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Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart is the novel by Chinua Achebe. The novel, the protagonist Okonkwo, and the various plot lines are discussed in this category.

1,374 Questions

What does the clan mean when they say that Ezinma is an ogbanje?

Her earlier brothers and sisters die shortly after they are born, most not lasting more than 3 years.

What are the problems with society in Things Fall Apart?

Both Igbo culture and Okonkwo's life lie in ruins at the end of the book. Though both are once proud, they are forced to realize their end. Okonkwo chooses to end it early as oppose to suffer, but the Igbo culture faces a sure steady decline into obscalescence.

How is repetition used in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe?

Repetition is used to highlight specific events or ideas which warrant consideration.

Repetition is used in many of the songs or poems for catchiness.

Repetition is used as a form of irony when subtly changed to highlight particular meanings.

What steps does the village take before it declares war on another village?

  1. The village has a village meeting. In this meeting they discuss their grievance with the other village, and whether going to war would be just. Everyone is allowed to speak. If war is decided upon, they choose a messenger to send to the other village. They determine the content of the demands and the style and content of message to send to the other village.
  2. The village consults the oracle to determine if their god supports the war.
  3. The village sends a messenger to the offending village to attempt a peaceful settlement.
  4. If the response to the messenger is negative, the village wages war upon the other village.

Why does Okonkwo kill Ikenefuna?

He thinks this will prevent the child from returning to be born again.

Who are the outcasts in things fall apart?

There are many outcasts in Lord of the Flies. The two main ones are Piggy and Simon. Piggy's accent makes him different from the other boys along with his weight and asthma "Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent, which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and certain disinclination to manual labour."

Simon is also an outsider as he is always leading astray from the group, he is prone to epileptic fits. This is shown when he imagines the lord of the plies (the pig's head) speaking to him and mocking him.

These two characters are just the main ones there are other boys who are in some respects outsiders however, they are not as substantial as Piggy or Simon. As you know if you have read the book that these two characters get killed by the other boys at the end of the book. This shows how their society has downgraded on the island.

I hope this is helpful

What plans does Okonkwo have for Ezinma and Obiageli?

Later on, after Okonkwo is exiled, Okonkwo plans to have Ezinma and Obiageli marry men in Umuofia, so that they will still be in the village, and Okonkwo and his family will have additional influence in the village.

Thus Ezinma and Obiageli refuse every offer of marriage from men in Mbanta.

How much was the bride price in Things Fall Apart?

The bride price could be determined by haggling symbolically with sticks. Each stick represented a bag of cowries. They would pass a group of sticks back and forth to each other, altering the number until they could agree on a set amount of sticks.

In other areas, they barter over the bride's price as if she were a cow. In other areas, the groom's family keeps bringing bags of cowries until the bride's family tells them to stop.

What is manliness for Okonkwo?

  • Being well respected. - Nwoye agrees with this. In particular, in the later book No Longer At Ease, he seems to implicitly agree with this respect.
  • Having titles. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this.
  • Being able to represent egwugwu in the egwugwu court. - Nwoye does not even consider this.
  • Killing men in war. - Nwoye has an aversion to these stories.
  • Being wealthy. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this.
  • Being a good farmer and a hard worker. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this, but is not particularly skilled at farming.
  • Having wives. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this, but does not take a wife early in life.
  • Having many children, particularly strong boys. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this.
  • Having his daughters marry respected men. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this.
  • Voicing one's opinion. -Nwoye's opinions do not always agree with his father's, so Nwoye is forced to hold his tongue in the presence of him.
  • Being unafraid of war, and advocating for strong actions. - Nwoye seems to have a dislike of war, and is more a man of peace.
  • Having everything in one's household under control, including wives and children. - Nwoye as a boy attempts to mutter about women and their problems in an attempt to please his dad. However, he doesn't really feel that strongly about this. He does however, exert control over his wife and her opinions later on in No Longer At Ease.
  • Fighting lazy or stupid people. - Nwoye is not a fighter.
  • Having respected friends. - Nwoye seems to have no problem with this.
  • Being able to wrestle. - Nwoye is not a wrestler.
  • Disliking idleness including excessive music. - Nwoye loves music, in contrast with the coolness exuded by his father towards it.
  • Disliking feminine stories. - Nwoye loves his mother's stories, and is enchanted by them as well as the stories told by the Christians.

