Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Written: 1959, Nigeria 3rd person omniscient point of view Setting: 1890s in Lower Nigerian villages, especially Iguedo Conflicts • The traditional society of Umuofia and the new customs brought by the whites • Okonkwo’s “daddy” issues Themes 1) struggle between tradition and change 2) varying interpretations of masculinity 3) language as a sign of cultural difference

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 100 Naira Bill 1 naira = 100 kobo US Equivalent 1 naira = 1 penny Written as: N1 $1 Pure water costs N20 Movie Ticket: N500 Milk: N50 Bread: N20 Average pay for a full-time customer service representative (low-paying job): America: $25,000Nigeria: N20,000

Climate and Weather • Nigeria lies entirely within the tropics yet there are wide climactic variations. • Two seasons: Dry and Wet. • Near the coast, the seasons are less sharply defined. Temperatures of over 90°F are common in the north, but near the coast, where the humidity is higher, temperatures seldom climb above that mark.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Zuma Rock is one of the seven natural wonders of Africa.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Modern Day Nigeria Over 250 ethnic groups still live here, making it one of the most culturally diverse countries in Africa.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Important Historical Connections Charles Kayser of the Thomas Edison laboratory with an early version of the Kinetograph, the camera developed to shoot films for the Kinetoscope movie exhibtion system, ca. 1891–94 1895 Benz Velo. One of the earliest standardized cars.

Important Historical Connections • Switching from chamberpots and “water closets” to toilets, though they were not widely advertised until 1902. • Used a stove to cook instead of a fire. • Lamps illuminating streets outside at night were powered 95% by gas, and 5% by this newfangled thing called electricity. • Water treatment plants and sewage removal curb sickness • Vaccination against smallpox AMERICA IN 1890s

Important Historical Connections • New picture printing techniques make it possible to hang pictures on the wall at home and at the office. • Futuristic World Fairs showcase fantastic inventions: the telephone and the typewriter. These will not become commonplace for another 20 years. AMERICA IN 1890s

Important Historical Connections • The Scramble for Africa • AKA the Race for Africa or Partition of Africa • A process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers • During the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in 1914

What is Imperialism? • an unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in the form of an empire, based on ideas of superiority and practices of dominance, and involving the extension of authority and control of one state or people over another. • It is often considered in a negative light, as merely the exploitation of native people in order to enrich a small handful.

Important Historical Connections • The Scramble for Africa • Many Africans resisted European aggression. • European exploration of the African interior began in earnest at the end of the 18th century.

By 1835, Europeans had mapped most of northwestern Africa. In the middle decades of the 19th century, the most famous of the European explorers were: • David Livingstone • H. M. Stanleybothof whom mapped vast areas of Southern Africa and Central Africa.

Important Historical Connections • Why Conquer? • Britain's balance of trade showed a growing deficit due to the Long Depression (1873–96) • Africa offered Britain, Germany, France, and other countries an open market that would give them a trade surplus

Important Historical Connections • Why Conquer? • The French Revolution introduced the idea of the nation-state as an organizing concept for politics, and the Napoleonic Wars showed the strength of the nation-state • The rise of Liberalism supported a belief in progress and change • A Generation of Materialism, 1871-1900 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1941), Carlton J. H. Hayes I love you.

Important Historical Connections • Why Conquer? • The Industrial Revolution changed how people worked and acquired goods, the number of goods in circulation, and economic relationship between industrialized and non-industrialized regions of the world • Art and religion adapted to the new emphasis on materialism • New techniques for communication and organization gave rise to the concept of "the masses" as a political and economic force • A Generation of Materialism, 1871-1900 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1941), Carlton J. H. Hayes

Important Historical Connections • I can’t believe it’s not butter! By the 1860s, butter had become so in demand in France that Emperor Napoleon III offered prize money for an inexpensive substitute to supplement France's inadequate butter supplies.

Now that we’ve read… Symbols • Locusts The locusts symbolize the white colonists descending upon the Africans, seeming to work for good but actually creating trouble. • Fire Fire epitomizes Okonkwo’s nature—he is fierce and destructive. • Drums Represent the physical connection of the community of clansmen in Umuofia, and can be seen as a metaphorical heartbeat that unites all the villagers.

Now that we’ve read… foreshadowing • The author’s initial description of Ikemefuna as an “ill-fated boy,” which presages his eventual murder by Okonkwo. • The arrival of the locusts, which symbolizes the eventual arrival of the colonizers. • Obierika’s suggestion that Okonkwo kill himself, which foretells Okonkwo’s eventual suicide.

Things Fall Apart