THINGS FALL APART – What Falls Apart? And Why?What Falls Apart: okonkwo’s world has fallen apartWhy it Falls Apart: the white man came to Umuofia and brought in a religion, which opposing to the igo’s culture. Okonkwo being a firm believer of his culture and tried to resist the change that was brought in. However, he alone did not have the chance to persuade his clan as he has been in exile for seven years. As the white men have brought in trading store were very much in the people ’s eyes and minds. The clan’s culture has changed and so okonkwo ‘s plans for his return has failed. Eventually he lost everything that he has. He could not change thus he is stuck within struggle for power. Okonkwo could not lead his clan to defend against the white men and felt that it is useless for him to stay in this world.Evidence: there were many men and women in umoufia who did not feel as strongly as okonkwo about the new dispensation.What Falls Apart: The Ibo Society in Umuofia has fallen apart.

Why it Falls Apart: -It was caused by the changes the missionaries had brought with them to Umuofia. They introduced a new religion to replace the original one, which had held people in the village together. Evidence: The white men claimed that they had a more almighty god and accused the Ibo people of praying to false gods, gods made up of wood and stone. They took a clever and strong approach to introducing the religion to the villagemen, using songs and story. The songs were joyful, bright, and seemed to give people a sense of hope. Because of that, some of them were enthralled by it, and one of them was Nwoye. He felt a sense of relief and calm from the song, and the hymm seemed to act as a medicine for his trauma at seeing the abandoned twins and knowing that Ikemefuna was killed. The people who were converts later on probably also felt a sense of hope that Nwoye had felt, if not a sense of belonging. Hence, eventually, he converted to Christianity, breaking his ties with Okonkwo as a result. Many converts also broke their ties with their family, along with their identity of being an Ibo. From here, we can see that the society in Umuofia is slowly falling apart, with some of its people gone.What Falls Apart: Relations in between people in the tribe.    Why it Falls Apart: After the missionaries arrived, they start introducing their religion to the natives. Moreover, they started schools and hospitals and even trading stores. People of the tribe soon began converting their religion as they thought their old religion was too harsh that they could not accept it. Even the exiles were being accepted by the church. People were too engrossed with the new religion, govenment and businesses that they started to neglect their own religion and culture. Due to such massive changes, the tribal people seemed to have split themselves into two different groups. One where they still believe in their own culture, while the other is those who have converted and started anew. Thus it leads to relations to have broken down among the people. Many do not behave the way they used to due to the new ideas being occupied in their mind.Evidence: -As quoted, 'Now he has won our brothers, and our clan no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.'

-As quoted, 'He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women.'-Upon knowing Nwoye had converted to a christian, Okonkwo uncontrollably started to hit him as he thought it was a shame to convert one's religion. Thus, Okonkwo warned his other sons that if they were to convert just like Nwoye he will disown them immediately.What falls apart:The culture and beliefs of the Igbo tribe Why it falls apart :The arrival of the white people and the new religion of ChristianityEvidence:During the second part of the novel,the tribe gradually succumbs to the new religion of the white people.This is seen when they convince many members of the tribe to leave their old beliefs behind and to convert to Christianity.We can also see this when they allow the outcasts of the tribe to join the new religion. The white people frequently pitch their new religion by putting them down and calling them pieces of wood with no meaning.By repeatedly doing this,they actually manage to convince the members of the tribe to convert to Christianity.Okonkwo is affected by this when he realizes that his clan has become “womanly” and that his clan was not how it used to be.He thinks that the members of his clan were no longer the warriors they used to be.The culture of the tribe slowly falls apart as the integrity of the tribe is weakened by the new religion that the white man brings.One way we can see that the culture of the tribe is lost when Enoch kills the ancestor of the tribe.The tribe was unable to deal with him as such a thing had never happened before.What Enoch did was blatant disrespect for the culture and beliefs of the tribe.What falls apart: Okonkwo's lifeWhy it falls apart: In the incident where his gun blows up and fatally wounds another classman, Okonkwo's life falls apart as he and his family are banished to the motherland for 7 years. Everything that he has achieved, built up fell apart in just a split second. He has built himself up to be a self made man, striving to be the leader of the tribe, he acheived titles, fame, respect from the village, yet it was loss. His life that was once submerged in wealth, fame, superiority fell apart, leaving a diminished state. He lost everything.Evidence:He knew what he lost:" He knew that he had lost his aplce among the nine masked spirits who administered justice in the clan.""He had lost the chance to lead his warlike clan against the new religion, which, he was told, had gained ground.""He had lost the years in which he might have taken the highest titles in the clain""But some of these losses were not irreparable"He shot a boy:" Okonkwo's gun had exploded and a piece of irion had pierced the boy's heart"What he has achieved: "His fame rested on solid personal achievements"" Won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages""He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yam"What falls apart: One of the many things that fell apart in the novel was family. After Okonkwo was exiled to his motherland, things began to crumble with the introduction to colonization. Nwoye revolted against Okonkwo and converted into

