Things Fall Apart

by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall apart by Chinua Achebe , discussed 20^th  November 2013.

Were present  Anne, Paulette, Christa, Susan, Blanka

Discussion started with Achebe's biography. Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic, born in Ogidi, 1930. However influenced by English literature he manages to weave native elements of African culture such as story telling and proverbs into his narrative.

The major theme of the novel is that British colonization and the conversion to Christianity of  tribal peoples has destroyed traditional old-age way of life in Africa. The benefice of missionary action and their colonial government arose some questions .It was agreed that the book is important in the sense that the cultural conflict between West and Africa is seen from the eye of the colonized.

The story takes place in two villages part of a consortium of nine connected villages, during the late 1800/early 1900 when the British were expanding their colonial influence in Africa. In Umufia, prosperous and powerful village, people are living in harmony with the nature. Respect for the  family and elders and  ancestral ritual and religion is their way of life. However some of these rituals are so cruel in the eyes of the white man who arrived on his iron horse.

Okonkwo, respected and powerful, with his rise and fall, is symbol of the village.

His obsession with cultural tradition caused his lost, while Ekwefie his wife defies tradition to protect her only living child Enzima. But is the danger of obsession with cultural tradition a message only addressed to African people by Achebe? 

There was also question concerning progress and “civilization” in African countries. Most of the ladies admitted that - were they not members of the reading club -  this is not the kind of book they might have read. Besides, the book has its literary merit as well.

Susan