Things Fall Apart

Achebe shows the deep culture of the native Nigerians before the colonists arrive, a broad collection of stories and tales shared verbally from generation to generation.

Okonkwo's greatest fear is to become a man like his father, a lazy drunkard with loads of debt, in disrepute with the rest of the village, but still able to charm people enough to lend him money.

In order to counter this, he attempts to be the hardest working, manliest, and most respected man in his village. He obeys all of the village's leaders.

By working hard to become a well-respected man in his village, he had become just that.

However, the case where he said yes, but his chi did not also say yes, was when he was exiled. This was a case where Okonkwo said yes, but his chi denied him the same affirmation.

There is not really much evidence in chapter 11 to support the conclusion that Ezinma is spoiled as a child. Ezinma is told a story by her mother, and given a piece of fish before her journey with with Chielo, but there is nothing greatly out of the ordinary. Chielo carries Ezinma.

Trust your conscience.

This expression also means that when a man says, "Yes," his spirit will also guide and lead him in his endeavor. It refers to not the speaking of 'yes' out aloud, but the speaking of 'yes' with one's soul and actions.

Okonkwo becomes a father to Ikemefuna, and Ikemefuna calls Okonkwo father. Ikemefuna is like the second man in the house, the closest to Okonkwo's personality, and helps to develop Nwoye's manhood. Okonkwo likes Ikemefuna, but does not show his feelings towards Ikemefuna because to do so would be unmanly.

yes

By working hard to become a well-respected man in his village, he had become just that.

However, the case where he said yes, but his chi did not also say yes, was when he was exiled. This was a case where Okonkwo said yes, but his chi denied him the same affirmation.

Pieces of haystack

Odukwe alleges that Uzowulu has been beating his wife.

The political situation is a complicated one. The 9 villages of the Igbo live in general peace, with wars occasionally erupting between them when they are wronged. These wars are relatively infrequent and usually relatively small, ending after only a few people have been killed, perhaps 10 or less.

Each village has kindred meetings to discuss business. Men take titles, in accordance with approval from the elders, and pay in cowries for the privilege. There are 4 titles in all. For law and disputes, there was a village wide meeting of egwugwu, with each village being represented by it's own egwugwu, an ancestral spirit. The villages are also advised by oracles to the gods. There is no central leadership among the nine villages.

Later on in the book, colonists come from England. During one of the first meetings, villagers kill a white man. In retaliation, the white men with other foreigners slaughter the village. Later the colonists bring the church, but then later still they bring schools, judges and prisons. They enforce their law upon the villagers, whom follow different customs.

Okonkwo's road to success was particularly difficult because of the rigidness that he went about applying himself with. His lack of compassion and empathy continually hampered him and made it difficult for friends and villagers to fully respect him as much, even though is he well respected as a farmer, wrestler, and warrior. His demeanour causes him trouble, and causes him to get into meaningless fights. His passion smothers his children, causing them to be weak.

His road to success is hampered by his exile, and the fact that when he returns, he needs to wait two years before inducting his sons into Igbo warrior society. Further, the colonials continue to hamper his cultural progress, and serve as a long-term barrier to future success.

The holy animal is the giant royal python.

The white man's court undermines the tribal court, as it makes decisions by the white man's laws and prejudices (including bribes). It ignores the tribal traditions and further erodes the people's power to control their own lives.

The impact of colonization on the Ibo people in Things Fall Apart is that the Ibo are weakened in numbers as some of them join the Christian faith and they eventually will entertain the thought of physically attacking their converted clansmen.

His uncle, Uchendu, greets him and takes him in. Okonkwo tells his uncle about what has happened, and his uncle is relieved that Okonkwo's crime is only an accident. Okonkwo is given land to work with.

The missionary first excited the villagers in Mbanta by emphasizing the promise of eternal life and salvation that Christianity offered. He shared compelling stories of hope and miracles associated with the Christian faith, which resonated with the villagers' existing beliefs and desires for spiritual fulfillment. Additionally, he engaged with the community, addressing their needs and concerns, which helped to build trust and interest in the new religion. This combination of spiritual appeal and practical engagement laid the groundwork for their enthusiasm towards Christianity.

Ikemefuna is selected as a peace sacrifice for Umuofia by the people of Mbaino to resolve a conflict after Umuofia's clansman is killed at Mbaino. The elders of Mbaino believe that giving Ikemefuna to Umuofia will appease them and restore peace between the two villages. This decision reflects the cultural practice of using sacrifices to maintain harmony and balance within the community. Ultimately, it highlights the gravity of tribal customs and the consequences of violence in their society.

In Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart," the phrase about white men speaking through their noses refers to the peculiar way the colonial officials and missionaries communicated, which was often perceived as condescending or foreign. This nasal tone symbolizes their detachment and lack of genuine connection to the Igbo culture. It highlights the cultural misunderstandings and the imposition of colonial authority, reflecting the broader theme of cultural clash in the novel.

No one thing happens to all Christians at the same time.

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"and the whole country became the brown-earth color of the vast, hungry swarm."