Christianity, which then further worsened his ties with his father.  Why it falls apart: The main reason why Okonkwo fell out with Nwoye was Okonkwo's oppressive methods of parenting.  Evidence: Okonkwo was extremely restrictive and abusive towards Nwoye, imposing his beliefs on him and forcing him to be what Okonkwo deemed as a true man. Nwoye, a soft and warm child, struggled in the shadow of his powerful and demanding father. His objection to his father's beliefs and acts turned into pure embitterment towards him and his ways. When the missionaries came, Nwoye ceased the opportunity and joined them, an escape from Okonkwo and the violent practices of the Igbo culture. As a result, Okonkwo severed all ties with him and the harmony in the family is disrupted.What Falls Apart: Umofia 's traditions ,religion ,culture and practices Why it falls Apart: Introduction of the Christianity by Mr. Brown , Reverend Smith and the rest Evidence:   1. Chapter 20, conversation between Obierika and Okonkwo. " Does the white man understand our custom about land?" "How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart."religion had failed to hold the Unmofia people together . 2. chapter 18, several osu, or outcasts came to convert to Christians .Mr. Kiaga accepted them despite the other converts' objection .He argues that they will not die if they cut their hair or break any of the other taboos that have been imposed upon them. 3. Okonkwo cannot believe that his clan has not driven the white men and their church out. 4. chapter 22, Enoch , an Umofian who converted to Christianity unmasked an egwuwu  during the annual ceremony to honor the earth deity . In the tradition of Umofia ,These sacred spirits must not be angered or tampered with. The worst sin a clansman can commit is to unmask an Egwugwu.

 5. Chapter23, The leaders of Umofia were handcuffed and thrown in jail for several days, where they suffer insults and physical abuse.What Falls Apart: OkonkwoWhy it Falls Apart:Okonkwo fell apart due to his pride. He also fell apart as he could not let go of the past and accept change.Evidence:Okonkwo was too proud to show his emotions, thinking that showing emotions was weak. He feared being known as weak as he could not forget the shame his "weak" father had brought upon the family. Therefore, he bottled everything up inside and did not talk to anyone about how he felt. All the while during his 7 years of exile, he had only been planning his return to his original tribe. Showing that he could not let go of his past as well. Finally, when Nwoye had joined the Christians, Okonkwo had not been able to accept the change of religion and Nwoye defiance as Nwoye had never done anything against him before. Finally, after all the change happening around Okonkwo, that he could not cope with, he committed suicide and "fell apart".hat Falls Apart: Beliefs and religions fall apart

Why it Falls Apart: European powers had influenced and intruded into the villagers’ mindsets, hence affecting and changing their belief system. Numerous outcasts of the tribe found solace in the beliefs the white missionaries offered. They were also greatly welcomed by the missionaries into their cultures, giving them a great sense of acceptance they did not used to possess. Hence, conversion was often seen and religious and cultural values of the tribe which once were respected by all were now destroyed and gone. This led to the falling apart of their beliefs and religions.

Evidence:

- Nwoye was affected and attracted to the new religion introduced to him. In the first place, he was displeased with the requirements of his strongly ambitious father who was largely influenced by their religion and culture. Enticed, he underwent the conversion and became a Christian.

-Many pregnant women who were forced to cast away their newborn twins turned to Christianity

-Men without titles and power proceeded to join the churches where everyone is treated equally and fairly.What Falls Apart: Umuofia

Why it Falls Apart: Caused by the actions or inactions of both the African tribes and the 'white' people spreading their religion

Evidence: Before the whites had entered, Umuofia was still working as a whole. However, the whites arrived and had managed to convert a few villagers to their religion.

