Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe (1930 - 2013)

  Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. I have read the story several times and believe me when i say it was worth it. I thought i should share it with you, so, enjoy!

Summary

The novel follows the life of a Nigerian man, Okonkwo. Okonkwo lives in a group of nine villages. The villages are ruled by a counsel of elders. Okonkwo is one of the respected leaders of his village. He is also a wrestling champion. Both his wrestling and his leadership role are driven by his shame about his father, who left a lot of debts unpaid when he died, and who Okonkwo viewed as too feminine.

When a man from a neighboring village kills one of the women from Okonkwo's village, a peace settlement requires the son of the man who killed the woman to come live in Okonkwo's village. Okonkwo himself takes the boy in and they develop a strong bond.

Unfortunately, a decision is made to kill the boy. One of the village elders, Ezeudu, warns Okonkwo not to assist with killing the boy. Determined not to seem like a coward, especially because of his father's legacy, Okonkwo kills the boy himself with a machete. The boy's death is like a bad omen. After the boy dies, Okonkwo accidentally kills Ezeudu's son. For his crime, the village determines he must spend seven years in exile to appease the gods.

During his exile, white missionaries arrive in the village. When Okonkwo finally returns, the white men have thoroughly infiltrated his village. Okonkwo helps destroy a Christian church, only to be arrested by the white government.

Some of the villagers, including Okonkwo, want to stage an uprising against the village. He even kills one of the white men. After he does so, he realizes that the other villages have changed too much. They will not fight the white men off. Unable to live with his revelation, Okonkwo kills himself. This is a very important moment in the novel, because according to Okonkwo's traditional beliefs, suicide is not allowed. Okonkwo's desperation about his changing village is staggering if it can outweigh his strict adherence to the traditional ways.

At the end of the novel, a white commissioner, upon learning about Okonkwo's rebellion and suicide, notes that it will make an interesting paragraph in the book he is writing about 'The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.'

One major theme of this story is 'The Destructive Effect of Colonization'.

Tell me what you think of the Hero, Okonkwo.