Things Fall Apart...
...the center does not hold. Do things HAVE to fall apart? Or do we make them? Bonus points (in my heart) if you get all physics-y on us...What's coming to our (tragic) hero?
posted by Ms. Clapp @ 9:56 AM
68 comments
68 Comments:
"...But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of faliure and of weakness.It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil... Okonkwo's fear was greater than these.It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was a fear of himself... Even as a little boy he had resented his father's failure and weakness,... That was how Okonkwo first came to know that agbala was not another name for a women, it could also mean a man who had taken no title. And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passon-- to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness."(13)
Fear is a distressing emotion that everyone experiences in their lives. Whether its the fear of pain, hurting someone you love, not able to help someone, or becoming someone you never want to become. We see that Okonkwo has a fear of becoming his father, Unoka. Okonkwo is ashamed of the man his father was and what his father did by borrowing money from many people. Once his father had died, he had died with a major debt and left Okonkwo to be embaressed by what his father had done. The fear of becoming his father makes Okonkwo an angery man towards the people who love him. His family, start to live a fear of getting him angery because he lets who his father was affect him. By Okonkwo living the fear of becoming a man who once raised him when he was younger, will tear his life apart and could make him fall apart.
So many people can relate to Okonkwo by living fears that affect their lives everyday. Their fears could affect who they are and the people around them. Sometimes fear could be a good thing because it might help the person to push themselves at the goals they aim for in life. If someone fear's something it doesn't always mean that they will fall apart because their fear can push them, to not allow them to have their fear become a reality.
Some peoples fears could seem nothing to other people but is a big deal to that person. My father has the fear of not being able to bring food home to the table. So he works everyday and as much as he can to support our family and to have a life that he never had. My father's fear pushed my father to work hard, so that it won't become a reality. We also see that Okonkwo pushes him self to not become his father and suceeds by having three wives, children, eating with the kings and elders, and taking the idemili title, the third highest in the land. Okonkwo's fear shows us how it pushed him to become a better man than what his father was but he still has the fear that he will become what his father was.
-farrah :)
Well, commenting on the first post from Ms. Clapp, I believe that things do not always have to fall apart and when they do it is because of our actions or the actions of others. The main reason I believe things end up falling apart is because of fear and power, two of the main ideas in this story. If you think about American society today the reason we are in war with other countries is to try to help them with political or social problems. But, in reality we are doing it to help our own country stay in power and for our country to be feared by other countries. I feel that often in our society things are done in order to gain something not just to do something out of generosity. This is not always the case, but I feel it is somewhat true. If people did more selfless things and less selfish things than I believe that things wouldn't always have to fall apart.
Now, commenting on Farrah's comment. I agree that Okonkwo uses fear as a way for him to not become his father and he works hard and becomes a successful person. In that way it almost seems as if fear was good for him because it helped him achieve certain things. On the other hand Okonkwo seems to always live with this fear, it never left him after he became successful and settled down. Sometimes I feel that Okonkwo is a child living in a man's body. I feel that although he appears rough on the exterior he is living in fear the majority of the time. One quotation states,” Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man"(13). I believe this is true, but because of the way he was raised he feels the need to act like a "man". Also another quotation that I found very sad stated,"Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak."(61) This quotation reveals that alhtough Okonkwo treated Ikemefuna as a son he was afraid of appearing weak nad took part in killing a person that he cared for. Another fear that remains with him is the fear that his own son will become like his father, Unoka. Achebe writes, "...Nwoye, was twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness"(13). This shows that the fear of becoming like his father has always remained with Okonkwo. Okonkwo has a standard to live up to and will continue to be in fear until he knows that he has control over his life and realizes that fear can no longer cotrol him.
“Things Fall Apart”-first of all, I find it very easy to relate with the characters in this book as I am familiar with several other African novels with much the same setting (like “The Great Ponds”-a great read) and also with similar, traditional, simplistic societies.
The framework of the society in Umuofia revolves around the rainy and dry seasons and the different activities that fall in these climatic phases such as; sowing, weeding, harvest (most important of all) etc.
Also characteristic to the novel, much like other African novels, is the social and religious structure that exists in the society. The social divide that exists between the men (real men) in the village and the rest of the people is central to the theme of the novel.
The juxtaposition of Unoka and Okonkwo provides the basis for why Okonkwo lives the way he does; committing himself fully to whatsoever he undertakes, so that he may not follow in his father’s lazy footsteps-thus the fear in Okonkwo.
Fear is a central theme in the novel. The people fear the gods under whose reign they live while Okonkwo’s wives and children live in fear of these gods, but more significantly, of Okonkwo’s wrath. The relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye is one shrouded by grudging respect and great fear (of the former by the latter) as Okonkwo transmits his fear of becoming like his father (Unoka) to Nwoye.
Another fear of Okonkwo’s, one rooted so deep into his fundamental being, is that of losing control of things. Okonkwo’s command of his “women-folk” and his children, as well as his social stature, are the things that are most fundamental to his existence. If he were to lose his grip on these elements so essential to him, if these things were to fall apart…
Ikemefuna’s role is one that I have come to acknowledge as one of primary importance to the progression of the plot. Ikemefuna is the outsider-the oddball from an extraneous village that is brought into Okonkwo’s home. I believe he is the piece that Okonkwo fails to control in this social chess game. Okonkwo becomes quite fond of the boy and even lets him call him father-not the attitude I would expect from Okonkwo, man-of-steel. Okonkwo also likes the impact that Ikemefuna has had on Nwoye (helping him mature and all) and this fondness (weakness?? since it is one of the things that he learnt to hate from his father) is what makes it difficult for Okonkwo to watch while Ikemefuna is killed-though he later ‘cuts him down’ lest the other men think he is weak. These, I believe, are minute traces of ‘things’ not holding for long in Okonkwo’s home and his life.
Do things have to fall apart-I say yes, for now, at least. Why-because one cannot control everything. Okonkwo’s attempt to maintain all things revolving around and centering on him is most likely to be futile. There are already signs of defiance in his household: as his second wife talks back to him and as, I believe, Nwoye loses hope in the type of life that he is forced to lead in Okonkwo’s home and in the society. (ibo)
I also agree that Nwoye is unhappy with his father and the way that he is suppose to live in their society. After Okonkwo is exiled to his motherland because he accidentally killed Ezeudu's son, Nwoye finally separates himself from his father. Missionaries arrive in Okonkwo's motherland and are trying to convert the natives. Nwoye is captivated and intrigued by this religion, which is very different from his own. After Okonkwo is told that Nwoye was among the Christians he immediately became furious. He beats his son after he questions him and does not respond. Nwoye leaves his father and joins the missionaries. I feel that Nwoye joins the missionaries in order to break away from his father and start a new way of life. When Nwoye is asked how his father is he replies, "I don't know. He is not my father"(144) Nwoye no longer wants to be associated with his father just as Okonkwo didn't want to be associated with his. It almost seems like a cycle. Unoka was a lazy man and Okonkwo feared that he would become like him. Okonkwo is a successful warrior with a bad temper and Nwoye doesn’t want to be like his father and also lives in fear of him.
Also, I found a great quotation which expresses Nwoye's feelings towards the new religion,” The hymn about the brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his soul--the question of the twins crying in the forest and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed. He left a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul."(147)
This quotation reveals that Nwoye converts to Christianity because his own religion is leaving many questions unanswered. I get the impression that Nwoye doesn't understand why innocent people on his society are being killed and is searching for answers. Nwoye sees hope in these new beliefs and it is a way for him to separate from his father.
Well, ‘things’ have fallen apart to a certain degree now (told you so).
From the day Ikemefuna is killed, a certain change takes place within and without Okonkwo. Though the physical toll is temporary-as Okonkwo rebukes himself for becoming a ‘shivering woman’ over slaying a single boy and also his insomnia and drunken stupors last only a few days. However, within him, an emotional change has taken place, rendering Okonkwo more susceptible to feeling emotions and getting closer to his children, especially Ezinma who he is very fond of and wishes was a boy. (there is little mention of Nwoye).
There is a strange occurrence as Ogbuefi Ndule, an old man in another village, dies and his wife, upon noticing his death, also goes off and dies in her hut because of the strong bond between them. I think this could relate to Ikemefuna’s death and how, after he died, Nwoye also ‘died’-not in his hut like the old lady-but in his heart.
We get a first mention of white men as the gathering at Obierieka’s ceremony make fun of them-this, I believe, could be critical foreshadowing.
Okonkwo’s fondness for Ezinma, his precocious eldest daughter, is exhibited when he rushes out to prepare medicine for her when Ekwefi, her mother, tells him that she is dying (has a fever). The mystery that shrouds Ezinma’s childhood and her ceaseless ailing are a constant worry for Okonkwo and Ekwefi and are climaxed when she, Ezinma, is taken away to Agbala’s cave by Chielo, his priestess, on a stark night.
On this particular night, both Okonkwo and Ekwefi are defiant of the god, Agbala’s wishes and follow Chielo to the cave, although using different paths. This shows their strong love for Ezinma, especially in Okonkwo who I would not expect to defy a god because of a girl.
And then finally, it happens, things fall apart for Okonkwo and his family as he inadvertently shoots dead a clansman, Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son, at Ezeudu’s own funeral nonetheless. And so Okonkwo must flee with his family to his mother’s kinsmen in Mbanta for 7 years.
“His life had been ruled by a great passion-to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring. And he had all but achieved it. Then everything had been broken…” things fell apart “…he had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach, panting…here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation.”
I believe after Okonkwo’s departure, Obierieka, like Nwoye and Ekwefi, also loses hope in the basis by which the society conducts itself and questions whether sending away Okonkwo was the righteous thing to do. He asks himself the same thing concerning his twins that he discarded in a pot because of the will of the Earth god.
Finally, when Okonkwo gets to Mbanta, his uncle, Uchundu, who shows him that his motherland is a place of solace, not of grieving, comforts him and shows him that he is not the only one with problems. I believe that Uchundu is planting in Okonkwo seeds of hope that will yield when the most trying circumstances, which I believe are yet to come, finally arise.
I found Uchundu's character to be very interesting and he seems to be the first person in the story who confronts Oknokwo and tells him to not compalin about his problems. I also found the expalination about the motherland to be very interesting. In the Ibo society women are treated poorly at times and it sometimes upsets me, but when Uchundu explained the motherland it made me have a better understanding of how they view women in thier society. Uchundu asks if Okonkwo knows why many children are named Nneka, or "Mother is Supreme". No one knows the answer and he later says,"It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mothers's hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you"(134). I thought that this passage was beautiful and clearly states that although men for the most part are physically stronger than women, in the end women are overall more nurturing and without them men would be lost.
Another passge I found interesting and relatable to today's society is when Okonkwo has a feast for his kinsmen before his departure to his homelemd. The oldest member of the clan says,"But I fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship.""...An abominable religion has settled among you. A man can now leave his father and his brothers"(167). There always seems to be, no matter what generation you were born in, a person who'fears for the young people'. Older people always become nervous of what will come of the future once they leave the Earth. I think that it is ironic that although in the eyes of the eldest kinsman 'things may be falling apart' because of this new religion and government,when in reality things are not falling apart but just changing. Whether we like it or not, or agree or disagree there will always be changes in our socety. Some of these changes will be for the better while others will not. I feel that in our society we always seem weay or nervous about what the future holds when all we really can do is try to make changes which will be beneficial in our society.
I once read a book called “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck and I’ve come to notice a lot of similarities between that particular book and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”. Aside from the fact that they are both tragedies (it doesn’t end well either) both of these books are rife with cultural society that is plagued upon by a different culture-but most importantly-both books are consumed by a certain theme-disillusionment. Both Kino (for that was the name of the very hopeful protagonist in that book) and Okonkwo are forced, by the end, to do away with something of utmost importance to them-won’t spoil “The Pearl” for you but all who have read should know Okonkwo kills himself at the end. And so, by the end, both protagonists have failed to have the effect that they wished upon their lives.
This (the disillusionment theme) is why I believe that Okonkwo could not change things in his society. You may object on the grounds of speculation (overruled!) but the fact is that Okonkwo was not ‘fated’ to make a difference in his, or in any other society.
I believe from the onset, Okonkwo is challenging his fate, his ‘chi’, to do greater things than he is meant to do. I believe that it is because of his father’s example that leads to the flourishing of this mentality in Okonkwo that he can be great and lead his village to greater things.
At a point, I even believed that there was a single ruler of the village and that this is what Okonkwo aspires to become-but this is not so-therefore Okonkwo’s ambitions surpass even the village hierarchy. This over ambition is one of the major character flaws that Okonkwo possesses.
Even though Okonkwo is a great wrestler in his village, he is still not the greatest-Okonkwo holds a title in his village but it is not the highest-Okonkwo plans a noteworthy return from exile but his return to the clan is hardly noticed. All these, in Okonkwo’s mind, are cases of underachievement that drive him to do more to get further away from being like his father and closer to being a ‘great’ man in his society.