These villagers had converted because they realised that in the new religion, everyone was treated equally whereas in their village, they were the dregs of society. Here the seamless environment of the tribes has begun to fracture, however the natives had ignored it because they felt the villagers who defected were too useless to do much harm to them, and so they did not take any actions towards it. When Mr. Brown was replaced by Reverend Smith, the group started to get more violent. Eventually, they had destroyed the villagers' religion as they had unmasked one of the 'spirits' of the village, and also killed an animal which was sacred. At this point, we can tell that much of Umofia is in chaos. Eventually, when Okonkwo killed one of the white people, the whole village failed to rally to help him as they had already been humbled by the whites. It is at this point that we can clearly see that Umuofia has fractured beyond the point of no return.What falls apart: The beliefs Nwoye had in his father, Okonkwo.

(Eg: Okonkwo is violent but he is not vile and evil. Whatever his father does is for his village, because of the society they are in.)

[Eg: A man must be strong and able to fight. He must not be like a woman so weak.]

Why it falls apart:

-      They were forced into him in the first place (they did not have roots which meant they can be easily wavered.) -      He did not have much interest in the beliefs his father tried instilling into him. He accepted them into his life because he was simply just afraid of his father’s rage.-      The effect was enhanced when he learnt that Ikemefuna’s murderer was Okonkwo, but he was still fearful of his father. (lead to a change in his mindset started rejecting, creating barrier between his father and himself, just like when Okonkwo rejected his own father, Unoka.)-      Okonkwo continues to be violent. (His father never learns his lesson.)-      His opinion of Okonkwo (the person who shaped his beliefs) worsens day by day.-      Wavered when Christianity came in. (found it very similar to story of Ikemefuna)-      Finally, it falls apart when Okonkwo accused him of betraying his own religion when he did not. (he was hesitating because of the beliefs he originally had.)

Evidence:

-      “As soon as his father walked in, that night, Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna had been killed, and something seemed to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow.” Page 54-      “The words of the hymm were like drops of frozen rain melting on the dry palate of the panting earth. Nwoye’s callow mind was greatly puzzled.” Page 129-      “After passing and repassing by the church, Nwoye returned home.” Page 132-      “”Answer me!”, he roared again. Nwoye stood looking at him and did not say a word.” Pge 133-      “Nwoye walked away and never returned.” Page 133

What Falls Apart: Okonkwo’s relationship with his son, Nwoye

Why it Falls Apart: The primary cause of the estranged relationshipbetween Okonkwo and Nwoye was the invasion of the Christian religioninto the Igbo culture. As the number of Christians converts from the Igbosociety grew, Nwoye secretly became more attracted to the religion andwanted to attend the Sunday church service, but he fears the wrath ofhis father should he enters the church. Only when Okonkwo's cousin seesNwoye inside the Christian church one day did Okonkwo find out. Okonkwohated the foreign culture and felt that it insulted and overpowered theUmofian culture and its ancestors. Given the father son relationship betweenOkonkwo and Nwoye, Okonkwo would become a laughing stock as he would bedeemed as unable to control his family and to influence them to comply withhim to steer clear of the Christians. Nwoye could not envisage himself fromthe new culture to obey his father in opposing the Christian missionaries andthus ran away. Okonkwo also did not regard Nwoye as his son from that dayonwards and thus the father son bond fell apart as a result of both partiesbeing stubborn and not giving ways to each other. Should Okonkwo have notcared so much about his pride and his image to his fellowman and attemptedto accept the new culture and tried to integrate them into the local society,Nwoye would not have ran away but rather, enjoyed an improved relationshipas Nwoye would better appreciate the understanding of Okonkwo. Okonkwoshould definitely not value his pride and image at the expense of losing hisson. Nwoye could have also attempted to reason with his father the alluringaspects of the new culture and why it was so different from the Umofianculture. Even if Okonkwo had not listen to Nwoye advice, Nwoye could haveapologized to Okonkwo first before bringing the matter up at a later date ashe should have treasured the relationship and not be so brash.

Evidence:“Okonkwo is furious with his son's action, but he concludes that Nwoye isnot worth his anger.”

