Chapter 7 With the killing of Ikemefuna, Achebe creates a devastating scene that evokes compassion for the young man and foreshadows the fall of Okonkwo, again in the tradition of the tragic hero. Along the way, the author sets up several scenes that juxtapose with the death scene: The opening scene of the chapter shows the increasing affection and admiration…
Category: Novel Study
Summary of Chapter 6- Things Fall Apart
On the second day of the festival, everyone gathers at the village playing field to watch the wrestling contest between men of the village and men of a neighboring village. The first matches, between two teams of boys fifteen or sixteen years old, provide entertainment and excitement before the main events. One of the victorious boys is Maduka, the son…
Things Fall Apart- Analyzing Okonkwo’s Personality
Deep down Okonkwo really cares for the persons around him; however, caring was an attribute of his father and he wants to be the complete opposite of him( he sees caring and showing feelings as womanly things) thus shows a lot of anger towards his family. • Okonkwo is a good father, although he beats his children and does not treat…
Things Fall Apart: The Role of Women in Society
Much of the traditional Igbo life presented in this novel revolves around structured gender roles. Essentially all of Igbo life is gendered, from the crops that men and women grow, to characterization of crimes. In Igbo culture, women are the weaker sex, but are also endowed with qualities that make them worthy of worship, like the ability to bear…
Things Fall Apart: Summary of Chapter 5
ust before the harvest, the village holds the Feast of the New Yam to give thanks to the earth goddess, Ani. Okonkwo doesn’t really care for feasts because he considers them times of idleness. The women thoroughly scrub and decorate their huts, throw away all of their unused yams from the previous year, and use cam wood to paint their…