieves them warmly into their household. He comforts Okonkwo, who was greatly depressed at having to flee like a coward into his motherland, and advises him to receive the love of the clan where his mother are buried gratefully, saying that children seek refuge in their mother's huts when life are bitter and harsh.

Answer 3

The answer to most of the questions were silence, admission that the parties did not know the answers to Uchendu's question. Okonkwo denies knowing the answer to one of the questions verbally when called upon, saying "I do not know the answer."

Why is Okonkwo with us today?

Literally: Silence.

Okonkwo was with Uchendu and his family because he was temporarily exiled from Umuofia. His motherland, Mbanta was the best place he could go, as his mother's family would take care of them in a manner.

Can you tell me, Okonkwo, why it is that one of the commonest names we give our chil­dren is Nneka, or "Mother is Supreme?"

Literally: Silence, then "I do not know the answer."

Why is it that when a woman dies she is taken home to be buried with her own kinsmen?

Literally: Okonkwo shakes his head.

What about you? Can you answer my question?

Literally: All of Uchendu's sons and daughters shake their head.

None of Uchendu's children knew how to properly answer their father or what point he was trying to make. If they did, they did not want to steal their father's thunder in making the point.

Paraphrasing Uchendu's response to Okonkwo when answering his own question:

A child belongs to its father, but when the child is beaten the child seeks refuge in the mother's hut. When there is sorrow and bitterness, sympathy and solace are found in the mother's hut. The mother protects her child. It is not right that a child should go to his mother and refuse to be comforted, much like Okonkwo was despairing in his motherland. Okonkwo has a duty to live and take his family back to the village. If he does not, then his family will be stuck in exile causing some dishonour. Uchendu tells Okonkwo that his (Uchendu's) children are Okonkwo's kinsmen. Uchendu tells Okonkwo of greater suffering than his, including him being cast down from 6 wives to a single wife who is not very intelligent. Uchendu has buried 22 of his own children. He makes not of men who lose all their yams and children. He tells Okonkwo to ask Akueni, Uchendu's daughter, of how many twins she has borne and had to throw away. Finally Uchendu finished his response with a song, one that is sung when a woman dies:

"For whom is it well, for whom is it well?

There is no one for whom it is well."

Uchendu finished by saying "I have no more to say to you."

Answer 4

Uchendu asks two main questions in "Things Fall Apart." The first is about how the clan will survive if other clans choose to attack them after Okonkwo's exile. The second is about the strength of the clan's unity and whether they will stand together in times of crisis. These questions provoke important discussions about tradition, unity, and resilience within the clan.

Answer 5

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