Things Fall Apart Study Guide Next

Summary

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Created by

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Things Fall Apart: Introduction

A concise biography of Chinua Achebe plus historical and literary context for Things Fall

Apart.

Things Fall Apart: Plot Summary

A quick-reference summary: Things Fall Apart on a single page.

Things Fall Apart: Detailed Summary & Analysis

In-depth summary and analysis of every chapter of Things Fall Apart. Visual

theme-tracking, too.

Things Fall Apart: Themes

Explanations, analysis, and visualizations of Things Fall Apart's themes.

Things Fall Apart: Quotes

Things Fall Apart's important quotes, sortable by theme, character, or chapter.

Things Fall Apart: Characters

Description, analysis, and timelines for Things Fall Apart's characters.

Things Fall Apart: Symbols

Explanations of Things Fall Apart's symbols, and tracking of where they appear.

Things Fall Apart: Literary Devices

Things Fall Apart's key literary devices explained and sortable by chapter.

Things Fall Apart: Theme Wheel

An interactive data visualization of Things Fall Apart's plot and themes.

Brief Biography of Chinua Achebe

Achebe was raised by his parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria.

Although his parents were Protestant and practiced the Christian faith, Achebe and his

siblings were also exposed to traditional Igbo culture, which included a heavy emphasis

on storytelling. Achebe excelled in school and began writing stories as a university

student. After graduation, he worked first as an English teacher in the town of Oba. Later,

he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS) in the metropolis of Lagos. He

published and gained worldwide attention for Things Fall Apart in 1958. Over the next

several decades, Achebe was involved in a mix of academia and Nigerian politics,

publishing a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections and splitting

his time between Nigeria and the United States until 1990, when he returned to the US

after a car accident left him partially disabled. Achebe continued to publish and held a

faculty position at Brown University from 2009 until his death in 2013.

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Historical Context of Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart is set in 1890, during the early days of colonialism in Nigeria. Achebe

depicts Igbo society in transition, from its first contact with the British colonialists to the

growing dominance of British rule over the indigenous people. Literary works about this

period often painted stereotypical portraits of native Africans as primitives—even works

that were critical of the European colonizers, such as Heart of Darkness by Joseph

Conrad depicted Africans as savages who were both oppressed by and excited the

savagery of white Christian Europeans (see “Joseph Conrad: ‘A Bloody Racist'” below).

Achebe's novel is a response to these colonialist works of literature—Things Fall Apart is

a postcolonial novel that strives to revise previous stereotypes by portraying both

cultures with a neutral eye, focusing on the complexity of Igbo traditions.

Other Books Related to Things Fall Apart

While Achebe was working on Things Fall Apart, he had very few models of African

fiction written in English. Two notable exceptions were Amos Tutuola's Palm-Wine

Drinkard and Cyprian Ekwensi's People of the City. However, though Achebe

appreciated the work of these fellow Nigerian writers, he worked to develop a style of his

own. In 1962, Achebe also had the opportunity to attend a conference with several

contemporary African writers in English, including Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor, Nigerian

playwright and poet Wole Soyinka, and US poet Langston Hughes. At the conference,

Achebe was asked to read a student's manuscript, and impressed with the work, he

forwarded it to an agent. The student was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, who is now a widely

recognized Kenyan writer, and the manuscript was his first published work, Weep Not,

Child.

Key Facts about Things Fall Apart

●​ Full Title: Things Fall Apart

●​ When Written: 1957

●​ Where Written: Nigeria

●​ When Published: 1958

●​ Literary Period: Post-colonialism

●​ Genre: Novel / Tragedy

●​ Setting: Pre-colonial Nigeria, 1890s

●​ Climax: Okonkwo's murder of a court messenger

 ●​ Antagonist: Missionaries and White Government Officials (Reverend Smith and

the District Commissioner)

●​ Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for Things Fall Apart

Joseph Conrad: “A Bloody Racist”. Chinua Achebe delivered a lecture and critique on

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, calling Conrad “a bloody racist” and provoking

controversy among critics and readers. However, Achebe's criticism of Conrad has

become a mainstream perspective on Conrad's work and was even included in the 1988

Norton critical edition of Heart of Darkness.

