Things Fall Apart Essay - 763 Words

Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart shows an odd similarity between the cultures of Ancient Greece and the Lower Niger. Despite the fact that two societies can exist during different periods of time and have conflicting cultural values, their stories and behavior can have surprising overlaps. Things Fall Apart is structured like a Greek Tragedy in its use of a chorus and in the presence of a tragic hero whose actions ultimately lead to his downfall. The Egwugwu from Things Fall Apart act like the chorus in a Greek Tragedy, such as Antigone. These figures, the elders of society who speak in behalf of the spirits, are present to provide background information and extra news It is imperative for the audience to know of this information for†¦show more content†¦This is shown when he becomes hungry, and when his wife is not there to bring him his lunch, she is severely beaten, despite the fact that it is a Holy Week. Okonkwo is required to pay a fine for his actions, but it is assumed that he did not learn the meaning behind his punishment. His inability to accept his emotions led to his incredibly violent ways. Okonkwo was also obsessed with impressing the other men of Umuofia. Despite his love for Ikemefuna, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak; (61). Okonkwo had to portray himself as being incredibly strong-willed, after overcoming his hereditary situation, which put him originall y in the lowest social position that his father was in. Since he was able to shed the poor name of his father, Okonkwo began to think of himself as better than virtually everyone, including the gods. Okonkwo insulted a man with fewer titles than himself, which was in very poor taste according to the warriors of Umuofia. By making the derogatory claims on him, Okonkwo shows his conceitedness and how he considers himself better than the others. Okonkwos actions lead to his downfall. Creon of Antigone had sentenced Antigone to death, instigating the tragic results of his family. Creon had abandoned and rejected his religious tradition and decided to not bury his nephew, while Okonkwo ignores the rituals and beliefs tied to the holy weeks andShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart910 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Okonkwo Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a novel about a man in West Africa. It tells about his triumphs and trial ultimately leading to his demise. It explains how the â€Å"white man† came into his country and took over. It show you how the â€Å"white man† mad things fall apart. Okonkwo was a very large and tall man. He had big bushy eyebrows and a huge nose. As stated in Things Fall Apart, â€Å"He was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look (3-4).† He was extremelyRead MoreThings fall apart1057 Words   |  5 Pages Reflection on the novel Things Fall Apart The Idea of Culture in Things Fall Apart The novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe is a story about personal beliefs, customs and also about conflict. There is struggle between family and within culture and it also deals with the concept of culture and the notion of the values and traditions within a culture. The word culture is Latin and means to cultivate. To cultivate has several meanings; it can mean to plow, fertilize, raise and plantRead MoreThings Fall Apart875 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo is a tragic hero in Things Fall Apart Question ( 2 ): Discuss Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe s â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is a tragic hero. Answer: In Chinua Achebe’s novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Aristotle’s Poetics defines a Tragic Hero as a good man of high status who displays a tragic flaw ‘hamartia’ and experiences a dramatic reversal ‘peripeteia’, as well as an intense moment of recognition ‘anagnorisis’. Okonkwo is a leader and hardworking member of the Igbo communityRead MoreThings Fall Apart977 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferently by two different readers? Things Fall Apart Language and Literature Things fall apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. It is set during the late 19th, early 20th century in a small village named Umuofia situated in Nigeria. This time period is important because it was a period in colonial history when the British were increasing their influence economic, cultural, and political influence in Africa. The novel deals with the rise and fall of Okonkwo, a man from the village ofRead MoreThings Fall Apart818 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish oral presentation Cultural strengths of the Ibo society before the invasion of the colons. The novel Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe describes the social and cultural traits of a culture based on the principles of labor and masculinity, conformity and kinship and finally on solid juridical system. The worth of a man was measured by his strength and the amount of work he could accomplish and how efficiently feed his family, the concepts of masculinity is strictly related withRead MoreThings Fall Apart2539 Words   |  11 PagesSociety (Things Fall Apart) Women are often thought of as the weaker, more vulnerable of the two sexes. Thus, women’s roles in literature are often subdued and subordinate. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, women are repressed by an entrenched structure of the social repression. Women suffer great losses in this novel but, also in certain circumstances, hold tremendous power. Achebe provides progressively changing attitudes towards women’s role. At first glance, the women in Things Fall Apart mayRead More Things Fall Apart Essay714 Words   |  3 PagesThings Fall Apart Opposites do not Attract In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Mr. Brown, the first missionary in Umuofia, was a kind and respectful man. Not to say that Reverend James Smith was not, but his degree of kindness and respect were present in a whole different level. They both wanted to convert the lost, all those in Umuofia that were not in the church. Mr. Brown made friends with the clan and â€Å"trod softly on his faith,† (pg.178) while Mr. Smith told them how thingsRead MoreSummary Of Things Fall Apart 716 Words   |  3 PagesJory Alkhudair Mr. Meister English 10th 26 October 2017 Things Fall Apart I am writing about Ekwefi , Okonkwo’s second wife, and who was once the village beauty. Ekwefi is also the mother of Ezinma , Okonkwo’s only daughter . Ezinma is her only surviving child, her other nine died in infancy. Ekwefi constantly fears that she will lose Ezinma too. The festival was only three days away. We were scrubbing the walls and the huts with red earthRead MoreColonialism In Things Fall Apart1824 Words   |  8 Pageswritten by Chinua Achebe which shows the main theme of the novel Things Fall Apart, and even represents the theme within the article, â€Å"The Benefits of British Rule†. There are many cultures with different values or practices that might seem obscure to one group but normal to another, therefore no one can determine what culture is wrong or right, but it s up to society to determine the best way of life. The novel Things Fall Apart and the article â€Å"The Benefits of British Rule† examine two differentRead More Things Fall Apart Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pages Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. New York, New York Copyright 1959 Author Biography Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, or Chinua Achebe, was born November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria. His parents were Janet N. Achebe, and Isaiah Okafo, a teacher in a missionary school. Mr. Achebe was educated at the University College of Ibadan, but also attended Government College in 1944. He wrote his first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958. During the Biafran War,