And it is this ill-fated resilience that keeps Okonkwo going, up until the moment when he slays the head court messenger. This is the point when Okonkwo attempts to do the greatest thing for his clan yet (save it from the ‘Christian scourge’) and, for once, expects to receive the gratitude and admiration that he so desires (deserves???)
However, he realizes when none jump in to join the fight (slay the other court messengers) that it is not meant to be-that no matter how much he said “yes”, his ‘chi’ would always say “no”. And it is with this realization in mind that Okonkwo kills himself.
Therefore I do believe things have to fall apart; in the beginning of the book, I thought the title was in relation to Okonkwo’s family and his status in the clan-climaxed by his exile from Umuofia (things fell apart then); then I knew for sure that it was in relation to the coming of the white man and saving ancestral tradition (which was hopeless and things also fell apart). It is only after reading the expanse of the book that I realize it is about all these things, but most importantly, about how one man tried to achieve (status), tried to control (his family) and tried to liberate (society). It is about one man trying to make a difference. It is about one man trying to fight his own fate, his own ‘chi’, his own being, and the result is catastrophic. In the end, even Okonkwo’s death is not as significant and is quite ironic-not only because his body is ‘cursed’ in much the same way as his father’s was, but also because his death only served for the District Commissioner’s own memoirs to help his fellow ‘white men’ in pacifying the African people.
End of hypothesis! Sorry for the very long comment-had a lot on my mind. I am open to responses-feel free to disagree!
Yay!! more people commented. lol i've been waiting to leave comments about this book for awhile but no one had commented.
Angela i agree with you about how we really are just selfish people who pretty much want everything that could benefit us then others. we make it seem that we are trying to help other people but its really obvious that were just helping are selves. Its also true that we do make things fall apart because of the wrong choices we make in our lives and even the wrong choices others around us do that could effect people around them.
I also agree with what you said about Okonkwo and i dont want to spoil whats going to happen next with Nwoye.
i also deffinetly agree with adrain because Okonkwo's fear is not to show his weakness to all of the people around him. It really is sad that he keeps all of his feelings in instead of trying to talk to people about how he feels like all the other men in his society. He doesnt want to weep over Ikemefuna infront of anyone around him but he mourns to himself. Which i believe is really hard for someone to do because sometimes you do need someone to talk to about your problems. He does all of this to himself because of his fear of becoming his father which really is effecting the way he lives his life.
I also agree with why Nwoye goes and confides in Christianity (donno if i spelled it write. sorry) becuase his relgion deffinetly had no answer to why they had to kill new born twins, or if someone did something to upset the gods they will be punished by having to leave the village, their own homes, that they worked hard to build because of doing a little thing that upset these wooden gods, who in real life do not exist. So, i couldnt blame Nwoye for converting his religion, i'd do the same thing. I also think its wrong that Okonkwo wants his son to be something that his son is not and doesn't want to be. I diagree with people that try and force their childern to do the things that they want them to do. You have to sometimes allow your children to express who they are and to have some freedom in their lives.
Yams in the novel seem to be a very strong symbol in my opinion. Yams are mentioned threwout the novel and seem to play big part in all of the characters in the novel. It seems to me that if the yams were to be ruined or planted at the wrong time that it could make an entire family fall apart. If you have a very strong season then you and your family will be all set that year. The yams are also used in most of the food the people in all the villages eat. Food is pretty much life. You need food to eat, to be able to survive, because with out food you cannot survive. We see that the yams are also a symbol of surviving life.
"he sighed heavily, and as if in sympathy the smoldering log also sighed. and immediatly Okonkwo's eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. living fire begets cold, impotent ash. he sighed again, deeply."(153)
What do you believe this quote means? espessially the italisize words?
-farrah ;)
I've just recently completed the first third of Things Fall Apart and I have my theories as to why things do crumble.
From the start, we are introduced to a civilization that is reliant on outside influences. The life of the village is completely dependant on the weather patterns and the successful growth of the "man's crop" of yams. This paves the way for destruction in the sense that, if any thing changes in such a precariously balanced environment, devastation is bound to follow. This refers back to the idea that things fall apart because when you cannot put the weight of your existence on your own shoulders the things you do rely on control you. If they go bad, you fall apart. You crumble.
This is not to say that you cannot look for help or convenience in eveyday life, it just warns the reader to search for a balance that will not leave them crushed if something unpredictable happens.
Also, I see things falling apart in Okonkwo's future because he lives to spite his father. The shame he feels at Unoka's life is the driving force of Okonkwo's passions: the force that makes him the powerful figure in his society. In fact, "Okonkwo was ruled by one passion--to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved."(13) That leaves him open to destruction because he is making his life take a course that follows one singular path--a path that may lead to his overall unhappiness and his complete indifference to human society(because of his already weak feelings of compassion and affection). Thus, his humanity would crack.
"A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick at his pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone." (25) Okonkwo, in his self-separation from his society, sets himself up for failing alone. He only interacts with his neighbors when absolutely needed and thus makes himself different from them. He makes himself alone. I took this as foreshadowing something terrible happening to Okonkwo. I also saw Ikemefuna's death as a turning point for Okonkwo's character.
Sorry if my thought process was a little hard to follow, I'll try to clarify in later posts as I find more evidence.
hey everyone!!!
I have to say Things Fall Apart was an engaging novel to read. I love how they placed the Ibo language into the novel to teach the readers new words from another language. I also loved how each character was different from the other. They each had their own characteristics that helped to you remember each character and grow to love and hate them.
The title Things Fall Apart really does play a strong role throughout the novel. We see Okonkwo starting off very wealthy and has the highest respect from all the nine villages. He pretty much has everything to be all set in life but once Ikemfuna, the son who wasn’t his by birth, is killed in front of his eyes because that is what the oracle wanted. Then during Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s funeral Okonkwo’s gun fires and he kills Ogbuefi’s son. From that day, things start to fall apart for Okonkwo, and he is sent away for 7 years because he committed a crime against the gods. As Umuofia starts to see happiness and thinks everything is going to be alright, everything starts to fall apart in the village because of the White settlers. The commissioner captures Umuofia’s six most strongest leaders and threatens their lives if they do not pay the amount of cowries required. We see this all happen in chapter 23 on pages 192-197).
I was also caught by surprise when Okonkwo had hanged himself because he wanted to kill himself before the commissioner and his people had done so. He doesn’t agree with Egonwanne’s decision because Okonkwo believes that they should go to war with the white settlers, instead of keeping the peace. He believes that Egonwanne is a coward and that no one should listen to him. Once, Oknokwo had killed the commissioners messenger he knew that he would be searched for by the commissioner, and be killed. So, it seemed that Okonkwo had pride not to allow the white men, his enemy to kill him, which lead him to kill himself.
For everyone who gets to the end of the book. Did you guys think it was funny when Obierika leads the commissioner and the white men, asking them for help to get Okonkwo, without warning the commissioner that Okonkwo is already dead, and having the commissioner and his men be cautious as they go, to where Okonkwo is? That part seemed kind of funny to me.
Well I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as i did.
byee
-Farrah ;)
So, through further reading of the book, I realize that Ikemfuna's death really was the turning point for Okonkwo.
Farrah, as you said, we're introduced to Okonkwo as the wealthy and respected man of his tribe. However, it's after he cuts down the boy that called him father that misfortune begins following him. It begins most noticably with his daughter suffering from the fever. It's the first time he shows any real affection, though he's reserved with it.
Then it happens that, after murdering a young man, though accidental, he's exiled for 7 years. I found it funny that he never wants to be perceived as anything but a strong man but he's happy that his crime was classified as "Womanly." I found that somewhat ironic, being that a punishment for a manly crime is womanly and a manly man sees it as a good thing.
Off of content, I think Achebe does a great job brining the characters and surroundings to life. He doesn't over complicate the story with huge amounts of dialogue, he relies on the character's interaction with the setting to build the story.
I'm not connecting wiht this book as well as with One Hundred Years...I'm hoping that changes.
Until next time,
Shell
eh...everyone's already so far into the book...
I agree with Michelle. The death of Ikemfuna really affected Okonkwo. He kept thinking about his dead son for days after his death. Okonkwo didn't eat or sleep. He was so depressed that his mind kept seeing Ezinma as a replacement for Ikemfuna. Okonkwo even calls himself "a shivering old woman,"(65).
Authority plays a big role in this story too. For example, the gods heavily influence the villagers. Okonkwo had to sacrifice a pig or a hen everytime he began farming in the new season. Religion is so influential that the villagers believed that Ekwefi's miscarriages were due to a devilish being who kept returning. When they found the source of this devilish being, which was a pebble, I thought it was very odd because the pebble could have been any random pebble. If it had been any random pebble, the villagers might have started to question their beliefs.
Also, wrestling is a special activity performed in the village of Umuofia. This relates to the novel, The Sun Also Rises, that I read last year in Ms. Pettit's class. Bullfighting was very important in the novel. It represented honor and bravery. Wrestling in the village of Umuofia represents not only honor and bravery, but also the power of men. In the society of Umuofia, the men were dominant. So when they wrestled, the one who could throw his opponent would have been considered the more powerful man, just like how defeating a bull gave the bullfight great honor. Both cases represent the strength of man.
Ok, so how did everyone feel when they found out that Okonkwo took a part in the killng of Ikemefuna? (61-62) I, personally was somewhat shocked because Okonkwo seemed to have taken a liking to Ike, and vice-versa..but then again Okonkwo was aganst everything that ahd to do with emotion and feeling..sounds like a tension of opposites don't you think?
Yes, I was also shocked that Okonkwo actually took part in killing his own son. But Okonkwo didn't strike first. It was the man walking behind Ikemefuna who killed him. Okonkwo just finished him off and did it to show Ikemefuna, while in his dying moments, that his father was not weak. I thought Okonkwo would somehow stop the murder of his son, but it didn't happen. In addition, Ikemefuna's death really changed Okonkwo. I really started to notice after this part. It was funny how Okonkwo kept looking for a replacement son within Ezimna. It is ironic that Okonkwo believes that women are inferior and yet, the spirit inside Ezimna is as powerful as a man. Okonkwo began thinking that all sons should be like her and not once did he actually consider Ezimna a powerful woman.
It was also funny how the villagers classified Okonkwo's killing of a clansman as female. A murder is a murder, right? I don't think there needs to be a classification for murder. I'm guessing the male one, must mean that the murder of a clansman is intentional.
Finally, I think the villagers of Umuofia joined the Christian missionary in fear. They heard what had happened to Abame and figured that "if you can't beat them, then join them." They were afraid of death and wanted peace in their village.
I, too noticed a change in Okonkwo and how he sought a man in his daughter, Enzinma. I agree that it's ironic considering he thought women to be inferior. But now I have yet another question.. what do you think about the title itself? What do you think will eventually "fall apart"?
yay. back from vaca, and yes it was amazing. Okay, so being serious, Things Fall Apart is an amazing book. It's major themes of family, pride, and ofcourse-things falling apart are strongly worked into the text and are constitently being brought back into the readers view. Achebe uses all his characters in very specific ways to portray the different themes and symbols he uses to lead us to the final question--must things fall apart?
A good place to start is with the main character, Okonkwo. Okonkwo represents pride, self preservation, strength of mind body and spirit. He is the ultimate man. Achebe builds his standeard of what a man is completly around this main character and in what he says and what he does (or doesn't)The opening line is
"Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. his fame reseted on solid personal ahievements." (1)
This causes the reader to form an image of the main character as very noble, strong, and proud before we know even what he looks like. Throughout the rest of the book, through all the horrible things he did- breaking religious customs, beating his wife killing Ikemefuna, who had become almost as close to him as his own blood,I never questioned the character of Okonkwo as being noble and doing it out of self preservation becasue of this inital image i was never able to shake off. Okonkwo came from nothing, yet he was able to get his own yams and grow them into qutie the living. He has three wives and many chidren, all with his farms ever growing. He is a great wrestler, and well known throught the nine villages for being a warrior-he never appears weak or doubtful of himself. As many have speculated on before me, Okonkwo is a product of his father's failure and shame. Everything Okonkwo has become is a direct effect of his father's life and lack of status. After the family is exiled to Okonkwo's motherland-Okonkwo's plan for his comeback is fully develoed in an almost obsessive manner and it shows Okonkwo's greed and need to appear stronger than anyother. Achebe uses Okonkwo's character to produce the image of a man, and also to shed light on the nature of simple living in the african landscape. We learn much about the African culture from studying the hanits, morals, and priorities of Okonkwo.
