Art and Things Fall Apart

I believe art corresponds with the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe for many reasons. One primary reason is because art is a form of expression used to express oneself and what he or she believes. In the book Things Fall apart there are various ways that Okonwko expresses himself and his beliefs. Okonkwo uses his lifestyle of cultural dominance to express what he feels is the proper way to live. Okonkwo uses his envirnment to express what he believes, even when murder is his way of doing so. Towards the end of the book, Okonkwo murders a court messenger, with the intent of killing more, as means of voicing his opinion on what needed to be done within his society. This relates to art because art depicts emotion, especially that of change.

-Sean McG

Multi-flow

-Courtney and Juliet

Science, Religion and Philosophy in Things Fall Apart

Due to the fact that the novel is set in a developing African country, science is not widely discussed. Religion on the other hand, plays a large role in the novel. Catholicism is being brought into the country by the white people and to a very mixed response. Many people are very accepting of the new ideas and religion. Okonkwo however, being a very proud and stubborn person and strongly rejects the new ideas. He is very traditional and does not want to see the new religion come in and change things for him, his culture and his people.

Theme

In Things Fall Apart, the author Chinua Achebe, communicates the idea that a strong resistance to change often brings with it detrimental effects, as is the case Okonkwo. Change is an idea that must be accepted and this acknowledgment is something that Okonkwo greatly struggled with. This lifelong conflict eventually led him to suicide and serves as an example in the novel as one who was unable to come to terms with change.

-Courtney and Juliet

Poetery's Connection

In Things Fall Apart, the main character, Okonkwo is a very "manly" man. He sees anything related to art or music as effeminate and weak. Poetry would be seen as weak as well by Okonkwo and he would not approve. For this reason, poetry does not play a major role in the overall theme of our book and the author does not really emphasize it much at all.

Posted by Andy Wolfe

Character- Okonkwo

Posted By Andy Wolfe

Oknonkwo bubble map

- Sean McG

Character Double Bubble

Artistic Representation

-Courtney H

Music Connection

Music comes through often in the lyrical and rhythmic writing of Chinua Achebe and most importantly it can be recognized during the tribe rituals. It is also a symbol for Okonkwo because his dad was a musician “Sometimes another village would ask Unoka’s band and their dancing egwugwu to come and stay with them and teach them their tunes. They would go to such hosts for as long as three or four markets, making music and feasting.” (5) To Okonkwo music represented his father, failure, expressing emotions and wasted time, all of which are things Okonkwo would not tolerate, in any amount, in his own life.

-Courtney H

-Courtney H

Setting

In Things Fall Apart, the forest represents rejected and unwanted things, it was believed to be haunted and serves as a place to put the dead/dying, the place where evil spirits reside and superstition took over it was also the location of the white missionaries’ church.
“Every clan and village had its “evil forest”। In it were buried all those who died of the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox. It was also the dumping ground for the potent fetishes of great medicine men where they died. An “evil forest” was, therefore, alive with sinister forces and powers of darkness. It was such a forest that the rulers of Mbanta gave to the missionaries. They did not really want them in their clan, and so they made them that offer which nobody in his right senses would accept.” (148)

Okonkwo’s home village is a place that stands for his years of hard work and the reputation he got out of it. It was the society in which he was most judged and most desperate for honor. His life was oriented toward succeeding in Umufia and sacrificed happiness, love and sanity for it.
“His life had been ruled by a great passion-to become on of the lords of the clan. Then everything had been broken. He had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach, panting” (131)

His mother’s clan, Mbanta,was a place where Okonkwo was able to find refugee during his 7 year exile. His uncle lived there, Uchendu, who was friendly and accepting and overall served as a foil to Okonkwo. His emotions were open and although Uchendu had suffered much grief remained optimistic.
“Okonkwo was well received by his mother’s kinsmen in Mbanta…Okonkwo was given a plot of ground on which to build his compound, and two or three pieces of land on which to farm during the coming planting season। With the help of his mother’s kinsmen he built himself an obi and three huts for his wives.” (129)

-Courtney H

Character Development

Okonkwo reminds the reader of Adolf Hitler. Not in the sense that Hitler killed many people but in the sense that they both strive for power. Okonkwo grew up with a very lazy father who owed many debts and this is the reason Okonkwo strove to be the best that he could be. His fathers failure allowed him to see what he didn't want to become and this is what lead him to be the man that the readers know in the novel. Hitler grew up with a very strict father who often beat him. His father was extremely keen for his son to do well in life and because of this Hitler worked very hard at school. Both Okonkwo and Hitler's fathers wanted their sons to succeed in whatever they chose to do in life.
Okonkwo could also be compared to his son, Nwoye, in the novel. However, there are many more differences between the two than similarities. They both grew up in the Umuofia clan and both wanted to please their fathers. However, Okonkwo was very independent and strong whereas Nwoye was weak and disappointed his father constantly.

-Juliet Wright

Things Fall Apart vs. Frankenstein

Things Fall Apart is about in African culture who is very dedicated to their religion. It takes place in a very rural area and the people of the tribes have a very hard time dealing with change. Whereas Frankenstein is a modern and scientific novel where culture does not play a big role and neither does religion. However, the two novels share three very distinct things and those are that the main character in both novels wants to gain power, the main character creates fear, and both reflect on past experiences.

-Juliet Wright

Plot

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a story about a man who grew up with a lazy father. His father had many faults and also many debts. The boys name was Okonkwo and growing up like this allowed him to see who he wanted to be when he became a father himself. Okonkwo has three wives and many children. His eldest sons name is Nwoye and he is nothing like Okonkwo. Nwoye is very lazy and for this reason Okonkwo and Nwoye always seem to butt heads. Okonkwo is worried that Nwoye will end up like his father and do nothing with his life. When a man in their village kills another, Okonkwo is rewarded with a 15 year old boy named Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna is like the son that Okonkwo never had, hard working, dedicated and loyal. However, after 3 years of living with Okonkwo and his family, Ikemefuna is killed because the Oracle said it must be done. The Oracle states that Okonkwo should not take part in the killing of Ikemefuna but Okonkwo ignores this and takes part anyways. At a funeral for a fellow tribesman Okonkwo's gun explodes killing at 16 year old boy and because killing a fellow clansman is a crime, Okonkwo is forced to take his family into exile for 7 years. After several years, 6 missionaries come to the tribe to preach the word of God. Nwoye leaves his father and family behind and follows the word of God. Because of this and because they are taking over their village, Okonkwo kills the leader with his machete. Soon after he realizes that his fellow clansman are not going to go to war and stand behind him and in the end Okonkwo hangs himself.

-Juliet Wright

Biographical Info about Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe is a nigerian novelist who was raised by Chrisitan parents in the south nigerian Igbo village of Ogidi. Achebe began to excel academically at a young age and eventaully recieved an undergraduate scholorship. Achebe's childhood within african culture has caused him to develope an appreciation for African tradition which has heavily influenced his stories. Achebes stories primarily tend to be about Igbo tradition, Christian influence, and clashing values during and after the colonial era. Achebes experiance with African society has deeply impacted what his stories are about.