things fall apart an overview english iii / vaughn
TRANSCRIPT
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Things Fall Apart
An Overview
English III / Vaughn
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Setting
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Introduction
• Change is a part of life… but when drastic
changes transform the world you know, how do you deal?
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Okonkwo
• A well-respected member of the Ibo people in the African country of Nigeria in the late 1800s
• A wealthy farmer and looked up to as a leader of his clan
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Okonkwo
• Has a big family that follows the traditions of the Ibo people– 3 wives
– A son, Nwoye
– 2 daughters – Obiageli and Ezinma
– He also cares for Ikemefuma (brought to the village as hostage)
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Okonkwo
• Believes hard work is the key to success
• Values strength and looks at compassion as a weakness
• Will do anything to be considered different than his father, who died a debtor, failure, and embarrassment to Okonkwo
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Okonkwo & His Outlook
• But his narrow view of success and his desire to stamp out weakness lead him to commit violent acts– Some of which bring him into conflict with his own
clan
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Turning Point
• One day, a senseless act changes his life so he and his family are sent away
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Changes
• While Okonkwo and his family are away, drastic changes take place in his village
• Christian missionaries arrive determined to change the thinking, philosophies, and way of life of the Ibo people
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7 Years Later…
• After 7 years, Okonkwo and his family return to his village– What changes have taken place?– Will Okonkwo be able to adjust to a world
where things have fallen apart?
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Background
• To fill in some of the blanks…– Things Fall Apart is set during a period of
British colonial rule of Nigeria in the late 1800s– Nigeria became a British colony in 1886
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More history…
• Christian missionaries arrived in Nigeria in the mid-1800s, and by the end of the century had begun a strong conversion campaign … they wanted to African people to embrace Christianity.
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Ibo Background
• The traditional Ibo religion was based on an earth goddess and a creator god.
• Many other deities and spirits were also honored.
• Animal were often sacrificed as offerings in religious ceremonies.
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Ibo Background
• The Ibo were subsistence farmers, which means they grew crops to survive.– Men = yams (the manly crop)
– Women = other
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Ibo Background
• The Ibo village was part of a clan network made up of about five thousand people who were– Led by a council of men that made decisions
democratically– Shared a common market and meeting place
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Discussion Questions
• Okonkwo believes that strength and toughness are more important than compassion and gentleness.– In what circumstances might this attitude help a
person succeed?
– When could it cause problems?
• The European missionaries want the Ibo to change their way of life.– Why do some people want to impose their culture on
another?
– Can one culture judge another by its own standards?
– When do you think it’s acceptable to encourage a group of people to change their way of life? When is it not acceptable?
• Is this an African novel?