Achebe as Politician. Achebe expressed his political views often in writing, but he also

involved himself actively in Nigerian politics when he became the People's Redemption

Party's deputy national vice-president in the early 1980's. However, he soon resigned

himself in frustration with the corruption he witnessed during the elections.

Things Fall Apart Summary Next

Chapter 1

Literary devices:

Genre

Mood
 Satire

Setting

Style

Tone

View all

As a young man, Okonkwo becomes one of the greatest wrestlers in the clan. Okonkwo

values strength and aggression, traits he believes are masculine, and his worst fear is to

be thought of as feminine or weak, like his father, Unoka.

Okonkwo's wealth and status within the tribe grow, and he becomes one of the greatest

men in the land, with three wives and a large stock of yams. He treats his family with a

heavy hand, believing that the only emotion worth showing is anger. Okonkwo is

particularly worried about his eldest son, Nwoye, in whom he sees signs of laziness

reminiscent of Unoka.

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One day, the clan settles an argument with a neighboring village by demanding the

sacrifice of a virgin and a 15-year-old boy named Ikemefuna, who lives with Okonkwo's

family for the next three years.

While living with Okonkwo's family, Ikemefuna becomes very close to Nwoye, sharing

folktales and encouraging him to enjoy masculine tasks. Okonkwo approves of his

influence on Nwoye and grows fond of Ikemefuna himself. Ikemefuna soon starts to call

Okonkwo “father.”

After three years, when the oldest man of the tribe, Ezeudu, informs Okonkwo that

Ikemefuna must be killed, he advises him not to participate in the killing, since “the boy

calls you father.” Okonkwo ignores this advice, fearing that others will find him weak or

effeminate, and he proceeds to strike the killing blow when they take Ikemefuna out to be

killed the next day.

Soon, Ezeudu passes away, and his funeral celebration draws the entire clan. During the

burial, Okonkwo's gun explodes, killing Ezeudu's 16-year-old son. Having killed a fellow

clansman, Okonkwo has no choice but to flee the clan with his family. Because the crime

is a “female,” or accidental, crime, they may return in seven years.

During their time in exile, Okonkwo and his family work hard to start a new farm in

Okonkwo's motherland, Mbanta. His mother's kinsmen treat them kindly, but Okonkwo is

extremely discouraged by the circumstances. He plans for the day he can return to his

rightful place in Umuofia.

While he works in Mbanta, the white men begin to appear among neighboring clans,

causing stories to spread about their power and destruction. When they finally arrive in

Mbanta though, the clan is fascinated but finds their religion ridiculous. Nwoye, however,

is captivated by the hymn he hears on the first day, and soon joins the Christians to get

away from his father, who is outraged.

When Okonkwo finally returns to Umuofia, the white men have changed his clan as well.

Mr. Brown, a white missionary who is popular for his patience and understanding

approach, has built a school and hospital, and many clan members are enrolling their

children in the school so that they can one day become clerks or teachers. However,

soon after Okonkwo's return, Mr. Brown leaves the country due to health reasons, and

Reverend Smith replaces him.

Reverend Smith is uncompromising, encouraging acts among the converted clan

members that provoke the rest of the clan. When Enoch, a fanatical convert, rips the

mask off of one of the clan's masked egwugwu during a ceremony, the clan retaliates by

burning down the church. Reverend Smith reports this transgression, and the District

Commissioner tricks the clan's leaders into meeting with him before handcuffing them.

The clan leaders, including Okonkwo, suffer insults and beatings before they are

released once the village pays the fine.

 The morning after their release, the clan leaders speak of war before they are interrupted

by the arrival of court messengers. Full of hate, Okonkwo confronts the leader, who says

that the white man commands the meeting to stop. In a flash, Okonkwo strikes down the

messenger with his machete. Seeing that none of his clansmen support him in his violent

action, Okonkwo walks away and hangs himself.

When the District Commissioner comes to fetch Okonkwo the next day, the clansmen

lead him to his hanging body instead, saying that they cannot touch it, since it's an

abomination for a man to take his own life. The District Commissioner finds this custom

interesting, making note of it for his book on Nigeria, which he plans to title The

Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the

Tradition vs. Change Next

Theme Analysis Fate vs. Free

Will

Themes and Colors

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Things Fall Apart, which you can use to track the
themes throughout the work.

