Things Fall Apart

Manhood and womanhood are emphasized throughout the novel, and not only in Okonkwo’s mind. How do the gendered elements of Ibo society empower and erode the community? Is masculinity a positive force in Okonkwo’s life?

What is the relationship between spiritual and physical life in Things Fall Apart?

What different languages are present in Achebe’s text? How does language shape the growing conflict between villagers and white colonists?

How do fathers shape their sons in Things Fall Apart? What conflicting views about inheritance and family hierarchy arise as Achebe builds the layers of his story?

What violence is morally acceptable in the story? What violence is morally unacceptable? Present a clear definition of the moral standard by which you measure each anecdotal event.

How does the motif of darkness facilitate the novel’s plot? How does it contribute to or complicate belief in the supernatural?

Why does Achebe choose to end Things Fall Apart with a description of the District Commissioner’s planned book? How does this denouement contribute to the text’s overall commentary on colonialism?

How do you interpret Okonkwo’s death? What conditions inform Okonkwo’s decision to die by suicide, and what are the suicide’s implications for the people of Umuofia?