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Summary of Things Fall Apart
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Things Fall Apart contradicts many European stereotypes of indigenous African cultures. Achebe infuses the language of his novel with Igbo vocabulary and the rhythm of Igbo language. As a result, the reader has an impression of Africans speaking an African language. The pre-colonial Igbo society is far from primitive. Rather, it has a highly developed economic system, a complex social organization, and a rich oral tradition.
The pre-colonial Igbo of Things Fall Apart already have a flourishing economic system. Cowry shells function as currency in this system. The Igbo are far from the sea coast, and the shells are rare enough to function as currency. Moreover, they live off an advanced system of agricultural production. Men either inherit farms and wealth from their fathers or they build their own wealth through sharecropping. The primary crop is the yam, but they produce coco-yams, beans, and cassava as well. Moreover, they produce alcoholic beverages by tapping palm trees, a complex process requiring a great deal of skill. In addition to agriculture, the Igbo people raise cattle, goats, and fowls. Furthermore, most villages have a market-place and there is extensive inter- village commerce.
The social organization of the pre-colonial Igbo is as complex as their economic organization. Status and influence depend on multiple factors; social relations are governed with a series of complex rites. These customs demonstrate the complex social value system of the Igbo. Instead of explaining every custom, Achebe leaves it to the reader to extrapolate the meaning of each. This technique allows Achebe to portray the Igbo culture on its own terms. Often visitors and hosts share kola nuts, a fleshy seed that contains a mild stimulant like coffee and tea. The reciprocal gift-giving system demonstrates a strong commitment to sharing one's wealth with other members of the community. Moreover, it serves as a way to alleviate tensions between individual members of the community.
Many factors play a role in an individual's status. His wealth, demonstrated by the number of wives and children he can support, is one factor. A wealthy man has a large farm and a large harvest. A man can also purchase one or more of the four clan titles. These titles are more and more expensive as they ascend in scale. A man earns the right to great influence in clan government through titles, but their prohibitive cost prevents any one individual from gaining autocratic power. A man's prowess in physical contests and war also add to his status. Moreover, a man's age also plays a role. The complexity of this social system facilitates the relatively democratic nature of pre-colonial Igbo government. Contrary to what many individuals believe, democratic principles of government are not European inventions.
The Igbo people in Things Fall Apart do not conform to the European stereotype of native Africans as blood- thirsty savages. The declaration of war is a serious matter. The wronged clan makes a point to allow the offending clan to choose between war and a peaceful settlement. The pre-colonial Igbo in Things Fall Apart have numerous methods to peacefully settle disputes within the clan, including a justice system and the gift-giving system. War is desirable only if it is a just war. Peaceful settlements are tried first.
Contrary to the European stereotype of native Africans as godless heathens, the Igbo people are devoutly religious. Religious beliefs influence every aspect of life. They have a complex moral value system, and although it may be different from the Christian one, it is still culturally valid. It regulates Igbo social relations, but it is also a response to the conditions of their existence. They are an agricultural people, so many of their religious rites and ceremonies deal with agricultural concerns. Indigenous Igbo religious beliefs explain and give meaning to their lives, much as Christian religious beliefs explain and give meaning to Christians' lives.
Achebe's portrait of indigenous Igbo culture also does not conform to the sentimentality of the European stereotype of the "noble savage." The protagonist, Okonkwo, is a plainly flawed man, but he is still a hero of his people. His clansmen are also keenly aware of his flaws, but they still respect him and his achievements. Many of the Igbo, especially Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, question some aspects of their own culture. There is a complex variety of personalities and opinions with pre-colonial Igbo culture. Not everyone is entirely unhappy with the influence of the white man on their culture. Achebe portrays a clash between cultures that brings sadness, violence, and change. Not all the changes are bad, and often the difficulties are the result of misunderstandings, some deliberate and some inadvertent. The language barrier and cultural hubris on both sides inevitably lead to conflict. Nevertheless, Achebe's novel delves into an African reality often misrepresented or ignored.
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About the Author
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Achebe, Chinua (1930- ), Nigerian novelist and poet, whose works explore the impact of European culture on African society. Achebe's unsentimental, often ironic books vividly convey the traditions and speech of the Ibo people.
Born in Ogidi, Nigeria, Achebe was educated at the University College of Ibadan (now the University of Ibadan). He subsequently taught at various universities in Nigeria and the United States. Achebe wrote his first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), partly in response to what he saw as inaccurate characterizations of Africa and Africans by British authors. The book describes the effects on Ibo society of the arrival of European colonizers and missionaries in the late 1800s. Achebe's subsequent novels No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987) are set in Africa and describe the struggles of the African people to free themselves from European political influences.
During Nigeria's tumultuous political period of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Achebe became politically active. Most of his literary works of this time address Nigeria's internal conflict (see Nigeria, Federal Republic of: Civil War). These books include the volumes of poetry Beware, Soul Brother (1971) and Christmas in Biafra (1973), the short-story collection Girls at War (1972), and the children's book How the Leopard Got His Claws (1972). In 1971 Achebe helped to found the influential literary magazine Okike. His other writings include the essay collections Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975), which he later expanded under the title Hopes and Impediments (1988); and The Trouble with Nigeria (1983).
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