The novel's title is a quote from a poem by the Irish poet W.B. Yeats called "The Second

Coming": "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the
world.” Much of the novel centers on Umuofia traditions of marriage, burial, and harvest.

Achebe's decision to use a third-person narrator instead of writing the book from

Okonkwo's perspective demonstrates just how central the idea of tradition is to the book,

since the third-person narrator can more objectively describe facets of Umuofia

society—their love of proverbs or how they make judicial decisions, for example—to the

reader than Okonkwo could as an insider to these rituals. As the quote in the epigraph

suggests, though, these traditions that form the center of Umuofia society cannot survive

in the face of major changes occurring around them. As the white men enter the clans

and impose their world order upon them, Umuofia society spirals apart.

Okonkwo and his son Nwoye also symbolize tradition and change, respectively.

Okonkwo's character represents tradition, since he holds conventional ideas of rank,

reputation, and masculinity in high esteem. As the book progresses, however, Okonkwo

begins to fall out of favor with the clans, and his descent signals the crumbling of

traditional Umuofia society. His adherence to tradition also drives him to kill his own

surrogate son, Ikemefuna, driving away Nwoye in the process. Nwoye feels cold when he

contemplates certain aspects of Umuofia society—such as leaving infant twins out to die

and the idea of sacrificing innocents like Ikemefuna—and this pushes him to join the

Christians when he's given the chance later in the novel.

Fate vs. Free Will Next

Theme Analysis Language

Themes and Colors

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Things Fall Apart, which you can use to track the
themes throughout the work.

From the start, Okonkwo's will seems to drive his ascent in Umuofia society. He rises

from being the son of a debtor to being one of the leaders of the clan, thanks to his hard

work and aggression. He becomes known for his wrestling prowess, and we are told that

this cannot be attributed to luck: “At the most one could say that his chi or personal god

was good. But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes

also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his chi agreed.”

However, once things start turning sour for Okonkwo, he begins to blame his fate. This

begins with Ikemefuna's death. Ikemefuna, along with the infant twins of the novel,

represent the most straightforward victims—they aren't given a chance to act, but are

instead acted upon violently. (“The ill-fated lad was called Ikemefuna.”) Okonkwo blames

the Oracle for his part in murdering Ikemefuna, though it could be argued—and is argued

by the clan's oldest member, Ezeudu, and by Okonkwo's neighbor Obierika—that he had

a choice in whether to take part or not. Later, when Okonkwo's gun splinters and he

accidentally kills one of Ezeudu's sons, Okonkwo faces exile. Although his crops do well

in the neighboring clan and he is allowed to return in seven years, Okonkwo is

completely discouraged by the experience, and we find a reversal of the earlier quote: “A

man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. The saying of the elders was not

true—that if a man said yea his chi also affirmed. Here was a man whose chi said nay

despite his own affirmation.”

 Language Next

Theme Analysis Masculinity

Themes and Colors

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Things Fall Apart, which you can use to track the
themes throughout the work.

Language is a vital part of Umuofia society. Strong orators like Ogbuefi Ezeugo are

celebrated and given honorable burials. Because clan meetings are so important for

organization and decision-making, these speakers play an important role for society.

Storytelling is also a form of education for the clan—whether they're masculine war

stories or feminine fables, storytelling defines different roles for clan members and moves

them to action. Even western religion takes hold because of story and song: when

Nwoye first hears a hymn, it marks the beginning of his transition from clan member to

Christian.

The white District Commissioner also notes the importance of language to the Umuofia,

but in a less generous light. When speaking with Obierika, he thinks: “One of the most

infuriating habits of these people was their love of superfluous words,” suggesting both

the white men's condescension towards the Umuofia and how white language and
culture will come to overtake that of Umuofia. At the end of the novel, the District

Commissioner mentions the title of the book he plans to write about his experiences in

Nigeria: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger. The District

Commissioner's proposed title here is itself wordy and grandiose—i.e. superfluous. But

what distinguishes it from the Umuofia language is that it's book-learned—and it will be

written down. The ability to read and write in English begins to represent power, as the

white men provide more financial incentives for learning their language and more clan

members choose to enroll in their schools.