The village itself very much represents a family and a strong community. Used by Achebe to create a backdrop to Okonkwo's character. Achebe manages to make the village becom one during thier religious festivals
"The drums were still beating, persistent and unchanging. Their sound was no longer a separate thing from the living village. it was like the pulsation of its heart." (44)
achebe seamlessly weaves the village into a single being one that thinks and judges as one and creates the sense of a whole, an unbreakable family. For Okonkwo this has been the only family he has always been proud of. He is apart of the strongest village among all nine
"Isike will never forget how we slaugtered them in that war. we killed twelve of their men and they killed only two of ours. Before the end of the fourth market week they were suing for peace." (200)
and he has risen in rank and status and become one of the fathers of the village, it is something he can truly call his own and take pride in when it succeds. When he returns after his exilation and finds Umuofia has become a puppet in the eyes of the white missionaries, Okonkwo seems to realize all he knew is gone, the men of the village have become agbala, and the village is gone as is any chance he had in becoming a great man. When all his standards of what a man is and how a life-a village shoudl function is lost, Okonkwo, truly loses everything.
Okay, I just wrote a lot. So I'm going to wrap this up till next time.
I believed things started to "fall apart" since Okonkwo's exile. The village of Umuofia was letting foreigners suppress them. They were missing Okonkwo's agressiveness in the village. Okonkwo had this "never give up, I am always strong" attitude towards life. He had shown this when he expressed his fear that his son Nwoye would grow up to be weak. He wanted his sons to have the attitude he had when he was their age. Okonkwo was already planting yams and making a living for himself at their age. He hated the idea of his sons becoming like his father. To continue, when Okonkwo finally came back from his exile, the missionaries were already trying to control the village. People were converting to Christianity. If Okonkwo hadn't been exiled then he could have helped the village rebel against the missionaries and drive them out of the village. Since he wasn't there the villagers had lost the idea of what it meant to be a man. To Okonkwo, being a man meant you were superior and that you could do anything you wanted. The villagers lost this idea and just let the missionaries take over the village.
In conclusion, I think things fall apart because we let them. I mean the village of Umuofia didn't have to accept the missionaries' teachings. They could have rebelled as Okonkwo would have done if he was in the village at the time. But they were afraid and so things got out of hand. Instead, the villagers just let the missionaries do as they pleased and the villagers left them alone. And before you know it, Okonkwo's dead. Now they won't have the guts to even fight back, do they?
Okay, I know I'm not supposed to make two blogs in a row, but the book goes back to the library tommorow morning. So I'm doing all my blogs now. Bare with me, its going to be a lot of Gen opinions.
Okay. So I'm going to talk somemore about symbols. More specifically about the werestling match, and how they symbolize life.
"Ikezue held out his right hand. Okafo seized it, and they closed in. It was a fierce contest. Ikezue strove to dig in his right heel behind Okafo so as to pitch him backwards...But the one knew what the other was thinking...It was a sad miscalculatin. Quick as the lightning of Amadiora, Okafo raised his right leg and swung it over his rival's head. (50)
The wrestling match to me, represented the stuglle any individual has in life. With life there are two sides of everything and it is the side we choose that makes us who we are and help to build our character. And like in the match, sometimes we make the wrong decision and everything we thought we knew is lost- in a moment everything can fall apart. In the wrestling match the two fighters knew the other so well and that match meant everything, they lived in taht moment and knew that nothign else coudl matter then except the movements of their rival. This also symbolizes life in that our life is made up o fmoments were everything is on the table and those moments taht we get lost in-those are the ones that count, that truly matter. Especially in this village the wrestling match represents the moments in life that can make or break a man.
okay final one, and dont worry it won't be long i have to go return the book very soon.
So time to answer the B.I.G question-must things fall apart.
First off from Achebe's view, and in terms of the outcome of the book- i feel he wanted us to answer yes. Achebe made it so that in the end Okonkwo could not outrun fate. In the end of the book he became an older man with no status or voice in the village, just like his father.He has lost his eldest son, his village, his pride as a warrior, and all he has gained is the knowledge that what he once knew was no more. He says to his best friend Obierika
"Perhaps i have been away too long...but I cannot understand theses things you tell me. What is it that has happened to our people? Why have they lost the power to fight?" (175)
Okonkwo understands by the end that noone will fight for the village or for his way of life. His postion in the village-in his world in no longer needed-and thusly he is no longer needed. Achebe breaks down the obi of Okonkwo's life palm branch by palm branch and okonkwo watched it all fall apart. in the end, after he kills the messenger he realizes that he has nothing left and consequently he realizes that he is no more. When he has lost everything that defined him in life all the material things and spiritual things he saw that he had nothing. He had to start his farms from scratch, he was surronded by "cowards" and the ways of his fathers and grandfathers had been decimated, forgotten. And in the end-things did fall apart.
It is my personal opinion to agree. Life is made up of choices and circumstances. Like a ball of string, you pull out one piece and it all will unravel until all your left with are pieces.
I completely agree with you. Okonkwo, as you can all see was a stubborn man. He lived by the motto "my way or the highway". But after everything began to "fall apart", he just couldn't keep up with it. I believe that he soon found out that he wasn't as strong as he thought he was and that physical strength doesnt make up for spiritual or emotional strength. he had nowhere to go, and nothing else to do, so he decided to turn to his last resort and ended things completely. This was an amazing book and I would have to agree that yes, things do sometimes fall apart, but I also believe that when they do, one should have a back-up plan and just because life sometimes turns its back on you, that doesn't mean that you have to turn your back on life as well.
The power of fear and the desire of power always rules. In a movie I had just recently seen, [it's called Zeitgeist. It's truly an interesting movie - long, but interesting. Here's the link to it if you're interesting in seeing it: http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/] it talks about the power of religion, government, and money. Going back to angela's first post about how America seemingly enters other countries to help them in their time in need when it is truly the fact that they want to display their power to make others fear them.
The feeling of fear, fear of failure and weakness, is Okonkwo's deepest secret. He is so afraid of weakness that he does not mourn, he pushes away his feelings because he finds them weak. Such as when Ilkemefuna was killed. He mourned for three days but then he goes to visit his friend, Obierika. He pushes himself out of depression by insulting himself. Calling himself weak, by feeding his fear of being weak, he is up again. It's not exactly the best way to do it. "When did you become a shivering old woman...you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed." (65) At his visit with Obierika, Okonkwo talks about how wonderful it was to have taken part in Ilkemefuna's killing, whom he had thought of as a son. He insults Obierika. However Obierika then states that: "If the Oracle said that my son should be killed I would neither dispute it nor be the one to do it." {67)
Does anyone think that some of the chapters are a little random? I find that they don't exactly connect with the plot line until much later. So I'm wondering why not...put it in order? It doesn't seem much like in order so sometimes I find it confusing because suddenly the whole thing gets off topic.
To respond to Ms. Clapp's original post. I believe that things don't HAVE to fall apart. We make them. Okonkwo can be a strong character in all aspects but with because his life is dominated by fear of failure and weakness, he somehow causes his own shortcomings. I'm only on chapter thirteen but I can't say I hate the book. I find it very interesting actually.
Although the book was beautifully written and the story was a good one, I'm just not a huge fan of this book.
I'm going to work backwords from the end so here it goes. You shouldn't read this if you haven't finished the book
Okonkwo, on many different different occasions, goes on about how the men in his tribe and his civilization have gone "womanly." So answer me this: Why did he kill himself?! Personally, I think he took the "womanly" (I'm only using htis word because it's in the book, otherwise it's sexist and I don't like it.) way out by hanging himself. The manly way would have been to face the music. He killed the messenger, he should pay for his crime the right way, he shouldn't run away from his fate, especially since he went on and on about being a man and how going to war was the right thing to do with the situation of the white man invading Umuofia with Christianity. Maybe things fall apart because people don't know what they really want. The way I see it, Okonkwo died because of that reason.
Gen, I love your observation that Okonkwo died almost in the same position as his father. They both died without honor and pride and after much loss. I think Achebe makes this happen to prove the point that things must fall apart. It was a landslide for Okonkwo. He reached his peak when he was the wrestling champion and had the respect of the entire tribe. That all disappeared as Ikemufna was killed, Okonkwo beat his wife during a holy week, the exile was placed on Okonkwo's family, Nwoye's conversion, and finally, Okonkwo's suicide.
However, I did like how Achebe made the priests explain their religion to one another. I think it makes the struggle between beliefs all the more potent and it was an aspect of the writing that I really liked.
I'm going to keep this post short because I have to return the book but I'll continue to respond to posts =]
Hope you guys liked it
-Shelly
I'm almost done with the book and I have to say that quite a lot of it I had enjoyed. Although at the beginning I felt as if some of the chapters and things that were talked about in this story were a little random because they seemed to have no connection with the current plot line, I enjoyed it. Eventually all those little randomness connected and symbolic. But I am confused about one thing.
In Chapter 11 we are given insight to one of Okonkwo's wives, Ezinma's mother. We are told that she has had many children buried and the only one who has survived so far has been Ezinma. Suddenly the priestess takes Ezinma and travels far away with her. Why does she do this? And also the main point of this chapter to me was a mother's devotion and love for their children. After all, Ekwefi had sworn an oath that would defy the gods. "[Ekwefi] swore within her that if she heard Ezinma cry she would rush into the cave to defend her against all the gods in the world. She would die with her." (108) Here we are given an example where Ekwefi would defy the gods, go to hell and etc, just to save her daughter. But I do not understand why this entire thing happened. Like why did Chielo take Ezinma and what happened?
Another thing I noticed that was symbolic about this story is the way it's divided. It's been divided into three parts. The first part talks about the life of Okonkwo in his village. The second part talks about his life in exile. The third finally talks about his return to his native village after seven years. He was a great man in the first part and then in the second he was looked as a traitor and then finally he suddenly must start all over again to rebuild his reputation. We know that he is sent to exile for killing an elder. But as far as I'm concerned I have not read any chapter that actually talks about that incident. So...what exactly happened?
Ok, Hi everyone! Espero que todos sus veranos vayan bien…. ( I hope I said that right…)
Anyways, I just finished a little less than the first half of the book ( I couldn’t stop at a third, it was too good). I might be a little repetitive, since I only read a few of the early blogs and skimmed the rest ( I didn’t want to ruin the novel for myself)
Anyways… I’m sure everyone else has noticed how Okonkwo is THE example of what a masculine man is… successful in terms of titles and farming, powerful in terms of being a warrior and a hunter, and authoritative in terms of with his family and friends.
His dad however, was poor, a terrible/lazy farmer, couldn’t provide for the family, played an instrument, couldn’t stand war/blood, and was a debtor. He was the exact opposite of what a “man” really was.
For good or bad, it was his shame for his dad’s character, that lack of masculinity, that shaped Okonkwo’s rigid value-system/code, and thus his character, too. That shame and fear of being looked down on made him view anything with connection to Unoka as something that needed to be avoided at all costs. It led him to become determined to be successful as a farmer, obtain titles, be a courageous warrior, and be well-respected by his tribe. And he was able to complete these goals -the postitive aspect of the influence from Unoka.
However….
That has ruined his relationship with his own family. Since he set such a strict code for himself and was able to follow it, he holds the same expectations for his family. Especially for his sons, he wants none of the traits of his father to show up in his sons because in his mind… Unoka traits = shame, unsuccessfulness, and failure. He in turn, is strict, and demanding of his sons, because he hopes they would become a great man like he was.
Though meaning well, his cruel words, such as “I will not have a son who cannot hol dup his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands”, cut deep. With a father that “never showed any emotion openly, unles it be the emotion of anger” and who believed “to show affection was a sign of weakness”, made way for a demented childhood for his children.
As Acebe himself says, “constant nagging an dbeating…and so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth.
These chain of events and relationships evolve from a single situation/environment. That of shame being felt for Unoka. Had Unoka being a debtor and not being able to provide for his family/be masculine not been looked down on by the tribe, the intensive shame Okonkwo felt for Unoka wouldn’t have existed, and neither would his desire to be anything but that. However, either way you look at it, Okonkwo’s life consists solely of difficult and warped relations-whether with his father, his wives, or his children. These delicate relations and his faulty morals seem to me, what will be the cause of things falling apart. When his moral code no longer fits in with societies, or when he finds that code shattered-which can happen through any single event or situation- that is when things will collapse around him.
Ok… I’m off to read some more before I come back again to blog…
So toodles,
Winnie
Hello. I have almost completed, "Things Fall Apart" and have greatly enjoyed it up to this point. Despite this, I have to admit during some situations in the novel, Okonkwo's character and persona managed to extremely irk me!
The first thing I would like to address regarding this novel, which I find truly fascinating, is the way in which Achebe begins his novel. His strategy is incredibly significant to the rest of the story. He first begins by slightly juxtaposing descriptions of both Okonkwo and his father, Unoka. His usage of powerful descriptive language and continuous usage of similes and metaphors with a bit of personification here and there significantly demonstrate and emphasize the severe contrast between both characters and emphasizes the relationship between Unoka who is seen as a "failure" and Okonkwo who is viewed in a completely different light. This is an important and key concept throughout the novel because it will eventually lead to Okonkwo's demise.