Why did Chielo take Ezinma to the cave?

The priestess crawled out of her cave with her belly to the ground like a snake. With Ezinma on her back, the priestess travelled back to Ezinma's home and placed Ezinma in her own bed to sleep.

What sorts of attitudes are uniquely associated with the white men in Things fall apart?

The white men were Europeans who had come to colonize and convert the lands of the Igbo to Christianity.

What saying or expressions are found in the book things fall apart?

The palm-oil with which words are eaten are some of the proverbs in the novel Things Fall Apart. the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them is another proverb used in the book.

What Style of writing has Chinua Achebe used to write Things Fall Apart?

Things Fall Apart is a book that centers around a tribesman named Okonkwo, in a Nigerian village called Umuofia. Okonkwo struggles to become a great tribesman, attempting to escape his lazy father's shadow. He then struggles to deal with exile after accidentally killing a man. Later the book discusses his and the villages' struggle with the European influence.

How is Okonkwo's relationship with Ekwefi different then with his other wives?

Okonkwo originally wanted Ekwefi for his first wife, but did not have the money. It appears that the two are more together for love, whereas the other marriages were originally marriages of convenience and business.

Why was Okonkwo famous?

Okonkwo was famous because as a wrestler, at the age of 18, he defeated another wrestler known as the Amalinze the Cat, whom had never landed on his back and was undefeated for seven years. Okonkwo was then declared the best wrestler in all of the villages, and made a hero of his village.

Okonkwo also gained fame as a hard worker and a fierce warrior, who had killed 5 other men in wars.

Whom did Okonkwo kill?

Okonkwo kills 5 warriors while in war with other villages.

He later kills his 'adopted' son, Ikemefuna.

He accidentally kills Ekeudu's son at Ekeudu's funeral.

Near the end of the book, he kills a messenger who demanded the village stop their meeting.

Finally, he kills himself.

How did okonkwo feel about his transgression?

At first Ikemefuna is fearful, being away from his mother and father, but in time he adapts, becoming an older brother to Nwoye, and becoming Okonkwo's son. Ikemefuna even calls Okonkwo 'father'. He becomes the most manlike of the children in Okonkwo's eyes.

How long does Okonkwo have to leave Umuofia?

During Ezeudu's funeral, Okonkwo accidentally kills a clansman (Ezeudu's son) when his gun explodes.

Whenever a man kills a clansman, it is an affront to the Earth goddess, and the murderer must be exiled from the village, according to the tribe's traditions, with the murderer's possessions destroyed. However, since it was an accident (the female version of the crime), he is only exiled for seven years as opposed to life.

What god or goddess is the sacred python associated with in things fall apart?

it show the significance of the python , the ibo people respected the python, treating it like a god. Also , it show us tht Ibo has a strong spirtitual belief that the python is a revered animal.As python is an important animal, there are serious consequences for killing it. this reflects their justice system as they have key point a set of punishment for those who commit this offense

Where is Okonkwo during the ceremony?

This depends on what proceedings are being discussed. The funeral? The wrestling match? Ikemefuna's death? The feast? The haggling of bride price?

Who did Okonkwo beat?

Okonkwo has anger problems and takes it out on his spouses.

Okonkwo's wife Ojiugo forgets to get Okonkwo and her children their meals, as she went to get her hair plaited at her friend's house. The first wife ends up feeding her children. Okonkwo beats Ojiugo for her negligence.

Unfortunately, this beating violates the sacred Week of Peace.

During the New Yam Festival, Okonkwo gets restless and angry, and makes up an excuse to beat his second wife.

Why does Okonkwo nearly shoot his second wife?

The narrator keeps an impartial tone throughout the book, neither supporting nor condemning Okonkwo's actions.