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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
In things fall apart what did the disposition of Mgbafo's case indicate about the status of women?
Women such as Mgbafo were treated as property to their husband, but she was not wrong in running away to save her life from her husband's beating. Beating a woman too frequently was looked down upon, particularly if said beating causes a woman to miscarry.
What incident in chapter 5 makes clear that Okonkwo's children respect Ikemefuna?
Not only did Ikemefuna come first with the biggest pot of water, but when Obigaeli lies about how she breaks her pot to her mother, and her brothers are about to tell the truth, Ikemefuna is able to silence them with a stern look.
Chielo was important because she was the priestess to the Oracle of the Cave and Hills.
With regards to the story, she was essential because she showed off parts of the religion of the Igbo.
What is the anticlimax of things fall apart?
Although this is debatable, the anticlimax would probably everything that followed Okonkwo's killing of the messenger, including the escape of the other four messengers, the hanging of Okonkwo, and the Commissioner's final interaction with Okonkwo.
What happened to Okonkwo's first crop?
Okonkwo planted his first yam crop early in the season, but there was a long drought and the yams ended up scorched and dried.
After replanting his yams for that year, the rains finally came, but became torrential rains that would not stop. The second batch of yams became soggy and moldy and did not grow.
Both of his crops in his first year failed miserably.
What was the penalty of breaking the peace during peace week?
Before, any person who broke the week of peace would be killed. However, villagers found that the act of killing itself was an affront to the gods and goddesses. Thus the punishment afterward was much lighter, and involved sacrificing to the gods and goddesses and repenting.
What is the subject of the argument between Okonkwo and Obierika?
Okonkwo and Obierika have many arguments, the most notable being:
- Whether Okonkwo should have participated in Ikemefuna's death ritual.
- Whether a great warrior could still be even if his wife had his ear.
Describe the meeting to determine Obierika's daughter's bride price?
Both parties haggled over Obierika's daughters price with sticks, each stick representing a cowrie. Obierika started with 30 sticks. They handed them back and forth between each other, changing the number of sticks until they agreed on a price, which ended up being 20 bags of cowries.
Why did people put masks on in things fall apart?
Tribesmen put on masks to represent the egwugwu whom are ancestral spirits. They represent the egwugwu during important ceremonies including the tribal courts and funerals.
In the book things fall apart why is the week of peace important?
it symbolizes okonkwo's downfall in the igbo society
Important questions you can ask about the narrator and tone in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe to think about Achebe's beliefs perspectives and assumptions, or to review any other book or story include:
- Who is the narrator?
- What are the narrator/author's beliefs, perspectives, and assumptions? Do these seem authentic? Justifiable given the narrator/author's story?
- Why did the narrator/author choose the particular voice used primarily in the story?
- How would you describe the tone?
- What is the narrator/author purpose in using that specific tone?
- Does the tone change; if so, where in the story does it change and why?
- How does the tone enhance the story being told?
What is the rason behind the egwugwu ceremony depicted in the novel?
The egwugwu settle disputes of the highest order that cannot be settled just by the elders of the tribe. All recognize the authority of this court.
What was funny about the way the white missionary spoke through an Ibo interpreter?
The accent made it sound as if the missionary was referring to 'my buttocks' repeatedly.
What is the portrayal and role of the children in things fall apart?
Female children are to help their mothers with chores, including cooking, cleaning, and farming. They are to become beautiful so that they can be sold off to a high ranking clansman at a high price. They help provide food to their fathers.
Male children are to inherit in their father's work, helping with chores, farming, and wine-tapping among other tasks. They are to become strong men, excelling in wrestling and other war fare.
What does Obierika see as the problem with trying to drive out the white men?
One of the bigger problems at that point was that some of the villagers had joined with the white men. If they tried to push the white men out, they might have to fight with their own brethren as well.
How long does a north face venture jacket last When does it start to fall apart?
How long a North Face Venture jacket will last depends on many things. How often a person wears it, the types of activities that are performed while wearing it, and how the person takes care of it all effects the time it will take to fall apart.
Why can't Ekwefi get pregnant in Things Fall Apart?
This is inaccurate. Ekwefi gets pregnant often, but her children do not live long into infancy.
Why was Nwoye's soul parched in things fall apart?
Nwoye had been troubled by the conflicts between his personality and abilities and the expectations of what he was supposed to do as a man, as dictated by tribal customs.
Nwoye could not compare to his father, Okonkwo, who was a self-made man who was on track to become the greatest man in the tribe. Nwoye was not physically strong. He was not keen on violence, having a more effeminate nature. Instead of stories of violence and bloodshed, he preferred children-stories of animal parables told by women. He was not financially independent, nor as able to work as hard as his father.
Finally, Nwoye could not reconcile the tribe's need to kill Ikemefuna, who he considered an elder brother.
How does Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe relate to an existentialist ideology?
Some of Obierika's musings are particularly existential, particularly when Okonkwo is banned from the tribe for seven years for the accidental murder of a clansman. He also laments about the custom of killing and desecrating twins, among other traditions that don't entirely make sense but are done out of tradition and trust in older generations.
What is a good argument for things fall apart?
The universe is chaotic. As every atom was formed, eventually every atom will fall apart. Every atom decays, although some at very very slow rates.
What do the natives decide that glasses do for the white people?
The white people use the glasses to see and talk the evil spirits.
People believe that in following the decisions of the Gods and Goddesses, they will not be punished, even if they may have to do unpleasant actions.
For what is Chinua Achebe known for?
Chinua Achebe, born on 16 November, 1930 was a Nigerian novelist, professor and critic. Chinua was most known for his first novel Things Fall Apart, which is the most read book in modern African literature.
The sacred python was the idea of the sacred untouchable python in Things Fall Apart, expressed by the Igbo tribe. The python was considered an animal of the gods and was not to be harmed or interfered with.