Achebe makes an important yet subtle epic parallel comparing Okonkwo to Zues when he states, "He was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look. He breathed heavily, and it was said that, when he slept, his wives and children in their houses could hear him breathe…He had a stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists," in his first few paragraphs. It is quite significant that Achebe would make such a parallel due to the fact that it is slightly ironic because the tribe Okonkwo is part of is highly religious. It is really interesting that Achebe compares them both in a sense that both have severe tempers and their anger can get out of hand. Zeus is known to be the "god of thunder". This is also significant because thunder can symbolize anger and something that is unable to be controlled. When thunder strikes, it can cause fire and wipe out everything in its path. This aspect of this parallel could somehow foreshadow to the reader that Okonkwo's anger become out of hand and ignite a drastic situation in the future.
After all that being said, this is exceptionally significant, in my opinion, to the end of the novel because it is ironic how Okonkwo decides to take his own life consequently because of his actions that essentially destroy him. He ends up dying the same way in which his father did, a failure. I'm not sure if I am the only one who feels this way but the tragic hero aspect of Okonkwo's character really stuck out at me once I re-read the first chapter over again and the last four chapters about his demise. The description of his father at the beginning almost completely corresponded with Okonkwo's description at the end. Achebe really managed to bring about pathos by doing so.
I'm really looking forward to reading the last chapter of the novel and seeing what happens.
I have to admit though, I really did not like Okonkwo's character throughout the novel, especially after he witnessed Ikemefuna's death. He failed to protect a child he put under his care and treated like a son in order to protect his masculinity image. Unfortunately, sometimes it is in the nature of humans to perform selfish acts. Achebe just made Okonkwo's character pretty realistic; especially the fall of our tragic hero. I really did feel bad for Ononkwo at the end….but things fall apart, sadly.
Hey everyone. okay so i see Amanda has a question and I'm not sure if i fully understand your question but i believe Okonkwo killed ogbuefi ezeudus son during his funeral and then Okonkwo and his family were forced into exile for seven years. You might have confused the father with the son because it happened during Ogbuefi's funeral.
well i hope i understood your question and helped.
i also have to agree with you Tis Dina, about Okonkwo. I too, didn't like how he was towards people but it was the fear that made Okonkwo act the way he acted. The fear truely did take over his life and his personality towards the people around him. He just feared to be like his father, whom was a disgrace to Okonkwo because of his weakness. Something Okonkwo believes a man should not have.
I also have to connect Okonkwo with Baba from The Kite Runner. Baba and Okonkwo both share something that always appeared in the novels. Baba always wonders why his son, Amir, is not like him; strong and fearless. He wonders why his son is not good at soccer like he was back in his days. He also wonders why his son does not stand up for himself when other kids pick on him or shove him. He also is embaressed by the way his son crys at the littlest things, instead of sucking it up and being like a man. Okonkwo too, wonders why Nwoye is not also powerful, strong, fearless like his father. Instead he wished why couldn't Enzima just be a boy because his oldest son is nothing but worthless. Which is kind of the same as Baba except the only difference between Baba and Okonkwo is that Baba stays with his son and always will care for him, unlike Okonkwo who doesn't consider Nwoye as his son anymore once his son goes with the Christians. We see here a very strong connection between these two characters. Once i started reading the kite runner two days ago, (which i have to say is the best book i have ever read in my life, and recomend everyone to read!) I started to think about Okonkwos character and how kind of similar both of the fathers are to one another.
Farrah ;)
Hi everyone!!
Ok, I’ve finished up to the second part, (Isn’t it convenient that it’s already divided into 3 parts for us… just perfect…) so I decided to post before moving on- and I really want to continue.. It’s already captured me, and some friends have hinted that the last part is the best…
So, even though I won’t know the whole “things fall apart” concept/events, I’m going to be addressing it a bit in my post, along with it’s center, which I see as Okonkwo’s rigid masculine code.
From the beginning, we associate masculinity and its attributes: strength, authority, violence, and courage with Okonkwo. The very beginning of this book, and the very first introduction of Okonkwo was of his revered and famous fight that established him as fierce and powerful, the epitome of a manly man.
That is his center, yet it doesn’t hold because it is ridden with faults and weaknesses. Instead, things begin to fall around him, with the cause being the death of Ikemefuna.
It was his pride, his fear “of being thought weak (61), of loosing that masculine image that his code so rigidly follows, that caused him to slash down a young boy that lived with him, played with his children, and who called him father for three years. It was also this “code” that required him to wait “what he regarded as a reasonable and manly interval to pass” before he could follow Ekwefi into the forest, despite being worried sick.
This “masculine code” of his, results in decisions and actions that can be seen as ridiculous and twisted to an observer, while being regretted and mourned over by Okonkwo. Though these problems manifest through minor an major situations, they all portray the weaknesses and faults of his “code”.
This code that brings almost nothing but disaster, is what I believe will be the cause of his downfall, and for things to fall apart. With his rigid and inflexible character and code, he is unable to adapt to change and makes decisions/takes actions that he regrets. Combine this with a return to a old environments most likely taken over, of at least influenced by the white people who are a revolutionarily new idea; and that spells disaster!.
I’m still not certain, obviously, since I didn’t read it yet, but those are my thoughts/predictions.
So… Toodles for now,
Winnie
I've just finished up to chapter eight and so far, this novel has suprised me thouroughly.
When I mentioned to a friend that I had to read Things Fall Apart, she told me that it was basically about yams, yams, and some more yams.
I didn't realize how culturally saturated it would be. The further I get into the novel, the more I feel like I'm understanding the Umuofia traditions and belief.
What I find most interesting is the use of the word agbala to mean woman, or "untitled man." In their culture, having no title puts you onto the same rung of the social ladder as women. My only question is what titles exactly count towards being considered an agbala?
I've also discovered a small instance of irony, which you can feel free to disagree with because I'm open to debating it:
In the Umuofia culture, each person has a personal chi which, in the handy glossary in the back of the book,(which I love btw) is defined as "personal god." And in chapter seven, the swarming of the locusts is described as one of the most enjoyable times in many of the people in the tribes' lives. In the Bible, locusts are what make up the eight plague. Here's where I find the irony- People with personal religion eating things that are considered, for lack of better terminology, "really bad" in a major religion.
Could that be almost like anti-religion?
someone should think about that and help me figure it out
And to answer Ms. Clapp: things are bound to fall apart. It's true that we are what causes them to crumble(leaving us at fault), but it's human nature, and that's unstoppable.
Hey all! I’ve finally finished the book - It provoked a lot of thinking and questioning on my part- but I liked it, really really liked it.
So, I’ve read a few posts, now that it won’t ruin the ending for me….
And, in response to Casey‘s comment about the irony- I agree that there is so much irony woven throughout the book… (whenever I see one, I post-it note it and then laugh at it) But with regards to that particular instance -umm… I’m not too sure. It’s very possible that it‘s yet another of the many, however, I wouldn’t consider it irony between the chi and Christianity, but rather as a piece of irony between the overall religion of Umuofia and Christianity. Unlike many of his other pieces of irony that are based on ignorance/pride, this one seems to have it’s basis in the differences (of values, traditions, etc) in the two religions- they cannot coexist with each other because of these differences.
Much of the irony I recognize in this book is dramatic irony (the one where the reader knows more than the characters in the book) - which having studied history. The characters in the book believe that there are no such thing as matriarchies, and laugh at the possibility- but we know they do exist. They believe in personal gods, and in multiple gods (of earth, fire, etc.)- they believe twins are evil and that repeated deaths in childhood mean they are changelings. They are committed to their believes, and truly think that’s what is going on. -They believe destruction will befall them if they anger their gods and don’t follow the ceremonies- just as the Greeks did with their ancient gods of Zeus, Athena,, and Ares- as did the Mayans and many others. -However, we “know” that they do not “exist”.
One of my questions ( I know it is a touchy subject but, please just consider it and answer if you can)
How…?? How do WE know these gods don’t exist. It’s common knowledge now, but these people truly believed in their religions during their time, as we do with ours now.
How do we know.. If some time hundreds, maybe thousands of years from now… people will not look back at us and think the way we do now about these “heathen” religions?
I’ll let you guys think about this for now…
I’ll write another post for how/why/if they should “fall apart” later..
Winnie
Please respond if you have an opinion on the topic..!!!!
Thanks
I just finished reading the first third of the book, and I completely agree that Okonkwo symbolizes what it means to be a man. We had some discussions in Ms. Pettit's class last year about masculinity, and this book is reminding me heavily of it. I think his desire to be a man comes from his desire to not be like his father.
Like Gen said, he has three wives, many children, a massive amount of land/food, and a huge compound. A common masculine trait is being able to have as many women as possible, and though it is custom to have more than one in his country, he seems to be outdoing his father because he mentions that his father only had one wife.
Okonkwo is also known as a fierce warrior, and what else makes men feel more like men than being successful in battle. It may be their nature to be agressive, and war plays a huge part in his country, so I think he wants to hide his fear by putting up this brick wall personality of being the "tough guy."
Okonkwo's father was also really lazy and didn't have a lot of wealth. On the contrary, Okonkwo has a large farm with plenty of yams, and he can provide for his family (or should I say families) unlike his father, who seemed to have neglected him throughout his youth.
With that said, I had an experience similary to Casey. A friend told me that Things Fall Apart was, for lack of a better term, boring. However, I agree with Casey. The book, though I'm only a third of the way through, has brought out some cultural aspects of a part of the world that I never knew much about. It's really enriching and I'm intregued to keep reading...
Don’t read if you haven’t completed the book!!!! (Major Spoiler)
Ok..
After reading both Gen and Michelle's comments about Okonokwo's demise and suicide... I have to say that I agree more with Gen. In a way I believe that he acted "womanly" - however not for the same reasons as you, Michelle.
I think it's womanly since it ddoesn't fit in with his own definition of what a man is. He is committing a great crime according to thier religion. Normally, he would never commit a crime since it would ruin his image that he worked so hard to preserve and create.
The reason why I disagree with your reasoning for "womanly" is that he didn't kill himself because he was guilty of killing the messenger.
He killed himself because the definition of who and what he was, his entire life had changed and come crashing down around him. His culture and religion was changing-the life where the warrior was respected and where the gods were respected and where people fought back to protect their villages had disappeared. Instead of fighting back the whites and attacking the messengers as Okonkwo had instigated, his village remained passive. Everything about his life had fallen apart.
Which reminds me... while reading the book, my opinion of Okonkwo constantly changed. In the beginning he was presented as a great warrior, one of the most respected in the clan - but as the book progressed and we learned of his background, his violent character, and his rigid, almost ridiculous masculine code - My respect of his character considerably diminished to the point I forgot he was a "great" man. In a way, the characteres of the book also turned against him and treated him with contempt/scorn after he beat his wife during the week of peace without showing remorse.
When, at the end of the book Obierika cries out "that man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. YOu drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog" - I was taken aback because I had no longer considered him to be a "great" person.
It was ironic that he ended up needing to kill himself when he returned, a death just a shameful as his father, as Gen pointed out, instead of getting the fame, power, and glory he had hoped for.
Now.... about whether things need to fall apart...
In this case, things HAD to fall apart... With the white's invasion, there was nothing they could have done to prevent their society from falling apart and themselves from being exploitted in the future. we know in real life, from history, that the white invasion of Africa-with thier weapons, diseases, and army's- could overwhelm any African tribe with their machetes and weaker guns. So, whether they fought back or not, their society as they new it, was bound to end. Thier center, essentially their society, wouldn't have been able to survive as it had in the past.
Ok.. that's all for now...
Toodles.
In response to Ms. Clapp's first post i agree ver much with the thoughts of Angela. I too, believe that all things do not have to fall apart. It is the actions of others as well as the actions of yourself that will determine if things will fall apart. There are many factors that can contribute to things falling apart including fear and power as Angela mentioned as well as being two major components of this story. I believe that Okonkwo's fear to become the same person as his father prompted him to want this idea of power. And this idea of power prompted him to be corrupt. He was very mean to his family and wanted to have control over all of them.
This was the first of the books that I read. After reading this one line, I set out to note the many differences between Unoka and Okonkwo:
"And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion-to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved.(13)"
Unoka was a talkative, poor, in debt, cowardly, lazy, improvident, carefree man, against war and violence and devoid of a title. Okonkwo was a silent man who lived by fear, and was violent, infamous, wealthy, bloodthirsty, opinionated, hardworking man. Okonkwo, who was supposed to be celebrating peacefully, lost his temper and judgement and mercilessly beat his wife on this sacred, nonviolent Feast of the New Yam. He drew his machete on his friend Ikemefuna just so that he would not appear weak in front of men who were determined to kill Ikemefuna without much reason. He killed the head messenger of Christianity. He hung himself in a tree to die rather than live with fear; his fellow men who weren't willing to fight against the Christians, out of fear for their lives. Okonkwo's father would never have done any of these things.
