Things Fall Apart

1. Things Fall Apart The Complete Collection Of Notes, Miscellany, and Associated Material for Mr. McLees’ English II Advanced Students. Enjoy!

2. Tuesday, Sept. 9th DOLS – Correct the sentences Also – Please have your Vocab. Sentences out darnel don’t have no reason too question them instructions but he does want an explanation for this here exam me and olga went down town we went to buy new notebooks we need them for our long term project

3. DOLS Answers • Darnel doesn’t have any reason to question those instructions, but he does want an explanation for this exam. • Olga and I went downtown to buy new notebooks needed for class and our long term project.

4. Chinua Achebe • Published Things Fall Apart in 1958 • His debut novel • Chinua Achebe was Nigerian • Studied at University of Ibadan • Raised in an Igbo (also spelled Ibo) village.

5. Nigeria & The Igbo • The Igbo are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa • They primarily live in Southeastern Nigeria • The Igbo were not a largely unified culture

6. Things Fall Apart • Key Terms • Colonialism (n.) • the policy or practice of acquiring full control over another country, and occupying it with settlers. • Imperialism (n.) • a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. • Things Fall Apart attempts to narrate what African village culture was like before and during European involvement

7. Character Names • To help you read, I’ll help pronounce some major characters’ names • Okonkwo (Oh-Con-Quo) • Nwoye (N-Woah-Ye : roll the “n” and “woah” together) • Ikemefuna (E-Kay-May-Foo-Na) • Ezinma (Eh-Zeen-Ma)

8. Read Chapters 1-3 • When you’ve finished reading, create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Okonkwo and Unoka Okonkwo Both Unoka

9. Foreshadowing • Find an example of foreshadowing in Chapter One • “And that was how he came to look after the doomed lad…The ill-fated lad was called Ikemefuna.”

10. Reading Questions • Why does Okonkwo hate his father? • What does Okonkwo value? • What did Unoka value? • What do the Ibo/the villagers of Umuofia value? • Make a timeline that includes these events • Death of Unoka, Okonkwo’s throwing of The Cat, Conflict with Mbaino, and Nwakibie’s support

11. September 12th, 2014 Vocabulary Quiz Today! Please clear your desks

12. Ibo Food • Food plays an important part in Ibo culture • Yams are the “cash crop” • Kola Nuts are ritual foods • Wine must be offered at all feasts and visits

13. Yam Fufu

14. Alligator Pepper

15. Kola Nut

16. Read Chapters 4 & 5 • Create a family tree – include Unoka and go through Okonkwo’s kids • Either draw a tree or create a pedigree

17. September 25th, 2014 Tragic Heroes, Archetypes, & Folklore

18. Archetypes and the Hero • The “hero” is an archetype • Archetypes are recurring symbols or patterns that are seen in literature, film, & art • A “hero” usually has one or more of these traits: • Strange circumstances of birth • A mystical weapon/special power • A personal quest • A reward or redemption at the end of that quest

19. Examples

20. Then What’s a “Tragic” Hero? • A “Tragic Hero” shares many of the same traits of the “Hero” • Hamartia – “A tragic flaw” • Leads to the downfall of the hero • Peripeteia– A reversal of fortune brought about by the hero’s flaw

21. The Traits of a Tragic Hero • The “Tragic Hero’s” downfall serves a Greater purpose • The hero gains a sense of self-awareness through their downfall • His flaw is not his fault, but the actions that bring about his fate are • One of the most common flaws is “Pride”

22. Examples

23. Why Are We Drawn to The Tragic Hero?

24. Fables • Short stories with Morals • A “Moral” is a lesson or virtue the story conveys • Fables often star animals as the primary characters

25. Fable of the Tortoise (85) • “Trickster” Archetype • Promotes chaos • Follows Impulse • Questions Authority • Makes up for a lack of strength with cunning

26. The Myth of the Vulture (46) • A Myth is a story that tells of an event or natural phenomenon that does not necessarily have a historical basis

27. Creative Writing • In Igbo culture, Fables are used to teach lessons. Stories are categorized by gender – fables for women, war stories for men • Think about an expectation your culture has of you – write a fable that would either teach the reader to behave according to that expectation, or teach them that the expectation is unfair.

28. Chapter 18 • What happens? • Mr. Kiaga accepts the outcasts (osu) • Okoli kills the Royal Python • Theme?

29. Chapter 19 • What happens? • Okonkwo has two children during his exile • Nneka and Nwofia • Okonkwo has a feast for his kinsmen in Mbanta • Theme?

30. Chapters 20 & 21 • Things Fall Apart • “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats

31. Things Fall Apart – 10/3

32. Chapter 23 • What happened? • The District Commissioner tricks the men of Umuofia and arrests them • Theme?

33. Chapter 24 • What Happened? • The men of Umuofia have a war council • “Our fathers never dreamed of such a thing, they never killed their brothers. But a white man never came to them.” (pg. 175) • Irrevocable change to the culture • Okonkwo kills the messenger

34. Chapter 25

35. Theme? • “One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter, but a reasonable paragraph at any rate. There was so much else to include, and one must be firm in cutting out details. He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.” (pg. 179)