1 / 47

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart. By Chinua Achebe. Chinua Achebe is one of the most well-known contemporary African writers. Born 1930. Many of his novels and short stories are based in Nigeria, Africa. Many of his characters are members of the Igbo (Ibo) tribe. Map of Africa. Nigeria. .

pilis
Download Presentation

Things Fall Apart

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

  2. Chinua Achebe is one of the most well-known contemporary African writers. Born 1930

  3. Many of his novels and short stories are based in Nigeria, Africa. Many of his characters are members of the Igbo (Ibo) tribe.

  4. Map of Africa

  5. Nigeria

  6. . Things Fall Apart (written in 1958)deals with the clash of cultures and the violent transitions in life and values brought about by British colonialism in Nigeria in late 1800s.

  7. colonialism • A system by which a country (like Great Britain) maintains foreign colonies (like Nigeria) in order to exploit them economically. • The domineering country usually feels superior to the “natives” in all ways and often forces its customs and religion upon them.

  8. The novel recounts the life of the village hero Okonkwo and describes the arrival of white missionaries in Nigeria and their impact on traditional Igbo society during the late 1800s.

  9. Things Fall Apart includes Western linguistic forms and literary traditions with Igbo words and phrases, proverbs, fables, tales, and other elements of African oral and communal storytelling traditions.

  10. Plot Summary • The main character, Okonkwo, is a great man who has achieved much in his life. • He is a champion wrestler, a wealthy farmer, a husband to three wives, a title-holder among his people. • His success is driven by the fear of becoming like his father (poor and cowardly)

  11. The society’s order is disrupted, however, with the appearance of the white man in Africa and with the introduction of his religion (Christianity).

  12. "The conflict of the novel, shown in Okonkwo, derives from the series of crushing blows which are leveled at traditional valuesby an alien and more powerfulculture causing, in the end, the traditional society to fall apart," (G.D. Killam).

  13. Okonkwo is unable to adaptto the changes that accompany colonialism. In the end, in frustration, he kills an African employed by the British, and then commits suicide, a sin against the tradition to whichhe had long clung.

  14. Key Terms Brideprice Obi Kola Manslaughter Cowrie shells Palm oil Polygamy Chi Yams Foo foo Evil Forest Umuofia Ibo Oracle Ilo Alligator pepper Harmattan Priestess

  15. Ibo or Igbo • The name of a tribe of people in Nigeria

  16. Alligator pepper • It is a common ingredient in West African cuisine where it imparts both 'heat', 'pungency' and a spicy aroma to classic West African 'soups' (stews). • Ground and blended with kola nut in a ritual to welcome visitors

  17. White chalk • Symbol of peace. Also used to signify personal honors and status.

  18. Bride Price Common in many African cultures; the bridegroom’s family pays in cash or goods for the privilege of marring a young woman. (dowry – opposite – woman’s family pays for man to marry her).

  19. Obi Large living quarters for the head of the family.

  20. Umuofia A village of the Ibo

  21. Kola A bean, a stimulant like tea or coffee. Served on most social occasions.

  22. Manslaughter unlawful killing without the intent to kill (accidental).

  23. Cowrie shells A sea shell, used as a form of money. The village’s distance from the sea makes them rare enough to use as money.

  24. Palm oil Rich yellow oil pressed from fruit of palm trees. Used for fuel & cooking.

  25. Palm oil comes from palm nuts which are harvested by climbing high up in palm trees.   Palm wine is also tapped in the same area on the tree.  Palm wine tappers make holes in the tree at the base of the male flower.   Using funnels made of palm leaves the tappers collect the palm wine as it drips from the tree into gourds that they hang from the palm fronds.

  26. Polygamy The practice or condition of having more than one spouse, esp. wife, at one time.

  27. Chi A person’s personal spirit (usually in the form of a wooden idol) Like a guardian angel

  28. Yam sweet potato-- In some African cultures it was used as currency

  29. Storage of yams

  30. foo foo a dough-like West African dish of boiled and ground plantain, yam, or cassava, made into balls to go with soups or stews.

  31. cassava

  32. Evil Forest Superstitious natives believe that evil spirits lurk in the mysterious forest

  33. harmattan Dust-laden winds originating in the desert. Usually last 3-5 days. Dusty haze usually blocks out the sun, reduces temperatures and visibility.

  34. oracle • A person believed to be in communication with a deity (god or gods)

  35. The oracle of the cave

  36. ilo • The village green, where assemblies for sports, discussions, etc., take place

  37. ekwe • Ekwe - Two-pitch Ibo log drum. Available in two types of hardwood (yellow or red). Played with either a plain straight wood stick or a rubber-tipped short beater similar to a large balafon or Alo (long gong-bell) mallet. These log drums are found in the eastern part of Nigeria. Larger Ekwes are usually played with two sticks, while smaller ones are usually played with only one stick.

  38. udu • A musical instrument; a type of drum made from pottery

  39. Egwugwu • A masquerader who impersonates one of the ancestral spirits of the village

More Related