Did Okonkwo succeed in being the absolute opposite of his father? Indeed I think he did.
I want to bring up the ending of this novel- the suicide. I think that this is the final act that distinguishes Okonkwo from his father. After reading of Okonkwo's action, a question crossed my mind: who do you think is the braver one, Okonkwo or his father?
Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was brave in the fact that he faced life. No matter how much he was in debt and how hard life was with his lack of wealth, he kept going and he did it with something that Okonkwo lacked-joy. He seemed basically almost carefree, as though life placed no burden upon him. And so he died in, I'm guessing, a natural state of old age. I feel like Unoka would never have killed himself, ever, no matter the circumstances.
Okonkwo, however, was "dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness"(13). This fear, in the end, killed him. Unable to deal with the fear of his men, who feared the loss of their lives in a fight between themselves and the Christians, and so let themselves be dominated, he no longer could bear their weakness nor their failure. And so he killed himself rather than be taken over by fear. He would rather die by his own hand and take away his precious life than be part of weakness.
So I ask you, who do you feel was the weaker of the two?
This comment has been removed by the author.
After reading this story, I felt that Okonkwo was one of the most intruiging characters I've come across.
I found it really interesting how Okonkwo was such a strong person in every way, a person who was so determined to frighten others with his power, yet he was constantly living in fear (weakness and failure and all things his father was). I could never tell if I liked or loathed his character, as it kept forever changing. It was really intruiging how in mere seconds you could change your hatred of his charecter to pity. I felt disgusted at so many of his actions, and then we got a glimpse of his feelings as he was about to do them, and though you're displeased with his actions, you quickly see his conscience as he covers it up in fear, and you feel terrible pity for him.
I haven't encountered these kinds of characters much, but when I do, they become favorites of mine. One that comes to mind right now is Severus Snape from JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. Though I've always loved his character dearly, there were times where I felt he acted wrongly, but then in some parts of the series (I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read them all yet), I can see why he is the way he is and it makes me pity him greatly.
And so while Okonkwo cannot be my favorite character of all time, because of his actions of which which I strongly disagree with, I think he'll always be a character of interest to me.
Hello. After completing the novel, "Things Fall Apart", I have begun to ponder about Ms. Clapp's question regarding whether or not things must fall apart. This is quite an interesting question and I have been attempting to gather my thoughts on this matter in regard to the novel and life as well.
Not to be too pessimistic here, I truly believe things do indeed have to fall apart or rather, because we are human, we make them fall apart because of our nature. I do not say this with the intension of being quite contemptuous against mankind but really, we are often lead by our fears, afraid of competition or not being good enough in respect to the others around us.
This is quite a noticeable concept in "Things Fall Apart" when we observe our protagonist, Okonkwo and the way in which he interacts with the other characters in his everyday life. He continuously wears a persona of being a strong and powerful man with no weakness but truly because of this, the reader can see that his persona IS indeed his weakness. He wears it because of his "fear of failure and of weakness." (13) Often times, our experiences build our perceptions and our character. Because Okonkwo's father was seen as a failure and a man with no title, these two concepts were engraved in Okonkwo's mind that he must never be like his father.
His obsession with this desire eventually leads to his demise, in my opinion. He continuously fights himself (the way in which he refuses to show the emotions he truly feels, bottling them inside himself until he could no longer keep up with them which I believe is one reason he commits suicide) and the way in which he fights those around him.
Though Okonkwo was a stubborn character, I do not give him complete blame for things falling apart for him. I also believe his society influenced him tremendously which led him to act the way he did. His society put a large emphasis on the concept of being "masculine" such as our society today with the pressure of women being thin and men being athletic. The irony of the situation is that Okonkwo had a weak character and could not fight the pressure of his own society which leads him to carry out the extreme definition of "masculine" yet he does this because he is unable to fight it emotionally. Different characters carry out the concept of masculinity in different ways throughout the novel but truly not as extreme as Okonkwo does.
Although he was well known in his society as being the best wrestler in the village and for being extremely powerful and masculine, he was just the result of what his society wanted him to be and the pressure he put on himself to not be like his father. Because he is human and has emotions, he became caught up in the "not good enough" situation and let his life become ruled by his own fears and insecurities of not being like his father.
I think we all face the situations Okonkwo does in the novel and we must learn from his mistakes. We must stay true to ourselves and not give in completely to society. For some reason, I thought that was the message Achebe was trying to address to his reader.
I really enjoyed this book because despite how different it was, the African folklore aspect of it, I could really connect with the situations Okonkwo went through but on a completely different level. It just shows that humans all face the same struggles no matter where he or she lives, no matter what time period he or she is in and so on. It shows that the "human heart," will "always be in conflict with itself" as William Faulker once stated.
It seems that human nature seldom changes. As Foster states in "How to Read Like a Professor", "There is only one story." Again, I am going to mention Faulkner because this novel just reminded me so much of his speech. Okonkwo "is immortal not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion", or lack of it in this case, "sacrifice and endurance". Achebe helps show human nature as it really is. He helps "man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and sacrifice, which have been the glory of his past" as Faulkner stated. Sorry to mention Faulkner so much but Achebe truly made me realize that despite people, and characters, coming from different backgrounds, cultures, and so on, we truly experience the same emotions and struggles no matter who we are.
Wow. I hope this wasn't too informal but I really connected with this book. And I'm glad Ms. Clapp gave us this question...I had fun thinking it over.
To answer Caitlin's question, I believe the weaker one in this novel was Okonkwo, not his father. His father accepted his situation the way it was and tried to improve his status. Okonkwo, on the other hand, believed it was the more "masculine" to take his own life rather than have a Christian take it away for him. Although Okonkwo's image of masculinity was very important to him, he ran away from the consequence of killing the messenger at the end of the novel by committing suicide. Was he afraid to face the consequences for the deed he had committed? Personally, I think he could no longer bear the persona he was attempting to continue. It was, as they say, an emotional breakdown. It was expected as a result of him bottling his emotions for all that time, especially after he witnessed and helped kill Ikemefuna.
I actually think I feel quite sorry for our tragic hero…despite how much his persona irked me throughout the novel.
Good Morning!
So, I picked up Things Fall Apart last night to finish up the second third of it so I could write this comment. And while I was reading, one passage stood out to me as kind of...underdeveloped to say the least.
"'How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number?'"(65)
So here's how I interprited that:Mostly everyone has already pointed out the fact that Okonkwo is the epitome of "masculinity" and that he wants nothing to do with the way his father lived. What I don't think has been touched on(there is a possibility that someone has already pointed this out; I tried not to read too too many posts so that I don't spoil the book for myself)is that to display "masculinity," the men of the Umuofia tribes are basically forced to withdraw all compassion from their lives.
We see that Okonwo cares for his children and his wives, and also for Ikemefuna(let's call him Ike. But he refuses to let the rest of the tribe see that. By taking part in Ike's death, he is putting on this facade of being emotionless. He has this distinct need to fit into the mold of "what a man should do and be," and is dying to stay in a position to fit that mold. He lets his anger take hold of him when there is a glimmer of a chance that his family is breaking the mold even slightly, and he breaks down.
Also, the way marriage is decided seems compassionless. Bartering for your daughter just doesn't seem to display any sense of real worth onto the daughter in question.
It appears to me that in order to be considered a "real man" in the Umuofia culture, you can't show compassion for others to see. And that is what makes things fall apart. Okonkwo's inability to show compassion is what is going to make him tear him up because he knows that he's feeling it, but can't put it into emotions to show the rest of his tribe.
Reading back into some of the recent comments, I find that it's an interesting point about Okonkwo's father. I think Okonkwo has lived a lot of his life to not be called someone who was afraid of life. However with his suicide I feel as if he's back to where he's started and, on some level, he is just like his father. His father died with no real title and like a coward because he had no money of his own. Okonkwo died when he was no longer considered a "great" man of wealth and power.
Another thing I wanted to say was that Winnie I do agree with you. At first Okonkwo was a "great" man. He was determined and he worked very hard to get what he accomplished. But because his life was so ruled by fear and as the story progressed, my respect for him also diminished. A great man must also learn to accept changes because that's part of life. If you do not accept the changes around you, you do not really adapt to life as it moves around you. Okonkwo is still in the times of war and if a man acted cowardly for a moment, he was considered a "woman".
I agree with Casey that Okonkwo's lack of compassion is what may have led him to his downfall. I think he is somewhat a cruel man such as when he went with the men to kill Ikemefuna. As I've said before, if you know people are going to murder him it will not make you less of a man if you chose not to go with them.
Chapters’ 1- 8
As does the novel open with a quote, so shall I begin with that quote and divulge my commentary regarding it.
The quotation is an excellent prologue into the themes and overall message of the novel. It introduces the reader to the understanding that things must indeed "fall apart" or I as believe, existence must equate with itself opposition in endless struggle, which seems to cause people "bad days" or unfortunate occurrences. The quote simply relates to the fact that change is unavoidable with the inclusion of the words "turning and turning" conveying that new surroundings will be seen. In addition, the concept of a falcon unable to hear the one who commands it demonstrates that when things do not follow a tradition or pattern, as well as when someone/thing is unable to accept that a tradition is broken, chaos erupts. This is the basis for the novel, I believe.
Beyond the quote and into the novel, there appears to be a great emphasis on tradition and "old ways" and contrasting elements. Take for example the first chapter, which introduces key characters, Okonkwo (whom I call "Ok" pronounced "oak" for short) and father Unoka. Throughout the entire chapter, the author places a strict distinction between the two characters in the sense that the father and son are complete opposites. This is evident through diction. (Strong verb choice for Ok and weak verb choices for Unoka) In showing this distinctions and furthering why, the author appears to establish the results of trying to be different in a most extreme sense. The consequences of extremes - Ok's temper and pride. A possible downfall/ disaster waiting to happen.
A few things a noticed in the novel so far were:
Old Ibo word use: blending the languages of two cultures into the novel perhaps to emphasis extreme cultural differences and the resistance of old traditions to change. This could possibly be meant to reflect Ok’s own personality and behaviors, separating him from good judgment. The constant proverb use helps to show this as well. For example, on the top of page 21.
Ok's unwillingness to change his attitude and ways: Irony --> in the sense that Ok lives and prospers off a land that is in constant change (nature), where as he fails to change himself simply because tradition dictates he “be a man”. Also, I agree with Farrah in that fear is probably a key reason for Ok's set behavior. Perhaps he is afraid to change lest be the subject of failure and ridicule like his father.
As for the question of things falling apart, I have my own personal thoughts regarding the matter, but in order to relate it to the novel I will wait until I finish more to truly connect it to the novel, and not just my own judgment. I do, however, believe that at this point, fated circumstances and Ok himself are causing things in his life to "fall apart".
First off I completely love this book. It reminds me of "100 Years of Solitude", because it is set in a village, many people of the village have the same names and there are many lovers.
My first question to that statement is "Why do books about villages or ancient communities have all these love affairs with one another? If anyone has an opinion to answer that please do in your next blog. Thanks.
Anyways so heres what I believe is going on: Okonkwe is struggling with his own life because he does not want to be or become a failure like this father, that is his worst and morbid fear. Secondly I believe that the way he deals with his personal and outside business is what will ultimately bring him to his downfall. This will indeed make "things fall apart" for him. His attitude is unwilling to change because he is stuck on the fact that if he sticks with the old traditions he will be successful as he always has been and nothing will lay foot in path. In being as he is "a man" he believes he is less prone to be ridiculed by society and that he will never been seen as a failure because he came from nothing and made his own name in the 9 villages.
As for his fate I am going with the fact that he attitude and his behavior will bring him to his knees and everything will fall apart. Now I will read more and find out how and why this could happen and enjoy finishing the book.
Lauren K :]
Tis that time again to blog :].
What I've noticed is that every process that these people have is ver long and very traditional. In the beginning there is a whole scene of a trial set before spirits. What ever the spirits tell one to do, one does it. Another ritual that is long that they describe is the wedding process. It seems funny to me but all the preparation is still done by the brides family and/or village. It reminds me of today because the brides parents usually pay for everything.
Another thing that I noticed is that Okonkwe is very defiant and he needs an attitude adjustment. On page 131 he realizes that he will never hold the title that he wanted to. He says yes but his chi says no. This is because of his maliciousness and rage. He shot a clansman and that forced him to leave his village and live in exile in his mother land for 7 years. Violence with him is second nature and it seems as though he cannot control it.
