Things Fall Apart

She was the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. She was a widow with two kids in ordinary life

Mr. Brown gained many converts.

He also gained pride that the church in Mbanta had grown quickly.

He gained a carved elephant tusk on one of his visits, a sign of dignity and rank. He had gained understanding of the Igbo tribe by talking to Akunna.

He had also gained an interpreter to talk to the Igbo.

Mr. Brown gained students for his school.

Mr. Brown gained results from his students.

Mr. Brown gained ill health due to overwork.

Mr. Brown gained a trip back home.

Mr. Brown gained a more fiery successor, Mr. Smith.

Things Fall Apart is the masterpiece of Achebe. This book addresses the social values and humanity wonderfully. As the title suggests, Things Fall Apart (which was further expressed by Yeats in The Second Coming) is all about the falling values - social, personal and communal. Colonized and colonizer, faith, rituals, unity, human weakness, and everything about general human life is touched by Achebe. As far as, the question of human purposes and messages from the book is concerned, there are those. To interpret them, one has to go through the book. Once read, you will come to realize that Achebe tries to reflect that a society must function with unity. The society, if there are people with different aims, breaks into parts and outsiders can penetrate. It happens in the book as well. The Igbo community comes to catastrophe once people are divided. The message from the book can be seen with many views. The foremost is - do not interrupt the flow of time, it will create disaster! The colonizers try to do it. They end up ending communities and traditions!

Enoch is disappointed because he wants the Christians to fight against the rest of the tribe in a holy war. However, the Christian elders realized the wisdom in not fighting such a battle with inferior numbers.

The vocabulary is the set of words used in the book Things Fall Apart. Most of the words are English, but many are from the Igbo language.

The District Commissioner treats Okonkwo's suicide with amusement and finds it an

interesting curiosity which would be worth a paragraph in the book he is writing. He is relieved that he does not have to deal with arresting and hanging Okonkwo, as Okonkwo has already done it for him.

Ekwefi decided to follow the priestess who was taking Ezinma to see Agbala.

Okonkwo broke the Week of Peace, a sacred thing. Ojiugo merely was negligent in her duties.

Chielo helps guide the village's religion and social functioning by telling them the will of the gods, which helps the villagers improve their lives. For example, whenever a villager had a problem that they could not solve on their own, they would sometimes go to the priestess for help or advice.

An Iron horse is a metaphor for train locomotive

Ogbuefi Ezeudu was the oldest man in Umuofia.

There were many different goods including palm wine, snuff, crops like yams, medicines and animals, with cowries used as a currency. Market days were held every 4th day.

By killing someone's son, the person to continue the father's heritage, Okonkwo is banished to his motherland.

This is where the British come in, settle, and declare a colony. It is not explicitly said in the book, but is an underlying background in the book.

Okonkwo had several titles including presumably the title of ozo.

Members of the clan have joined the Christians and turned their back on the traditions of the village.

The Europeans arrive at the Igbo villages:

The slaughter of Abame gives the Umuofian's fear and reluctance to fight back against Europeans. Churches appear. Many men, even titled men join the white's society. Courtrooms, jails, and schools are built. The children are sent to schools in order that they may lead and not be left behind. The society thus promotes individualism over community. The villagers are divided between those on the European's side and those on the villages' side.

Enoch's unmasking of the egwugwu enrages the clan, and forces them into option.

Nneka is the first woman to join the church in her village.

Uchendu, Oknokwo's uncle.

The rain maker cannot overpower the god's will. If it is very dry, even the rain maker be unable to bring rain. If it is raining very hard, even the rain maker may be powerless to stop it.

No, they actually hung people that killed another white man. They even destroyed an entire village. Later in the book, they eventually took and chained up men from Umuofia and ordered money to have them back.

The bride left with her husband's family. Before leaving they present themselves to important men such as Okonkwo.

He was their main God who created things from a tree.