Key themes
- The destruction of a world from within and without
- Masculinity, pride and the refusal to bend
- Colonialism's arrival and what it dismantles
About this book
Things Fall Apart is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans during the
Published in 1958, Things Fall Apart has sold over twenty million copies and is the most widely read African novel in the world. It is taught in schools across Nigeria and in universities globally.
Discussion questions
- Okonkwo's tragedy is partly of his own making, partly structural. How does Achebe balance these two forces — individual character and historical circumstance — in his protagonist's downfall?
- Achebe said he wrote the novel in response to Conrad's Heart of Darkness — to portray Africa from inside rather than as a backdrop for European crisis. Does the novel succeed in this aim, and what does it change?
- The novel was written in English but describes an Igbo world. How does Achebe use English — its structures, rhythms and proverbs — to convey a culture from within it?
- Nwoye's conversion is the most quietly devastating thread in the novel. What is Achebe saying about what Christianity offered to those whom traditional society failed?
- The final paragraph shifts to the District Commissioner's perspective. This abrupt change of viewpoint has been extensively analysed. What do you think Achebe achieves by ending there?
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