When these "white men" come to the village of Abame and Mbanta he wants nothing to do with them. Of course we all know they are missionaries and they want to change the religious aspects of the villages. Okonkwe does not agree with this because he is a very traditional man and does things the old way. He believes in many Gods not just one. Well, when his oldest son Nyowe begins to part take in the missionaries religion, Okonkwe find outs and snaps. Again his rage has made him lose his first and oldest son because he beat him. Nyowe decided to go to school in his old village and learn to read and right there.
Not only has his anger driven him from his homeland, but now it is driving the people who he should love and who should love him back away.
Well on to part three of the book and then I am done. Can't wait!!!!
Lauren K :]
Chapters 9 - 15
As many have noticed in the novel, the author puts a heavy emphasis on the "old" traditional values of the Ibo people. These traditional values are also emphasized with the author's repetitious incorporation of old Ibo tales of animals/creation. Take, for example, the tale of a starving tortoise, which deceived birds into allowing him to feast with them in the sky. The tale incorporated such Ibo customs as the eating of kola nuts and drinking of palm oil. These creative tales that blend both the customs of the Ibo and the lives of animals creates a similarity between the two. In effect, the Ibo people then have a closer relationship to animals, demonstrating their seclusion from other cultures.
In the novel, I have also come to note that the people of the Ibo tribe are often compared with animals, especially men, but women as well are included. The author writes: "Suddenly Okagbue sprang to the surface with the agility of a leopard"(pg 84 TFA). The character is described as having animalistic qualities, which I believe, creates the impression that the Ibo people are more related to the natural world than to other cultures or people like the white men. In essence, these comparisons are a method to convey that the tribesmen are close to nature, which in the eyes of the reader would make a culture -related downfall more tragic. If things are going to fall apart, the comparisons help to serve as a reminder that these Ibo people cannot tolerate outside influences. Other comparisons can be found on pages: 85, 100, 111 (to name a few).
As the novel nears its end, I have observed that even the natural elements such as the moon, forest, and darkness seem to be personified. Perhaps the author puts such effort into relating the Ibo and nature so that it would make the fall of a people or ‘things falling apart’ for characters seem more tragic since they knew nothing but their own ways and were reluctant to change them.
-Danielle
I'm just about done with the first part of the book. It has been pretty easy to read, in terms of language, though I don't understand the significance of some of the events, such as how Ezinma is the last of the evil children that continue to die and be reborn, and the little tales that the mothers tell their daughters. I'm just confused about how these fit into the big picture.
I feel Ezinma must play a major role in the end, especially when the oracle takes her away, but it hasn't been said what she is told by the oracle. There was also one comment (if I recall correctly) about how Okonkwo wishes Ezinma had been born a man. I believe this is another clue to her significance.
I assume that what has happened so far will begin to come together, revealing the significance of some of these events, and Okonkwo's life will begin to fall apart soon, but for now, I don't have much more to say.
Chapters’ 16- End
From where I last left off with this reading, I find it astonishing at the rate at which the white missionaries arrived and overtook the village of the Ibo people. Previous to these endings chapters, the tribes still had their old customs and held to them firmly and there seemed to be little interaction between the whites and the Ibo. Now, it seems that the missionaries appeared over night and swarmed the village like feeding locusts.
The villagers at certain points in the novel spoke of action to correct this desecration of their traditions and to put an end to the white man's interference with Ibo culture. This action, however, did not come and soon members of the tribes began converting to Christianity and serving the "Almighty White man's God". Perhaps if the Ibo people did act as they said they would, and once again became a 'one voice’ they may have saved their customs and ways of life. But I highly doubt this. The Ibo tribe where not open to world's beyond their own. They were secluded and did not know that such white men existed or that even greater worlds were built beyond their very backyards. In fact, with such great and powerful civilizations such as the British, among others; the Ibo people were simply doomed to extinction. In fact, there were I believe quite a few reasons for why the Ibo fell apart as a pure culture:
1) Beliefs change: Many in the village began converting to Christianity and distancing themselves from their own "kind". This torn them apart, in a sense, and life changed.
2) Unprepared: As a secluded people, the Ibo were unprepared for such intrusions as the white men. They were unaware and therefore could not handle the situation, as they were ignorant to the mission of the white man.
3) Money: As Ibo items such as kola nuts and palm oil became a money making item which was good for trade, the Ibo did not refuse and allowed their culture to be stolen from them since they received a portion in return.
4) Indifference: For example, Ok's hate and unwillingness to adopt some of the white man's culture in the end drove him to kill himself and be tossed away like trash in death. In a sense, he himself 'fell apart'.
In hindsight, there was little the Ibo people could do to prevent their culture from being invaded. Inevitably, the white man or some other culture would have come to claim the resources of the land or people. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of this novel is that these People were doomed from the beginning and believed that their culture would truly last forever.
If only they had doubts, would the death of their culture seem less tragic.
Everything, however, must change, and those who fail to adapt face nothing greater than death. It is the way of life.
I have just finished the novel, and before I move onto the "big question," I just want to comment on one point in the book when I started to feel like Okonkwo was using his faith as a crutch. Staying true to your beliefs is one thing, but then there is letting those beliefs speak for you, so you stop thinking for yourself.
I feel, in this way, by the end of the story, Okonkwo ends up being quite unmanly, just as Michelle, Gen, & Winnie commented on how unmanly his death was. When Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, leaves him to join the missionaries, all he can do is pity himself. He blames the gods for cursing him, rather than reevaluating his own actions, saying "for how else could he explain his great misfortune and exile and now his despicable son's behavior?" (152). All throughout the story, when something misfortunate or to his disliking occurs, he gets angry right away, without thinking through the situation rationally. His "manliness" gets to his head, and he is stubborn, and unable to consider even the possibility that he could be in the wrong.
I agree with those who predicted that Okonkwo's lack of compassion would be his downfall. It's true that some things were out of his hands- "the white men" coming to invade their villages; however, the way he dealt with these situations could have dramatically changed the outcome. His son wouldn't have ran away had Okonkwo showed more compassion to him, and made him feel as if he had someone there for him. I believe Nwoye converted to Christianity, because it gave him the support system he was lacking. Obviously "the white men" had no right to come into the villages and start ruling them as they did, but if he couldn't get around it, then Okonkwo should have tried to find some sort of compromise. Instead, he was stubborn, saying, "my way or the highway," and he killed himself.
This leads me to the question: must things fall apart? I believe it does depend on our own actions, not totally on what's handed to us by destiny. I feel this book has a bit of a connection with both The Remains of the Day and One Hundred Years of Solitude, because all three of these novels had to do with the outcomes of the lives of many different people, as a result of the mistakes they made throughout their lives. As Marquez concluded his novel, you might not "have a second oppurtunity on earth," so it's up to you to make the right decisions, and to not get entangled in the past as Stevens did, and not to become solitary as the Buendias, and not to become too stubborn and unwilling to accommodate changes, as Okonkwo was.
So after finishing the book and Okonkwo commits suicide i really makes me think that he wasnt at all the man that he thought he was. The whole time he was complaining about his father and that he would never want to become him in anyway. Although he had accomplished things greater than his father when it all comes to an end I think that he is less of a man than his father. In my eyes suicide is taking the easy way out. To escape from his problems he decides to kill himself. Because he has to much pride instilled in himself he decides to kill himself just for the simple fact that he would rather kill himself than give someone else the glory and recognition of have been the one to kill Okonkwo. So truthfully i think that as a result of Okonkwo's pride things definitely fell apart.
"Things Fall Apart" has been quite an interesting novel, my favorite out of the ones I have already completed. When looking through the annotations I had written while reading, I realize there are many important aspects which emphasize the purpose Achebe is trying to convey to his audience about Okonkwo and his village. These aspects include common symbols and motifs that help reinforce the storyline, the role reversals that take place, and the continuous ironic flavor that novel incorporates to keep the reader interested and involved in the work of fiction.
The first of these aspects that I would like to address is the continuous usage of symbolism, especially the animals, forest, and religion that are often mentioned throughout the book. Animals are a reoccurring symbol that are often important in representing Okonkwo and his tribe. Animals are part of nature and typically represent the way life should be without an outside interference, which for the sake of this symbol would be hunting. They are also mentioned consistently throughout the tribe's rituals and religion. This is significant because it shows their simplicity in religion because it incorporates their surroundings and environment, need I mention without European influence? As the novel comes to an end, we see the reference to animals is less significant, less imperative, and deteriorates, while Christianity and its principals become prominent. Symbolically, this shows the deterioration of the tribe's original faith and ways.
Another continuous symbol is the forest which symbolizes the unknown. It is quite interesting how Okonkwo's tribe dwells in the forest yet they are afraid of what it beholds in the night. From reading, I thought the forest symbolized what would happen to Okonkwo's tribe because they were fearful of going into the forest without having someone to go with them and always speak of it in a mysterious and fearful place. This could be viewed as to how the tribe itself is and how Okonkwo always feared that fear of what would take place of the future which leads to his demise once he has to face this fear.
Religion is also an important aspect in the novel because it is quite an ironic symbol which changes its meaning as the book comes to a close. At the beginning of the novel, the gods were always the one thing that everyone in the tribe feared and respected. As stated, "Men and women, young and old, looked forward to the New Yam Festival" (36) which emphasizes the importance they held for their religion and faith. It also signifies how men and women alike are equal in the eyes of their gods. The interesting element in this symbol is the particular incident where Okonkwo breaks the ritual of "peace" during this festival and beats his wife. This signifies the fact that despite his ties to his religion were strong, he still broke a rule. This foreshadows how many others in his village will do the same and convert to Christianity.
Another observation I made while reading is the constant role reversal of Okonkwo, the priestess of Agbala, and Ezinma. Okonkwo repeatedly acts out of the fear of not being seen as a "man" as is repeatedly mentioned throughout this book and because he can not deal with the pressure, he takes on the role of a "woman" in some respect. The priestess of Agbala is the same way except she takes on the role of a man. For example, he states, "How a woman could carry a child of that size so easily and for so long was a miracle" (107) to signify her strong physically strength and determination. Ekwefi also does not hold her role as a "woman" because she continuously remains calm and composed in a time of crisis. She possesses strong mental will and emotional stability. Her character reminded me of Lady Macbeth because despite what is expected of her in the situations she is involved in, such as when the priestess takes her daughter Ezinma. Instead of remaining in her hut in tears, as would be expected of a woman in her tribe, she chased after her boldly, determined to make sure her daughter was safe.
It is quite fascinating how all the aspects Achebe uses help make this a truly amazing novel.
After reading the last part of the book here is what I think:
1. The church was one of the reason that the clan and Okonkwe's life fell apart. If the white men had never come and decided to change tradition everything would have been okay, but instead they made the brothern of the clan turn on each other. This is true when Okonkwe beats his son Nwoye because he caught him going to church one day. It is even shown on page 176 when Obierika says, "the white man has put a knife to everything that held their clan together and now things have fallen apart."
2. Okonkwe's anger and rage led him to his final fall. I believe this because he was furious all the time with relatives and his wives and children. If he wasn't angry at them then he was angry at someone in the village or if not that then he was in war and he was savage like. He became upset over the most incredibly absurd things. If his meal was not cooked right or if someone tapped his palm trees to death. It was the little things that made him itch and a lot of it lead him to his death.
3. Finally I believe that Okonkwe was not the manly man that he stated himself to be at all. He always bragged about how he was a real man and how real men did things like go to war or fight and plant yams etc. He also told his sons to grow up and be manly and he tried to teach them how to become a man. I think the way the book ended proves that Okonkwe was nothing but a coward and he took the easy way out by killing himself.
The book was awesome now onto the last book :] the remain of the day:] wicked excitedddd !!!!!!!
--- Lauren K
To answer Winnie's question on how do we know that gods do or do not exist, well, all I can really say is we don't, and can't, know for sure whether they exist or not. It depends on what type of person you are- if you need to see something to believe it, or if you want to believe in something greater and beyond you.
This leads me to an observation I've made about the two religions described in the novel. I find it interesting that Achebe kept the novel unbiased, in terms of the religions, and did not attempt to get the reader to root for one side or the other. Obviously, the purpose of this novel is not to preach religion or persuade the audience to convert, but I feel in stories with two sides, usually the reader is expected to side with one of them.
However, with this novel, in the end, neither religion proves to be more true or better than the other. -Which raises the question, how can two religions be right at the same time? On one side, the reader gets immersed into the Ibo culture and starts to accept their beliefs to be true (in this specific literary world) For example, the idea that Ezinma was an ogbanje turned out to be accurate. However, then again, when "the white men" build their church in the Evil Forest, they survive, and actually grow to be a success. Thus, neither has really been proved wrong or right.
I found this interesting, and I think it emphasizes the focus on Okonkwo's downfall and the causes of it. Rather than getting encumbered in/distracted by the dispute of which group is religiously correct, the reader is able to analyze the actions of each group, and see how Okonkwo could have reacted better in the situation, in order to prevent his downfall.
I must say that Things Fall Apart is pretty good and I love the concept and ideas behind the story. And, most of this has probably already been said, however I didn't read through all of the comments.
I agree with Angela that fear is a big topic that is presented in the book. I consider, fear as a major contribution to why things fall apart. Okonkwo is afraid of following in his father’s footsteps and not being successful. “And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death” (20), because Okonkwo doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps he has thrown himself into farming and gaining power, not allowing him to see the beauty of the earth around him and leading him to realize later on in life that he didn’t lead a happy and fulfilling life only a spiteful one.
I found the quote, “How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number?” (67) very interesting and could potentially help lead to why things fall apart. In fact I think the reason Okonkwo took killing Ikemefuna so personally because he had grown a bond with him. After all, he treated him like a son, which means he got attached or created some sort of bond with Ikemefuna. Most men do not show their emotions, and the men of Umuofia are not an exception. Okonkwo helps kill Ikemefuna because he doesn’t want the other men to see that he is attached because they would probably then consider him weak. However, I think that bottling up emotions just ends up eating you from the inside and will lead to Okonkwo’s demise.
That’s about it for now, even though it isn’t much.
-Nicole S.
So, I just finished ThingsFall Apart-Don't read this if you haven't finished the book!!
For the most part, I enjoyed the book thouroughly. But I felt as if the end was a little bit of a let down. I mean, the whole book follows Okonkwo and his family, paying close attention to the details of their culture, and then the last page is on a completely different wavelength.
As for what happened in the end of the book--I see it as Okonkwo taking the easy way out. He goes through the whole book trying to make his life better than his father's, and he does everything he can to take all of the titles he can. But, in the end, when faced with killing the leader of the "white men," he runs away from his responsibility and takes his own life. I think Okonkwo died as more of a coward than his father.
The only thing that I didn't quite grasp was the chapter when Ezinma is taken away by Chielo-Why did Achebe include this? Is it not stated, or am I just missing something?
Overall, I think Achebe's goal was to portray Okonkwo as a tragic hero. He starts off as being the most well known wrestler in his village; he's respected, he's a member of the Egwugwu and has three wives and many children. Slowly, over the course of the novel-these things are taken from him. And Achebe wants us to feel his sorrow along with him as it all happens.
Hope all is well with everyone else, and I hope someone tries to adress my question-I'd appreciate it.
-Casey
OK so ya Lauren had asked if anyone had any idea why books about small villages seem to have so many love affairs....
Well i think that love affairs would be something very common in such a closeknit community as the ones that we are introduced to in "One Hundred Years of Solitude" as well as "Things Fall Apart". So ya to get to my point since everyone is so close to eachother and everyone knows one another i feel that feelings are more easily developed. Also in these two novels power and control are two things that exist very strongly. Because of this competition is bound to exist also. And also with this idea of power and control many people arent happy in their current relationships. Maybe due to how their controlling husband treats them or so on. All in both these books new things are introduced to these closeknit communties, which prompts curiousity. As new people begin to settle in both these civilizations they natives become attracted to them because of how different they are. Formerly being surrounded by all the same types of men and women its nice for them to see something else. I mean thats just my opinion to why this could be. But i think its pretty much an open ended question, but based on what ive seen in these two books thats wat i see as a possible explaination.
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Ok, so I've read the second third of Things Fall Apart and just realized that the book was cut into parts...yeah stupid me. Anyway...
Ok, so what I found quite interesting in the second third is the funeral Ezeudu is given by his clan. I'm not sure for all religions, but in most a funeral is meant to morn the death of someone, however in Things Fall Apart Ezeudu's life and achievements are celebrated at the funeral with drums, dancing, and happiness. I just thought it was a great way to look at someone's passing on.
Also, Lauren and Thea have both touched on the subject of love affairs. Personally, I haven't found any love affairs within the text except for one. All of the men we meet do have multiple wives, but that's just part of their culture and traditions. So, maybe love affairs are also part of their culture?
Ok, so this is something that dawned on me while reading. In chapter nine Ezinma is taken by Chielo from her mother's hut. Personally, I didn't quite understand why this was happening, but what I did find was that Ekwefi's actions when her daughter was taken were both brave and strong, which are both traits of masculinity. This brings me to my question, is it really Okonkwo who is the most masculine character presented in the novel?
-Nicole S.
=)
Nicole makes a valid point about Ekwefi portraying masculinity, but I disagree that the importance of the encounter is to show that she is more masculine than Okonkwo.
After I read the book, I went back and reread that chapter a few times, in order to try and decipher it's meaning and importance. After a while, I've come to the conlcusion that that chapter shows Okonkwo showing compassion for the second time in the novel. He follows Ekwefi to look after her, and because he cares for Ezimna like a son. He does not scold Ekwefi for doing something so irrational, but goes to keep her protected, which is his job as a husband and a father.
To the contrary of Nicole, I think this chapter builds Okonkwo's masculinity, if only just a little bit.
No, I wasn't suggesting that Ekwefi was more masculine than Okonkow, what I am saying is that is just an example of how other characters also display actions of masculinity. I think that the whole book and many of the characters display masculinity, even Nwoye who went against his father's beliefs and converted over to christianity. That takes bravery and after all that is a trait of masculinity.
I finished Things Fall Apart, and I must say that the ending was very sad and depressing. I thought it was quite ironic that Okonkwo worked so hard in life to recieve the titles he had, and make a better life for himself, and then hang himself. Also, what I found sad was that the Commissioner wanted to put Okonkwo into his book, however only thinks about giving him a chapter at most when man that has done so much in his life deserves a whole book.
I have my ideas on what lead to Okonkwo's demise, but I want to see what you all think?
-Nicole
Since this is my first comment, having only completed the first 8 chapters of the book, I apologize in advance for repeating any ideas. (I only read people’s first comments posted so that I wouldn’t spoil the book for myself.)
To comment on Ms. Clapp’s thought-provoking questions, I agree with Angela (in her first comment) that we make things fall apart through our actions and what we say, whether or not we aware of it. Pride, power, fear, selfishness (and the list goes on) cause people to do (or manipulate) certain things, that at first may seem beneficial, but in the long run have serious consequences and ultimately make things fall apart. Since these are normal human emotions, that always seem to arise over time, it seems inevitable that things will indeed fall apart though. Still, I don’t think things necessarily have to fall apart, but the likeliness is greatly increased by exterior influences that we can’t control, like the Earth’s orbit, gravity, or weather—all of which can make things fall apart as well. It’s very obvious that the people of Umuofia rely on the rainy/dry seasons and the harvest of yams to survive each year, and if these elements stop or deviate from the norm, one can conclude that the cycle will fall apart.
Although in this book the change in weather can bring about great tragedy, Okonkwo’s actions seem to be the factors that will lead things to fall apart. As others have mentioned, Okonkwo is the quintessence of man. He’s strong, successful and in control. He possesses admirable traits, such as being hard-working and coming from nothing and a life of shame (brought on by his father Unoka) to something. However, this comes at a price because in single-handedly building this life for himself, determined to be as opposite of his father as possible, he becomes obsessed with control and manliness to the point where he believes that “to show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (28), distancing himself and creating weak family bonds.
As a result, Okonkwo does things that could make his life fall apart. In order to not be “weak” like his father, he is quick to “control his womanfolk” (53), severely beating his youngest wife Ojiugo for neglecting her duties, despite the fact that it is the Week of Peace. Breaking this peace is a sign of disrespect to the gods and threatens the harvest and ultimately Umuofia, which could possibly make others angry with him (once again leading to things falling apart). Also, killing Ikemefuna (because “he was afraid of being thought weak” (61)), could possibly lead to things falling apart because the oldest man in the village warned him not to take part in the boy’s murder because he was like a son to him. His friend Obierika echoes the same statement (leading me to believe that this act is considered a terrible wrong in their culture). Sadly, Okonkwo seems to act impulsively, disregarding the possible consequences, just to escape the fear of being like his father. This fear seems to be a leading factor for things falling apart in his life.
Like Casey, I picked up on the locusts’ relationship to the bible. God set locusts, among other evils, onto the Egyptians in order to force them to let their Israelite slaves free, as Moses demanded. Therefore, given this context, the locusts act as an ominous sign, rather than a joyous presence as the people think since it gives them another source of food (a rare treat). This “black cloud” that descends to Umuofia only foreshadows the destruction and falling that is bound to follow.
Lastly, I just wanted to comment on Achebe’s style, which I very much enjoy. This third person point of view, coated with a story-telling tone, is fluid and very easy to read and comprehend. At the same time, it is permeated with visual imagery and similes. For example, Achebe describes the locusts as “appear[ing] on the horizon a slowly-moving mass like a boundless sheet of black cloud drifting towards Umuofia” (56), helping the reader visualize the action and understand its metaphorical sense as well. I am eager to continue reading this style and to discover how “things fall apart” (as I’m sure they will) in Okonkwo’s life.
Alisha,
I agree and had very similiar thoughts while I was reading Things Fall Apart, too. At first, I also saw the locus cloud as an ominious sign of destruction, but for different reasons than you. Part of the reason was because of his diction, he portrays it negatively at first, but mainly because it reminded me of a storm of grasshoppers.
In another book I read before, a group of grasshoppers appeared and ate all the harvests, leaving the farmers without any crops - both their food and only form of income.
So, I was really confused when they saw it as a rare and happy occasion. But I see now that it really was foreshadowing the dark events that were to occur.
Thats all!!
-Winnie
Thanks for posting Winnie! I’ve been waiting for AGES now... here goes:
Now 16 chapters in, I find it hard to even put the book down. I enjoy learning about the Ibo culture and clans, as well as trying to guess how things will fall apart in Okonkwo’s life. Even though I knew Okonkwo’s life would eventually go downhill, I was surprised when he is exiled for 7 years from the clan. As Michelle mentioned, I found it ironic that Okonkwo commits a “female crime”, contradicting his masculine image. It’s also ironic that he accidentally kills Ezeudu’s son, the same man who warned him about killing Ikemefuna (“ ‘That boy calls you father…Bear no hand in his death.’ ” (121)) Maybe it’s the gods’s (or perhaps Ezeudu’s) way of telling Okonkwo that he wasn’t supposed to kill Ikemefuna. Now he has to suffer in exile for it.
Although I sympathize for Okonkwo being banished from his clan for 7 years, I think his uncle, Uchendu brings up a good point about one’s motherland. Okonkwo should be happy to return since his mother was his comforter and protector, which I would assume is especially true of Okonkwo since he was ashamed of and embarrassed by his father. However, the reader does not know anything about his mother because Okonkwo is determined to be unlike his father and rarely seems to think of his mother, perhaps because in his mind, even though she’s his mother, she’s the weaker of the sexes.
Still, I don’t believe Okonkwo will be content with this new land, even after Uchendu’s warning: “ ‘But if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you, they [his wife and children] will all die in exile’ ” (134). His dream was to become everything his father was not and “to become one of the lords of the clan” (131). Being exiled does not make it likely that he will ever get the opportunity to do so. This problem is only compounded by Nwoye joining the missionaries.
With regards to this incident, I can’t say I am surprised. Okonkwo is too intent upon being a strong male role model, refusing to be weak (like his dad) or to show any emotion but anger. Although his motivations for being this way are understandable, Okonkwo doesn’t realize that he is damaging his relationship with his children, especially his oldest Nwoye (whom he is hardest on). By being so strict and demanding, his children may grow to resent him, like he does to his father, because they have no emotional connection with him. This seems to have happened with Nwoye (which is further worsened by Ikemefuna’s death). He may vow not to be like Okonkwo just like Okonkwo did with Unoka, which perhaps may lead to things falling apart in Nwoye’s life as well.
I had hoped this would change though since Okonkwo’s “softer” side is revealed when Ezinma comes down with fever (iba) and the night when Ezinma is taken by Chielo (who’s possessed by Agbala) to the Hills and the Caves. He is so concerned that he goes to the caves 4 times before finding Ekwefi, now at the point of being “gravely worried” (112). I believe that if Okonkwo does show this compassionate (and human) side of himself to his family, there will be more family unity.
I really can’t wait to find out what happens now, especially with a clash of religions erupting, multiple gods and goddesses v. Christianity. How much more can things fall apart for Okonkwo? Perhaps Ezinma dies since she is allegedly an “ogbanje”, which I’m sure will affect Okonkwo. (What happened that night Chielo took Ezinma?). Or maybe Ekwefi dies since when following Chielo that same night, Chielo cries out “ ‘…may Agbala shave your head with a blunt razor! May he twist your neck until you see your heels’ ” (105)…
To start off, I would like to answer the question, do things fall apart or do we make them fall apart? This question has two answers, depending on what view is taken and who or what we are dealing with. Generally, objects fall apart when it gets old or due to neglect. For people, we have to work hard to keep things from falling apart, for example like keeping your grades up; you won’t fail unless you make yourself fail. Thus, the concept here is people have the power to hold things together or break it apart. Yet, there are also uncontrollable forces that we can’t stop. The forces of nature and accidents are examples that we have no control over. It’s not our fault it rained today and ruined our plans, or it’s not expected than you would end up in a car accident.