Achebe's decision to transcribe several words from the Igbo language throughout the

novel takes back some of this power, however, by suggesting that there are African ideas

that cannot be adequately described in English. Achebe also uses repetition and idioms

to create a more African style while writing in English. To add to this, what colonial rule

and education unwittingly gave Nigerians was a common language with which to

communicate with one another—by writing in English, Achebe is telling a story that

people across Nigeria can comprehend, and by shaping it to his purposes, Achebe is

claiming what was originally imposed.

Masculinity Next

Theme Analysis Religion

Themes and Colors

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Things Fall Apart, which you can use to track the
themes throughout the work.

Okonkwo dedicates himself to being as masculine as possible, and through his rise to

become a powerful man of his tribe and subsequent fall both within the tribe and in the

eyes of his son Nwoye, the novel explores the idea of masculinity. Okonkwo believes in

traditional gender roles, and it pains him that his son Nwoye is not more aggressive like

he is. As a result, it's revealing that he expresses the wish that his daughter Ezinma were

a boy—from this we know how fond he is of her. Additionally, in a meeting towards the

very beginning of the book, Okonkwo insults a man without title by calling him a woman,

demonstrating how much masculinity is valued when ranking those in Umuofia society.

Ultimately, though, Okonkwo's adherence to masculinity and aggression leads to his fall

in society—he becomes brittle and unable to bend with the changes taking place in his

clan. In keeping with this principle of masculinity, Okonkwo forces himself to kill his own

surrogate son, murder the white man against his better judgment, and hang himself

before a punishment can be imposed by others. Okonkwo's aggression makes him weak

in the end—it leaves him with no room to maneuver against the more subtle ways of the

white man.

Nwoye struggles with this idea of masculinity, as he wants to please his father by being

aggressive and traditional, but ultimately, he's repelled by the violence in Umuofia rituals

and joins the Christians. Nwoye's departure can also be linked to this idea from

Okonkwo's uncle, Uchendu, after the family is exiled from Umuofia: “'It's true that a child
 belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's

hut.'” Likewise, after being beaten by his father, Nwoye leaves to seek solace in the more

feminine and seemingly gentle Christian religion.

Religion Next

Theme Analysis Quotes

Themes and Colors

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Things Fall Apart, which you can use to track the
themes throughout the work.

Religion is the main arena where both cultural differences and similarities play out at the

end of the novel. Religion represents order in both societies, but they manifest differently.

While religion in Umuofia society is based on agriculture, religion is seen as education in

the white man's world. As a result, the gods in Umuofia society are more fearsome, since

clan members are at the mercy of natural cycles for their livelihood. Mr. Brown, the white

missionary, condemns this idea of fearing your god, but in fact the white man's religion

takes root using fear tactics as well. When clan members break certain laws or displease

the white men, they're locked up, starved, and beaten.

The dialogue between one of the clan leaders of a neighboring tribe, Akunna, and Mr.

Brown reveals how much both systems of religion have in common. Akunna agrees, for

example, that their wooden carvings of deities are just that—wooden carvings—but he

likens it to the figure of Mr. Brown: he's also just a conduit or symbol for the western God.

Akunna expresses what the narrator has already suggested—that the Umuofia people

only pretend to believe in certain aspects of their religion, such as the masked gods who

are really tribe members wearing masks. This dialogue about religion does a lot to carry

out Achebe's mission of depicting Nigerian society as one that's far from

primitive—depicting it instead as a culture with mythologies and rituals and an

understanding of the mythologies behind those rituals. It's also one of the moments when

more similarities than differences are stressed between the two cultures.

Religion also returns us to the Yeats poem quoted in the epigraph. The poem uses plenty

of ominous Biblical language in describing an apocalyptic scenario, which parallels the

situation in the novel where religion is the vehicle for the fall of Umuofia society. Western

religion breaks order in the Umuofia society by taking in outcasts and clan members

without title and giving them power. By taking power away from the clan's authorities,

western religion destroys the clan's old methods of justice and order, creating an

apocalyptic scenario for the clan's former way of life.

R
 Things Fall Apart Characters Next

Okonkwo

Okonkwo

The novel's main character and an influential clan leader, Okonkwo fears becoming an

unsuccessful, weak man like his father, Unoka. As a result, Okonkwo is hardworking and

aggressive, traits that bring him fame and… read analysis of Okonkwo

Nwoye

Nwoye is Okonkwo's eldest son. Nwoye resembles his grandfather Unoka, in that he's drawn to

gentleness and music, even though he recognizes that his father disapproves. This tension

between Okonkwo and Nwoye leads to… read analysis of Nwoye

Ikemefuna

Ikemefuna is the ill-fated boy the Mbaino sacrifice to Umuofia in order to prevent war. Ikemefuna

is unaware that his father had a hand in killing one of the daughters of Umuofia and doesn't

understand… read analysis of Ikemefuna

Ogbuefi Ezeudo
Ezeudo is oldest man in the village and a great orator. He warns Okonkwo not to take part in the

killing of Ikemefuna, but Okonkwo pays no heed. Ezeudo passes away shortly afterwards, and…

read analysis of Ogbuefi Ezeudo

Ekwefi
Ekwefi is Okonkwo's second wife and the mother of Ezinma. Once the village beauty, Ekwefi ran

away from her first husband to live with Okonkwo. Ezinma is her only surviving child, and the

two… read analysis of Ekwefi

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Ezinma

Ezinma is Okonkwo's eldest daughter and Ekwefi's only child to survive past infancy. Ezinma

resembles her mother who was once the village beauty. She understands her father well, and he

in turn wishes that she… read analysis of Ezinma

Mr. Brown

Mr. Brown, the first white missionary to travel to Umuofia, institutes a policy of respect and

compromise between the church and the clansmen. He engages in long religious discussions

with Akunna in order to understand… read analysis of Mr. Brown

Reverend James Smith

Reverend Smith replaces Mr. Brown after the latter departs for health reasons. Unlike Mr. Brown,

Reverend Smith is impatient and strict, showing no respect for indigenous customs or culture. He

criticizes the way Mr. Brown… read analysis of Reverend James Smith

District Commissioner

The District Commissioner shows up in Umuofia after Okonkwo murders a white man towards the

end of the novel. The District Commissioner plans to write a book on his experiences in Nigeria,

and the title… read analysis of District Commissioner

Minor Characters

Unoka

Unoka is Okonkwo's father. Though a talented musician in life, he was also lazy and

irresponsible, accumulating many debts. Unoka dies a shameful death, still in debt and without

title. His death haunts Okonkwo, who vows to hate everything that his father loved, including

gentleness and idleness.

Obierika

Obierika is Okonkwo's close friend. He questions clan tradition at times, choosing not to take part

in the killing of Ikemefuna, for example, and wondering why Okonkwo's accidental crime should

merit exile for seven years. He helps Okonkwo by selling his yams and visiting him in exile.
 Akunna

Akunna, a respected man of the clan, discusses religious beliefs with Mr. Brown. During these

discussions, Akunna brings up some striking similarities between their methods of worship.

Uchendu

Uchendu is the younger brother of Okonkwo's mother. Uchendu attempts to reassure Okonkwo

after he arrives with his family in Mbanta, advising him to be grateful for the comfort his

motherland offers.

Enoch

Enoch is a fanatical convert to the Christian church in Umuofia. While Mr. Brown disapproves of

Enoch's blatant disrespect for Igbo traditions, Reverend Smith encourages Enoch's provocative

behavior.

Chielo

Chielo is a widow who also serves as a priestess in Umuofia. She is dedicated to the Oracle of

the goddess Agbala. Chielo is friends with Ekwefi and cares for Ezinma, whom she calls “my

daughter.”

Nwakibie

Nwakibie, a wealthy clansman, lends Okonkwo 800 seed-yams when Okonkwo is still young,

helping him build the beginnings of his personal wealth and status. However, the year that

Nwakibie lends Okonkwo the seed-yams turns out to be the worst year for harvest in living

memory.

Previous
Quotes

Things Fall Apart Symbols Next

Yams

Yams

Towards the beginning of the novel, Achebe's narrator refers to yam as “the king of crops,”

emphasizing both its importance in Umuofia society and its masculine status. The clan's year

is divided according to the… read analysis of Yams

Fire

Okonkwo and his fellow clansmen liken him to a “Roaring Flame”—aggressive, powerful, and

strong-willed. For Okonkwo, these are all positive, masculine traits, and he laments the fact

that his son Nwoye doesn't possess the same… read analysis of Fire