Chinua Achebe

stick, though turned to the ground, has its flame drawn upwards" (Pandita). The metaphor mentioned in this quote, one that compares a struggling man to surviving flame, is not unlike the character of Okonkwo in the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo was an honored member of an African clan, the Igbo, who lived his life with one goal: strength. Okonkwo pushed himself to be the essence of masculinity and power in every facet of his life, which left him constantly simmering and…

Consequences are the negative or positive outcomes, resulting from an action. Citizens all over the world make many decisions every day and take actions that result in repercussions that they may not have even imagined in their lives and the lives of others. Characters in literature also make split-second decisions, leading to events that may either benefit or harm them. The characters Okonkwo and Paul from Things Fall Apart and Hotel Rwanda, clearly express many examples of such actions and the…

Although there are many incidents of sacrifice in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the boldest ones are the aspects of sacrifice in Igbo culture, and Okonkwo’s reasons for being extremely masculine. Sacrifice is largely shown in the book, as it the center point for most events. As the Igbo culture has numerous specific traditions, many include rituals of sacrifice. The sacrifices can span from fruit to animals to people. The Igbo people saw these as spiritual symbols- they believed that the…

Chinua Achebe’s short story “Marriage Is a Private Affair” was written in 1952 and it talks about the conflict between Nnaemeka and his father, Okeke, because of Nnaemeka’s choice to marry Nene, a woman who did not come from their tribe and is pursuing a career in teaching (which Okeke believes that it violates the teachings of the Bible). The conflict between Okeke and Nnaemeka lasted for eight years, and the couple had to endure the oppositions of Okeke and the Ibo tribe (the tribe where…

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe explores the complex social structure of Ibo culture. Taking place in Nigeria during the turn of the eighteenth century, Achebe shows how women were both revered and oppressed. Held in high esteem by worship, connection to god, and societal customs; the Ibo women were oppressed by power structures The most revered gods of the Ibo culture were women. As a sign of respect, the Ibo celebrated[PER1] “[t]he Feast of the New Yam was held every year……

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Ikemefuna hails from the village of Mbaino and he arrives in Iguedo on an agreement between the two villages to prevent a war from breaking out. The first year in Iguedo was tough for him. He missed his family, and he refuses to eat for the first few days. Eventually, he opens up to Okonkwo and starts to forget about his former family. Okonkwo begins to appreciate and accept Ikemefuna like his own son until he is chosen for a sacrificial ritual. Ikemefuna’s…

Achebe discovered his passion for writing while in a tertiary institution. He was admitted to the university to Ibadan after meeting the cut-off mark. He was placed to study medicine and surgery as a result of his high grades in the entrance examination as the school normally does. He rejected the offer and requested to study literature which he had loved since childhood. His request for opting to liberal arts was accepted by the school. During his course of study, he found literature even more…

General Questions- What is the basic idea? In Things Fall Apart, the basic idea is that historic African cultures have been portrayed wrongly in European literature and Achebe sets out to present the African culture of the Igbo people in its true form to both Africans and Europeans. What is universal about the ideas in the book? The ideas in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart are universally held because they all relate to the corruption of a man and his culture. The corruption of the culture is…

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, a story about the culture on the verge of change as the Europeans came and took away the beliefs of the Igbos. Achebe describes the different reactions of the villagers as some were excited for the new opportunities the missionaries brought and the others that feared the loss of social status and traditions. The European influence threatens to eliminate the traditions that were crucial to life. The story deals with the character Okonkwo and how the change…

Chinua Achebe is “widely considered to be the father of modern African literature” (Achebe, 1959) he has multiple literatures describing the societal features in Africa, and is best known for his trilogy including Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer at Ease. Although Achebe adequately depicts the traditionally African society to the western world in these novels, he may not have depicted the entirety of the society accurately. Focusing on Things Fall Apart, this short review will…