Now, so far in the reading, I have found instances of this staying or breaking apart matter. For Okonkwo, since “his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (16), he works hard to try to hold things together, because he didn’t want to be like his father. But because he thought that “to show affection was a sign of weakness” (30), he only demonstrated strength and violence, and this was actually a mistake in holding things apart, because while he’s keeping power from falling apart, his own family and their relationships are falling apart.
There are also things Okonkwo can’t have control over, which is the weather and the wraths of the Gods. Although he worked hard in his garden and made frequent sacrifices to please the Gods, Oknonkwo can’t be guaranteed that things will go his way. Sometimes “rain fell as it had never fallen before” and “for days and nights together it poured down in violent torrents, and washed away the yam heaps” (26). Thus no matter how hard Okonkwo tries to hold everything together, some things will fall apart.
Okay, what’s coming to our tragic hero? He’s falling apart. Before Okonkwo believed that as long as he showed strength, nothing can bring him down. But recently, after the death of Ikemefuma, Okonkwo demonstrated the first sign of softness. Thins isn’t a bad thing, and in no way is it going to make things fall apart for him, but clearly his guilty conscience is making him fall apart. Then now we get to the part where Okonkwo accidentally kills a clansman. Just when things were going smooth again, fate plays a nasty trick on him and he’s therefore exiled for seven years. “Okonkwo, being a man of pride and strength, was “ruled by a great passion- to become one of the lords of the clan” (121). He was so close to achieving it and “then everything had been broken” (121). Yet, it wasn’t his fault that things came to fall apart like this, accidents happen.
Not only is Okonkwo falling apart, but the whole village of Umuofia is also following a similar pattern. When the missionaries came to convert people to Christianity, a couple of violent events occurred and there was no peace for the frustrated Ibos that saw their brothers turn against their own faith and religion to join some unknown white nonsense. Although I agree that some of the Ibo traditions were very sexist, heartless, violent, and cruel, it was sad seeing foreigners come and take over them, making them lose their sense of identity and tradition. Like Okonkwo said, “He has put a knife on things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (162). Yet this was an unstoppable force, the whit people were too powerful in their weapons and thinking.
Finally, I am done with the book. By now, I’ve also discovered a connection between the world of physics and Okonkwo. While contemplating of the question of whether things fall apart or not, I suddenly am reminded with a certain guy. I don’t know if anyone has mention this connection or not because I haven’t read all the 60 comments above me, but if someone does, then I’m here to elaborate on what I think. Okay, here it goes, I believe Okonkwo connects with Sir Isaac Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion. Crazy? But, now I’ll explain why.
In Newton’s first law of motion, it states “that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force”. I imagine Okonkwo as this object. As a child, he was an object at rest until he saw the kind of man his father was, and this was the net force that acted upon him to start moving in a straight line, or the inertia. The inertia is represented as Okonkwo’s determination and strength in pursuing a life different was his father’s. But there are other obstacles that sometimes changes Okonkwo’s direction and speed in life, such as the death of Ikemefuma, his love for his daughter Ezinma, the exile, and the Christians’ impact. All these act like forces to change Okonkwo’s constant velocity, but in the end he still manages to continue on in life, until his death put a complete halt to his journey.
Newton’s second law “explains how the velocity of an object changes when it is subjected to an external force”, also known as the formula of F= m*a (force= mass times acceleration). This is used to apply a more elaborate description of Okonkwo’s forces/ obstacles. The F or force of this formula is represented by these obstacles, and depending on how strong the force is, Okonkwo will have to make up with his strength and determination, kind of like the mass and acceleration that balances out the equation. For example, the death of Ikemefuma was quite a strong force, but Okonkwo worked hard to eventually overcome his emotions and kept things from falling apart.
Now we get to Newton’s most famous quote, his third law of “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. Okonkwo was a man that took many actions, not all very positive. We saw how his temper fluctuates as quickly as lightning and the violent attacks he put on his wives and children. For all these actions he took, he received just as much back, or even more. When he beat his wife because she came home late, he violated the Peace Period and in the end had to pay for it. He killed Ikemefuma and that always stayed with Nwoye, who later ran away to join the Christians, which was a very hard blow to Okonkwo’s pride. The most consequential action happened when Okonkwo committed suicide, by this time, the reaction goes down in how Okonkwo will be remembered as in history; a cowardly “woman”.
At the end of the book, I was a bit angry and disappointed. I was angry that the District Comissioner was already planning to write a book about his experience in Africa, without taking into account that he was imposing his religion and government on innocent people whose lives were being thrown into utter mayhem. Plus, he regarded Okonkwo’s story as “interesting reading” (208), when it is so much more. I was disappointed in Okonkwo for committing suicide. But like Gen and Adrian commented, he couldn’t “outrun his fate” or go against his chi. (Today, some see suicide as a cowardly act, like Michelle mentioned. This makes Okonkwo’s death ironic since he was determinedly masculine to not be thought of as a coward. It’s also ironic because in his culture, dieing this way is shameful—“an abomination” (207)—and he never wanted to bring shame to the clan, but instead be revered and have a warrior’s funeral, like Ezeudu.)
I had hoped that Okonkwo would devise some brilliant coup in order to restore his clan’s authority and drive the white missionaries from his fatherland (but that would be a Disney version wouldn’t it?). I just feel sorry for Okonkwo since, after all his hard work, he failed to fulfill his dream of becoming a lord of the clan. Part of me says Okonkwo committed suicide for this reason and the other part says that it’s because of his sorrow at his clan’s changing ways and loss of tradition. After “he wiped his machete on the sand and went away” (205), after killing a white missionary and hearing his fellow clansmen whisper “ ‘Why did he do it?’ ” (205), Okonkwo seems to realize that he has lost the fight (things have completely fallen apart). He’s defeated because his clan will never be the same again—they no longer have the warrior instincts that Okonkwo claims they had before. They won’t fight these missionaries who pose a threat to their culture and traditions and who have jailed their leaders (Okonkwo was among these men and “was choked with hate” (195) at being abused and degraded by the missionaries).
Throughout the novel, I’ve noticed struggles between Okonkwo’s people and their traditions. In this situation, it appears that, in a way, Okonkwo kills himself because his people’s traditions and religion have been attacked, and well…almost killed… since the missionaries have persuaded members of the Ibo culture that they worship false deities, pointing out its flaws/faults (like not dieing in the “evil forest” after 28 days) and turning their brothers against them.
When Obierika says “How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us?” (177), it’s evident that the people are struggling with their tradition because they believe killing a clansman is a heinous crime, but at the same time, they realize that something needs to be done about the intruding foreigners. I myself am torn with this because I believe that people should have the right to make their own decisions, as Nwoye did, but I don’t approve of turning against one’s own brother (unless one is beyond justified in doing so).
At the same time, although Okonkwo seems to be fervently opposed to disobeying his culture’s traditions, he himself defies his gods (earlier in the novel) by following Chielo after she took Ezinma, as does Ekwefi because they have a “companionship of equals” (77)—they’re more than mother and daughter. By following Chielo, both knowing it may displease the gods, the reader sees their unwavering love to Ezinma. This seems like Okonkwo is a hypocrite then, but I don’t think this is the case at all. The only thing I can conclude is that perhaps Achebe is trying to point out that love is very strong, sometimes even stronger than one’s allegiance to his/her traditions or religion.
This leads to the theme of the importance of family. I especially like the Ibo culture because of their devotion to maintaining extended family relationships and their notion that “We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do” (167). However, I was a little taken aback by their custom of killing twins (My feelings were summed up by Obierika’s thought “What crime had they committed?” (125).) and by Ikemefuna’s death, which both Obierika and Nwoye questioned (going back to the theme of struggling with one’s tradition/culture).
Anyways, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it opened my eyes to another culture and shed light on the complex issue of white imperialism, reporting the natives’s account, which many may not be familiar with.
By comparing Okonkwo and his father Unoka's characters in the first 3 chapters of Things Fall Apart, I believe that author Chinua Achebe is trying to foreshadow an ironic situation that will happen later on in the story. Before I even read one word of this book, its title caught my eye. After reading the first few chapters, I have been able to paint a better picture of what the title means in the context of the story. My prediction (I did not read any other comments and I do not claim in any way to know that I am right) is that the Umuofia clan that Okonkwo is part of which is prospering under his hard work in the beginning of the book will later meet its demise in some way.
Okonkwo's father is portrayed in this story as a "weak" character both physically and emotionally. As Okonkwo recounts, Unoka was always afraid of fighting and the sight of blood. He was also not a very good farmer, never having a good harvest, which often left his family very poor. In addition, Unoka was horrible with money itself, having not been able to profit from the amounts that he borrowed. At one point, Okonkwo even refers to his father as a coward.
As an almost complete foil to Unoka, Okonkwo is strong in almost every way imaginable. He is a fierce warrior, having defeated many enemies over the years. He actually saves the heads of his enemies as souvenirs of his victories. Okonkwo is also a very industrious farmer, working hard to support a relatively large family.
The irony that I believe Achebe is trying to foreshadow is that the Umuofia clan with Unoka, who was "weak" in every way survived and stayed together, while the same clan, under the strong (but unofficial) leadership of Okonkwo will actually fall apart.
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Okonkwo’s tragic flaw leads to a very ironic series of events, which in turn brings about Okonkwo’s downfall. After Mbaino, a village near Iguedo, agrees to give the Umuofia clan Ikemefuna, a 15-year old boy, as compensation for a murder that one of its men committed, Okonkwo’s family begins to care for the boy. Ikemefuna and Okonkwo become very close and the boy shows his affection by calling Okonkwo as father, but Okonkwo doesn’t express his love for the child.
A few years later, a village elder named Ogbuefi Ezeudu tells Okonkwo that Ikemefuna must be killed. Because the boy had lived with Okonkwo’s family, the elders decide that it is best if he does not take part in his murder or even witness it. Instead, a few other men would take the boy a good distance away from the village and kill him out of sight.
When Ikemefuna is attacked by the men, he manages to escape and get to Okonkwo. Scared, he desperately asks Okonkwo for help. In this situation, Okonkwo tries to do the right thing when the right thing cannot be done. If he kills the boy, he would have defied the elder’s wishes in that he not participate in the taking of the boys life. However, if he decides to help save the boys life, he would have also defied the elder’s and even the oracle’s wishes, which could jeopardize not only his family’s reputation but also his own life. Okonkwo, decides that he must kill the boy and does so, which antagonizes Ogbuefi. His decision to kill the boy is Okonkwo’s tragic flaw.
After this event, Okonkwo becomes deeply depressed and his downfall begins. When Ogbuefi becomes ill due to old age, he decides that he must attend the elder’s funeral to honor him. It would be the least that he could do since he was feeling guilty for going against the elder’s wishes. During the ceremony, ironically, Okonkwo fires his gun to salute the elder, but the gun malfunctions and accidentally kills the elder’s teenage son in the process, compounding to his misfortunes. Because Okonkwo has killed a member of his own village and clan, he is exiled with his family, and all of his possessions are destroyed to purge the village of his horrible sin.
I know that I am not suppose to post cconsecutive comments, but I think everyone else has finished this book and this is the last book I read so here goes.
After finishing the book, I realized that the prediction that I made in an earlier comment was too broad. Instead of the clan crumbling, it is actually specifically, Okonkwo himself who “falls apart” as a result of his tragic flaw. In physics (I think I’m the first to do this not 100% sure), the study of thermodynamics states that any natural process tends to increase the entropy (chaos/disorder) of a given system.
Although it is arguable, whether Okonkwo’s life should be considered a natural process, this law of thermodynamics connects well with the events of his life. In the beginning of the story, Okonkwo’s life was very organized. He was a very good provider for his family and also a very skilled warrior. Everything in his life seemed to fall in place exactly where it was suppose to. However, as his life progressed, naturally, he meets new people and his life becomes more complicated. After the encounter with the people of Mbaino the chaos in his life began to increase. Ikemefuna, himself adds to Okonkwo’s responsibilities, which leads to more disarray in his organized life. When Okonkwo has to kill Ikemefuna, first hand, the disorder increases from that point on irreversibly and culminate in his suicide after a failed attempt at a rebellion against the “white men,” who tried to convert many tribesmen to Christianity. Okonkwo’s suicide adheres to the law of thermodynamics in two ways. Literally, it increases the entropy of the molecules of his body, which no longer has metabolism to stay together. On a deeper level, by ending his life, Okonkwo leaves his people in disorder without a leader (which is again ironic because he very much loathed his father for doing the same). Okonkwo who actively sought order in his life could not overcome the natural process of the increase in entropy. Ultimately, his life confirms the fact that things do indeed fall apart.
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