Things That Fall Apart – Essay Sample
Things That Fall Apart – Essay Sample
- Why didn’t Okwonko openly show his fondness for Ikemefuna?Okwonko did not want to appear weak, or feminine, to the other men in the village. As a result, Okwonko helped to kill Ikemefuna. Part of his motivation was his shame over his weak father.
- Describe the Feast of the New Yam.The Feast of the New Yam took place every year before the harvest to honor the earth goddess and ancestral spirits. Yams had to be given as an offering in the ritual before any could be eaten by the villagers.
- Why did Okwonko beat his 2ndwife before the new yam festival?Okwonko beat her for failing to feed her children before she left. He was subsequently criticized by the village priest for beating her because it was an insult to the earth goddess.
- What news did Ogbuefi Ezueda bring Okwonko concerning IkemefunaObuefi Ezueda informed Okwonko that the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves had pronounced that Ikemefuna had to be killed.
- What did Okwonko do to Ikemefuna? Why?He helped to kill him in order not to appear weak in front of the other men.
- Explain what an obanje child is.An ogbanje is a wicked child who, after dying, reenters their mother’s womb to be born again. It is nearly impossible to bring up an ogbanje child without it dying unless its iyi-uwa is found and destroyed.
- Why did Okwonko have to leave his clan? Where did he go? How long did he have to stay away?After Okwonko’s gun went off at a funeral killing Ezeudu’s son, he was sent into exile for seven years to appease the gods. He went to Mbanta.
- After 2 years in exile what news did Obierika bring to Okwonko in Mbanta? What is an “iron horse”?Obierika tells Okwonko that the village of Abame has been destroyed by the white man. An “iron horse” is a bicycle.
- What piece of land did the men give the missionaries to build their shrine? Why?The men gave a portion of the Evil Forest to the missionaries as revenge for their boasts of victory over the local religion and traditions.
- Why did Okwonko beat Nwoye?Okwonko beat him so that he wouldn’t grow up to be weak and effeminate, as he believed his father had been.
- How did Okwonko feel about his son’s existence?Okwonko felt that Nwoye was unworthy and brought shame upon him because he behaved in a womanly manner.
- What is an osu?An osu is a person dedicated to a god, and so is set apart. An osu, for example, was prohibited from attending an assembly of the freeborn.
- In addition to a church, what else did the colonists bring to Umuofia?The colonists brought change that threatened to sweep away the clan’s traditions and change the people of Umuofia’s traditional way of life.
- Why did the egwugwu destroy Mr. Brown’s church?The egwugwu destroyed the church because one of them had been unmasked during a ceremony to honor the earth goddess. They believed their gods and religion had been insulted.
- What did Okwonko do after killing the messenger? Why do you think he did it?Okwonko hanged himself after killing the messenger. I believe he committed suicide because he had vowed never to be taken prisoner and because feared his people would not fight to protect themselves from the incursions of the white government.
