Things Fall Apart is “a tale grounded in folklore rather than a novel.”M.S. Bynum, Library Journal

Things Fall Apart is “a authentic native document, guiless and unsophisticated.”R.C. Healy, New York Herald Tribune Book Review

“Here are all the primitive rites, the witchcraft and superstitious savagery as more as the more acceptable facets of heathen existence.”The Christian Science Monitor

“Primitvism”by style, “Europeanized” in tone.

In 1964, Achebe stated his goal for the novel was as follows:

“to help my society regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of the years of denigration and self-abasement. . . . I would be quite satisfied if my novels . . . did no more than teach my [African] readers that their past — with all its imperfections — was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God's behalf delivered them.”

Achebe’s

Goals

Destroy Stereotypes

Recognize Western

arrogance

Help to understand

the two sides of Africa

Respect Igbo people as complex,

thinking people with traditions

Accurately tell the African story

Introductions to World Literature: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

What did we learn?

Civilization:Organized government, language, communication, military, artOn a spectrum from least to most civilized, Africa countries and America were listed.

Social Change:Results from minority politics, race relations, war, tragedyFashion, Sports teams

Gender Roles:Historically stereotypical; based in ideas of supremacy rather than equality.Men and women observe separate spaces; boys wear blue, girls wear pink; effeminate men are gay, masculine women are lesbian.

Stereoptypes:Unfairly help most people judge others. Expose insecurities with identity.Black people drink Kool-Aid; White people are racist; Can’t give a Jew gold; Asians cannot drive

Nigeria:Coastal west African country, tropical climate. Live in huts in the middle of the jungle, clicking noises, sacrifice people, rural with no urbanization

• Technology, Engineering, & Design

• Conferences encouraging the world’s leading thinkers and intellectuals from these three major industries to come together and share their insights

• Since its inception in 1984, TED has spread to encompass multiple conferences, initiatives, and programs, attracting some of today’s most influential voices under the motto of sharing “ideas worth spreading.”

• TEDtalks grew out of this popularity giving these “ideas” a platform: the speaker must give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.

If you could talk to a convention of people for 18 minutes…what would you say?

The Danger of a Single Story

July 2009

Chimamanda Adichie

Achebe’s

Goals

Destroy Stereoty

pes

Recognize Western

arrogance

Help to understand Africa’s notion of duality

Respect Ibo

people as complex, thinking people with

traditions

Accurately tell the African story

The Danger of a Single Story

July 2009

1. Early reader/writer: ginger beer, snow, apples.

10. Alice Walker reading to family: “paradise regained.”

1. Shows how vulnerable we are to stories.

10. When we are offered more nuanced stories, that is when happiness/fulfillment is found.

Outline of the Speech

1. Early reader/writer: ginger beer, snow, apples.

2. Fide and poverty: talent3. American roommate, lack of

complexity.4. Western Literature: Locke

and Kipling5. Professor and African

Authenticity6. Mexico and immigration

debate7. Nkali: Power8. Stereotypes: true but

incomplete9. Achebe’s “balance of stories10.Alice Walker reading to

family: “paradise regained.”

1. Shows how vulnerable we are to stories.2. Shows how susceptible we are to

proliferating stories3. Shows how passive people can be in

accepting stories4. There is an established African single

story5. Single stories aren’t easy to change6. As consumers of stories we need to be

conscious of what we believe7. Despite imbalances of power, we can

focus on commonalities8. Expanding stories is a challenge, but we

can begin by completing what is there9. Just in adding another perspective, we

are given a fuller picture10.When we are offered more nuanced

stories, that is when happiness/fulfillment is found.

Outline of the Speech

Ideas Worth Spreading: Looking at Adichie’s Message

Initial Reactions?

!What is the author’s claim or main idea?Give context Use a strong verb:ArguesClaimsSuggests, etc.

How does the author develop or support this claim? Example: Begins with her background and personal experience

Why are these strategies to the left persuasively effective? By sharing stories from her childhood, Adichie proves her beliefs are based in experience, making her more reliable.

What is the author’s purpose?The author attempts to persuade the reader to….in order to….

What is Adichie trying to say about stories?

A

P

E

Ibo (ee- bo)Umuofia (oo-mo-fee-a)Okonkwo (oh-kon-kwo)Unoka (oo-no-ka)Nwoye (n-woy-eh)Ikemefuna(ee-kee-may-foo-nah)Ekwefi (eh-kweh-fee)Ezinma (eh-zin-mah)Obierika (oh-beer-ee-ka)Uchendu (oo-chen-doo)Mbanta (mah-ban-tah)

Achebe’s

Goals

Destroy Stereotyp

es

Recognize Western

arrogance

Help to understand Africa’s notion of duality

Respect Igbo

people as complex, thinking people with

traditions

Accurately tell the African story

•Governing Body- Elders or ndichie, kindred meetings

•Holidays- Feast of the New Yam, Week of Peace

•Social Hierarchy- titles, marriage customs

•Traditions & Customs- kola nut, drinking customs, superstitions, proverbs

•Defense Force- Warriors, consulting oracle about war

•Economy- yams, market place, cowries

•Religion- oracle, chi

•Entertainment- wrestling, music

Ch 1-5: Culture

Okonkwo Character Foil:

Examples in literature, TV, or film:•Oedipus vs. Creon •Peeta vs. Gale•Edward vs. Jacob

UnokaCharacter Description: Character Description:

Traits: Traits:

Evidence (include page #):

Evidence (include page #):

Two opposing characters whose traits/personality highlight the strengths/flaws in the other.

Debtor, alcoholic, musician

“You, Unoka, are known in all the clan for the weakness of your machete and your hoe. When your neighbors go out with their ax to cut down virgin forests, you sow your yams on exhausted farms that take no labor to clear.” p. 14

“During the planting season Okonkwo worked daily on his farms from cock-crow until the chickens went to roost. He was a very strong man and rarely felt fatigue.” p. 11

Foils: Work Ethic

AppearanceStatusMotivation/DesiresAttitude toward war

Okonkwo Character Foil:

Examples in literature, TV, or film:•Oedipus vs. Creon •Peeta vs. Gale•Edward vs. Jacob

UnokaCharacter Description:Wrestler, warrior, provider

Character Description:Debtor, alcoholic, musician

Traits:Violent, hardworking, physically intimidating, focused on success, self-made, driven, at times insecure, inwardly vulnerable.

Traits:Easy going, lazy, weak, lived by carpe diem, reliant upon others, focused on personal happiness, gentle yet idle, but patient.

Evidence (include page #): - tall, huge, severe looking, breathed heavily, stammered when angry, used fists (1) - strong, rarely felt fatigue (11), but inwardly dominated by fear and anxiety (10)- Drank from the head of skull (8)- Trustworthy, respected (18)- Heart of a lion (20)-Impatient, bully, unforgiving in his success to the point of being judgmental (22)- Beats wife during Week of Peace for not fulfilling her duty, beats wife at Feast of New Yam for questioning his manhood- “Inwardly of course:” liked Ikemefuna (24), liked Ezinma (38) - “Child who washes hands, eats with kings.” (5)

Evidence (include page #):- Tall and thin with a stoop, face beamed with blessedness and peace (2)- Played the flute, believed in good fair and good fellowship (2)- Coward, could not bear the sight of blood (4)- No title, heavily in debt (5)- Weak machete and hoe (14)- Cirrhosis of the liver, death an abomination to the earth (15)- Loved to talk (21)

Two opposing characters whose traits/personality highlight the strengths/flaws in the other.

•Define gender

•Give an example of gender roles in our society (Lets to avoid single stories please).

•Give an of gender roles in Ibo society. Provide page number.

•What is Achebe’s attitude toward gender roles? Think about how he discusses concepts of femininity and masculinity within the text. Does he complicate traditional Ibo ideals through his characterization of females in the text?

Ch 1-5: Gender

Reinforcing Female Gender Roles

Defying Gender Roles

Girl from Mbaino Okonkwo and Ikemefuna’s arrival p.12agbala– woman, man with no titleYams– man’s cropUnoka– gentle and idleBeating of OjiugoShooting at Ekwefi

Agbala the oracle p.13Anasi, Mwakibie’s wife p.16Old woman and her war medicine p.9Ekwefi– beauty, bravery in standing up to OkonkwoEzinma– brazen, talkative, insightfulObiageli– breaking of her pot, false tearsCommunity that exists between wives– Okonkwo violates Week of Peace

Reviewing Character Foils: Okonkwo versus Unoka Okonkwo

+Provider, RespectedHas statusValues hard workStrong

-Quick to anger, violentLacks the ability to effectively communicateFear of failure makes him self conscious & judgmental

Unoka+

Care-freeGentleEmbodies carpe diemLives for himself and his own definition of happiness

-IndulgentWeakLacks statusCareless with moneyFails to provide

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Ch 6: Analyzing Mood

•What is the major topic of this chapter?

•What is the mood?

•How does Achebe establish this mood?

- Give one example of diction- Give two examples of figurative language

•Why do you think Achebe included this chapter? How could it possibly contribute to his goals for the novel?

Diction Figurative Language

Young men dashed about, kept the crowd back with palm fronds

The crowd roared and clapped

Drums rose to a frenzy, people surged forward

Drums had an intoxicating rhythm

Elders show excitement openly, Okonkwo sprang to his feet

The huge voice of the crowd rose to the sky in every direction

The air was stretched taut with excitement (41)

Enviroment was as if water had been poured on the tightened skin of a drum (41)

The air shivered and grew tense like a tightened bow (42)

The crowd swallowed up the drummers, whose frantic rhythm was no longer a mere disembodied sound but the very heartbeat of the people. (43)

Quick as lightening, Okafo raised his right leg and swung it over his rival… (44)

TFA Ch 7 pg 56At first a fairly small swarm came. They were harbingers sent to survey the land…

Everyone was about now, talking excitedly and praying for the locusts to camp in Umuofia for the night. For although locusts had not visited Umuofia in years, everybody knew by instinct they were good to eat. And at last the locusts did descend. They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass; they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under them, and the whole country became the brown-earth color of the vast, hungry swarm.

Exodus 10:12 – 1512 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

Revelation 9:1 -11 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh

Ch 8Okonkwo’s reaction to Ikemefuna’s deathOkonkwo vs. Obierika (Ikemefuna, Ozoemena and Ndulue)Negotiating Akueke’s bride priceInitial discussion of the white man

Ch 9OgbanjeCharacterization of Ekwefi (chi)Okonkwo’s treatment of EzinmaFolktales

Ch 10EgwugwuIbo judicial practicesTreatment of women

Complicating Okonkwo’s Characterguilt over Ikemefuna– societal vs. emotional bondviews on his children versus Obierika’s– love of Ezinmaview on women– story of Ndulue and his wife

Complicating CultureEnwoye– death of Ikemefuna, twinsObierika– choice of Okonkwo, views on NdulueMen of Umuofia’s views on ozo title and marriage

customs in other villages

Complicating Colonizationforeshadowing religious conflicts through symbolic

locusts“white men” as lepers

Complicating the “Single Story” in Chapters 7&8

What single stories do we, as Americans, perpetuate about our culture. Are those correct?

What language do you speak if you’re American?

Ecstatic ek-STAT-ik, versus i-STAT-ik. Abdomen AB-duh-men. Occasionally, ab-DOH-men.Accessory ak-SES-uh-ree. Do not say uh-SES-uh-ree.Debut day-BYOO; day-BOOFifth FIFTH or FITH.GymnastJIM-nast, not JIM-nist.Hundred HUHN-drid, not HUHN-derd of HUHN-didLibrary LY-brer-ee, not LY-ber-ee

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•What is your article’s claim/argument? •What evidence is provided? Is such evidence effective?• What is the purpose? •Where do you stand in the debate?

South AfricaApartheid- rule by a white minoritySoweto Riots 1976Backlash against Afrikaans- Dutch language

•What does Okonkwo plan to do in order to make his return to Umuofia memorable?

•Besides religion, what else had the white man brought to Umuofia?

•Okonkwo and Obierika discuss the future of Umuofia now that the white man has arrived. What view does each take to the situation?

Rebuild his compound on a grand scale. Give his sons titles. Marry off Ezinma to a strong, worthy man.

Government: a court system, jails. Policed by a district commissioner and his guards.

Okonkwo wants to fight and rid the land of the white man completely. Obierika believes that is an impossibility—the white man has converted too many of their brothers and peers. Things have fallen apart as they knew them.

IBO Christian

Irony Foreshadowing

•Murder if Ikemefuna•Okonkwo’s banishment•Betrayal of Nwoye•Okonkwo’s demise•District Commissioner’s book

•Ikemefuna the “ill fated lad” p 6•Okonkwo’s first year share cropping p 20•Unoka’s proverbial advice p 21•Arrival of the locusts p 48-49•Obierika’s judgment of Okonkwo p 58•Okonkwo’s anger at Nwoye/Mbanta p 133,139•The story of Aneto and his death p 152

Concept Statement ExamplesGender TFA shows that gender is strongly

correlated with value in a society, and that it is possible that such connections are incomplete or limited.

•Chielo the priestess•Ani the earth goddess•Okonkwo’s exile to Motherland•Importance of women in marriage pratices

Change TFA shows that no culture is static. If one is truly to survive such constant change, he or she must recognize that such evolution is an immovable force.

•Nwoye finding happiness in Christianity•Okonkwo’s suicide•Reverend Smith’s failure•Umuofia’s betrayal of Okonkwo•Obierika’s inability to bury Okonkwo•Ezeudu on Obodoani p.27

Individual vs. Society TFA shows the complex relationship between an individual and the society in which they operate. Very often, social acceptance is determined by one’s community; however, that community should also reflect the changing needs and desires of those people.

•Obierika’s questioning of his twins and Okonkwo’s exile•Nwoye’s anger towards his father after Ikemefuna’s death•The conversion of certain social groups in Umuofia to Christianity

Mr. Brown (Ch 21) Character Foil:

Examples in literature, TV, or film:•Oedipus vs. Creon •Peeta vs. Gale•Edward vs. Jacob

Reverend Smith (Ch 22)Character Description:(characteristics, mannerisms, physical appearance) Character Description:

Traits: Traits:

Evidence (include page #):

Evidence (include page #):