Things Fall Apart Summary Essay, Research Paper

Things Fall Apart Essay

The book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, is about a man named Okonkwo,who is a member of the Umuofia clan in Nigeria. Okonkwo was the son of a shameful man, named Unoka. Unoka was shameful because he feared blood, wasted money, his children and wife went hungry often and he died from a swelling stomach and limbs, and was sent to the Evil Forest to die. Okonkwo escaped his fathers shame, and gained honor by beating Amalinze the Cat at wrestling, who had gone undefeated for years. He gathered 5 heads, and drank from the first in special occasions. He is very wealthy, enough to have 3 wives in separate huts and a barn full of yams. Okonkwo built his fortune by being a share cropper.

Members of another village murder a woman from Okonkwos village. Okonkwo travels to the other village to deliver a message. He says that the must give a virgin and a young man to Umuofia or go to war. Because Umuofia were known for their fighting abilities the Mbaino agree to the terms. Okonkow takes the 15 year old boy and has his first wife take care of him. Ikemefuna begins to call him father and Okonkow becomes very fond of thie young man, however Okonkwo wont show affection becuase he sees it as a sign of weakness. The oracle says that Ikemefuna must die so they tellhim he is returning to his home village. Okonkwo is warned not to take part in his murder. When Ikemefuna is attacked he runs to Okonkwo for protection. Rather than look weak,

Okonkwo kills the boy with a machet. As a result Okonkwo goes into depression and can not eat or sleep.

The story tells of Okonkwos life in the tribe. Religion plays a large role in the tribes life, and it effects Okonkwos family a lot too. Through the years the family is put in exile for 7 years. This happened because at the funeral of the man who warned Okonkow not to take part in Ikemefunas death, Okonkows gun explodes and he accidentally shoots and kills the son of Ezeudus 16 year old son. While in exile the village goes through many changes.

White men come to Okonkwos village, and the villages around his. They begin to present their religion of one supreme God to the villagers. At first only the men without titles join the new religion, but over time lots of people join. The white man forces his

justice system on the villagers which is harsh. They build a school, and encourage the villagers to send their kids there, and the build a hospital that has really good treatments.

In the end the villagers burn down the church and are thrown in jail for it. They are beaten and mistreated there. Okonkwo hangs himself, and that is a grave sin. The clans men don’t touch his body, and a white man decided to write about Okonkwos death in a book he is writing.