Things Fall Apart Study Guide

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart, a novel, follows the life of African man Okonkwo, who lives in the village of Umuofia. As a young man, Okonkwo seeks to distinguish himself, and through hard work becomes a leader in his village. When white men invade his village, Okonkwo wants to fight and drive them out. He soon realizes that the old values and customs he has lived by are disappearing, driving him to despair in this classic exploration of masculinity and the conflict between tradition and change.

Once Okonkwo and the other leaders are released and return to the village, they start planning revenge. The most anxious and enthusiastic man is, of course, Okonkwo, who has been waiting for this day since he was exiled. The only thing he wants is to show his courage and fighting skills to the clansmen. The villagers gather and discuss the issues. Okonkwo becomes the leader of the rebellion killing the leader of the court messengers who tried to hinder the uprising. He thinks he gets back his honor with this act but he has to realize that the threat of the court messengers has frightened the clansmen: they are not going to fight. Okonkwo leaves the village.

You'll need to sign up to view the entire study guide.

Sign Up Now, It's FREE
Source: WikiSummaries, released under the GNU Free Documentation License 1.2
Filter Your Search Results: