Things Fall Apart

Ekwefi tells Chielo that you cannot find a mouth with which to tell the story because she is conveying the indescribable pain and anguish she feels at the prospect of losing her daughter, Ezinma. The depth of her emotions cannot be adequately expressed through words alone.

The villagers show respect and fear towards the egwugwu, believing them to be representations of the ancestral spirits. They submit to their authority and judgment, as well as follow their decisions without question.

• Okonkwo is more a typical man in the Igbo sense.
• Okonkwo is a better farmer; Unoka is lazy.
• Okonkwo is arrogant, whereas Unoka is meeker.
• Okonkwo does not ask for many favours, whereas Unoka is in debt to anyone who will lend money to him.
• Unoka is a drunkard, whereas Okonkwo seems to enjoy wine responsibly
• Okonkwo hates not having anything to do, whereas Unoka is more able to relax.
• Unoka is more talented musically
• Okonkwo is a better wrestler.
• Okonkwo is a reknowned warrior, where Unoka is afraid of blood.
• Okonkwo cares more about what people think of him. He is concerned about position within the tribe
• Okonkwo occasionally acts as egwugwu. Unoka would never be accorded this privilege.
• Okonkwo takes two titles. Unoka has none.
• Okonkwo kills himself. Unoka dies of disease.

Okonkwo's personality does not change hugely during the entire book, although his mental state does react more to the situations. He is emotionally shaken after he kills Ikemefuna, and aware of his emotional weakness. After he kills Ekeudu's son, he slowly sinks into despair during his exile. He is only given weak hope after talking to his uncle. He is vehemently opposed to the Christians, even more so when Nwoye converts. He becomes a little wiser, realizing that his own intemperance has made his sons weak. He is finally happy when the villagers burn down the church in Umuofia, but this revolution turns out to be short-lived. Finally he dies.

The locusts in "Things Fall Apart" symbolize the arrival of the colonizers, foreshadowing the destruction and devastation they will bring to the Igbo way of life. Just as the locusts consume everything in their path, so too will the colonizers consume the Igbo culture and traditions.

The villagers must find the ogbanje's iyi-uwa. The iyi-uwa is a special stone which forms the link between the ogbanje and the spirit world. If the ogbanje's iyi-uwa is discovered and destroyed, the child will not die only to be reborn in it's mother's womb.

There were nine different types of egwugwu, each representing a different village in Igbo society. These types included Snake, Tortoise, Vulture, Leopard, and others. Each type had its own unique mask and costume to differentiate them from one another.

Okonkwo's mission to Mbaino is successful in resolving the conflict between the two villages when Mbaino offers a virgin girl and a young boy as compensation for the murder of a woman from Umuofia. This peaceful resolution avoids a full-scale war between the villages.

Yes, in Things Fall Apart, some men do beat their wives as it is portrayed as a norm in the traditional Igbo society depicted in the novel. This behavior is seen as a demonstration of power and dominance over their wives.

Ekwefi and Okonkwo fall in love after a wrestling match in which Okonkwo demonstrates his strength and courage. Ekwefi is impressed by Okonkwo's prowess and determination, and they begin a courtship that leads to marriage.

Okonkwo behaves cruelly because he is driven by a fear of appearing weak, inherited from his father's reputation. This fear compels him to overcompensate by being harsh and ruthless in order to prove his masculinity and strength. Deep down, Okonkwo may have moments of compassion and regret, but his desire to uphold his image of strength and avoid being seen as weak overrides these inner feelings.

Many white people came later, and found the armored horse tied to the tree.

They later came back to the market with many men with guns and slaughtered everyone at the market that day. Only the old, the sick, and women, whose chi were awake and told them not to go to the market that day, were spared slaughter.

The character Okonkwo can be considered a static character in "Things Fall Apart" because his personality and beliefs remain relatively unchanged throughout the novel. He clings to traditional values and is resistant to change, which ultimately leads to his downfall in the face of colonial influence.

One unusual event in Umuofia is when Okonkwo accidentally kills a clansman during the funeral of Ezeudu, an event that violates the sacred peace of the earth and leads to Okonkwo and his family being exiled from the village for seven years. This incident disrupts the traditional order and causes conflict within the community.

It is Okonkwo who says that it is not bravery when a man fights with a woman in "Things Fall Apart." He believes that combat between a man and a woman is unequal and dishonorable, not displaying true courage.

The egwugwu are ancestral spirits of the clan. It is not known how many there are specifically. In tribal courts of Umuofia, there are 9 egwugwu, one representing each village.

A notable egwugwu is the Mother of Spirits, who makes an appearance after one of her sons is killed. Another is Ajofia, the leading egwugwu of Umuofia.

It is not specifically mentioned in the book.

Okonkwo puts most of his focus on Nwoye, since he is the eldest son, but Nwoye does not really meet his standards for being a man.

Okonkwo seems to respect and like his adopted son Ikemefuna more, even though Ikemefuna is not truly his son. Later, his focus is mostly on his daughter Ezinma, whom he continually wishes had been born a boy.

"Things Fall Apart" directly addresses the impact of colonialism on traditional African societies, particularly the Igbo culture in Nigeria. It explores the clash between traditional values and colonial influences, as well as the consequences of cultural imperialism on individual identities and community structures.

In Things Fall Apart, the men are haggling over the bride price for the marriage of Ikemefuna's sister to Obierika's son. They are negotiating the amount of yams and livestock that will be exchanged as part of the bride price, which is an important custom in Igbo culture to symbolize the union of two families.

They began to shoot and everybody was killed, except for those who had not been in the market that day. The Abame kill the white man because their Oracle said he would destroy their clan. ... “Never kill a man who says nothing,” he says. Okonkwo agrees that they were fools and should have armed themselves in preparation.

Okonkwo is at first depressed. His plans have gone astray. His hard work seems to have been for naught. His farms and property have been destroyed, and he must wait seven years before he can ascend the ranks in his village again.

There were many notable quotes in Things Fall Apart. Some quotes include:

"She gave the dish to her father's eldest brother and then shook hands, very shyly, with her suitor and his relatives."

"He was a flaming fire."

"He heaved a heavy sigh and went away with the gun."

"'Is it true that Okonkwo nearly killed you with his gun?'"

"'They have indeed soiled the name of ozo.'"

Nwoye becomes more independent and confident during Ikemefuna's stay, as he develops a close bond with him and enjoys his companionship. Ikemefuna's presence also exposes Nwoye to a different perspective on masculinity and inner strength, which influences him in a positive way. However, Nwoye is deeply affected by Ikemefuna's tragic fate, which leads to his further emotional and psychological growth.

"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe shares similarities with typical European novels in terms of its narrative structure, character development, and exploration of universal themes like power, tradition, and change. However, it also distinctly features African culture, oral tradition, and colonial experience, setting it apart and enriching the global literary landscape.