“Okonkwo fears that, after his death, his younger sons will abandonthe family ancestors because they have become attracted to the newreligion. “Okonkwo wonders how he gave life to such a foolish and womanlyson, one who resembles his grandfather, Unoka, in so many ways.”“When he starts to beat Nwoye with a heavy stick, his uncle Uchendudemands that Okonkwo leave his son alone. Nwoye leaves the hut and neverreturns.”What Falls Apart : The Relationship between Okonkwo and NwoyeWhy it Falls Apart : Nwoye is constantly in the shadow of Okonkwo’s success and social standing within the clan, and Okonkwo constantly has high expectations for Nwoye, for he wants him to be as successful as he currently is, and not following in the footsteps of Okonkwo’s father, Unoka. Therefore, Okonkwo is always very hard on Nwoye, so as to push him forward. However, this creates a negative impact on Nwoye’s attitude towards

Okonkwo. However, when Christianity is introduced to the clan, Nwoye finds hope and faith within the religion, and becomes part of the converts. Eventually, Nwoye is unable to put up with Okonkwo’s oppressive attitude and leaves home.Evidence : Nwoye joining the converts despite Okonkwo’s objection, and Nwoye’s leaving of home to studying in a school.What Falls Apart: The relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye falls apart. Why it falls apart: A series of things happened before the relationship between the father and son fell apart. Initially, Nwoye feared Okonkwo because of his fiery temper and strictness. He tried to appease Okonkwo by listening to him, working hard and pretending to like masculine stories, when in actual fact, he preferred the stories that his mother told him. Their relationship was closer upon the arrival of Ikemefuna, a boy who was offered to the people of Okonkwo's tribe because somebody from Ikemefuna's village had murdered someone from Umuofia. Nwoye treated Ikemefuna as his big brother, and follows what Ikemefuna does. As Ikemefuna was capable and useful, Okonkwo liked him. Nwoye tried to be as good as Ikemefuna and did lots of things that made Okonkwo happy. In a way, Ikemefuna was the one who bridged the gap between Okonkwo and Nwoye. Ironically, he was also the one who made the two fell apart. The relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye fell apart because Ikemefuna was killed by Okonkwo. Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the oldest man in this quarter of Umuofia, had already told Okonkwo to stay away from the killing of Ikemefuna, but Okonkwo turned a deaf ear and executed Ikemefuna because he was more concerned about his reputation than Ikemefuna. The relationship was further worsened when Nwoye changed his religion. Evidence: In the novel, when Ikemefuna cried for help to Okonkwo when he knew he was going to be killed, Okonkwo did not save him and "drew his matchet and cut him down". He did that because "He was afraid of being thought weak". This goes to show that Okonkwo valued his reputation more than other things. He could bear to sacrifice someone, even if it was his son, in order to maintain his reputation. Next, "As soon as his father walked in, that night, Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna had been killed, and something seemed to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow". In this case, it was his respect for his father that had snapped and it marks the falling apart of the father and son. Nwoye was depressed because of the death of Ikemefuna, but he was also sad because of his father not saving Ikemefuna. Next, in chapter sixteen, when Obierika asked Nwoye why he was with the missionaries and how was his father, Nwoye replied "I don't know. He is not my father".  Nwoye had severed ties with his father and does not acknowledge Okonkwo as his father and it once again shows that the relationship between them had fallen apart. In chapter seventeen, when it was said that Nwoye had accepted the new faith, Okonkwo was furious. He even "seized a heavy stick that lay on the dwarf wall and hit him two or three savage blows". After which, Okonkwo thought a lot and kept criticizing Nwoye. He was ashamed of having Nwoye as his son. "Living fire begets cold, impotent ash." In this case, living fire refers to Okonkwo while the cold, impotent ash refers to Nwoye. It means that the powerful and mighty Okonkwo has a useless boy as a son. Okonkwo was disappointed at his son. This worsened the already strained relationship they had with each other.What Falls Apart: The relationship between Nwoye and Okonkwo.

Why it Falls Apart: Nwoye could not get along well with Okonkwo due to their lack of understanding of each other. Okonkwo, being a traditional man, he strongly disagrees to Nwoye switching religions to become a Christian. To him, he feels that Christianity is just a religion of the whites, and feels that those whites were madmen when they were giving speeches. He was only supportive of his own religion. He showed his opposition so strongly, that he used a stick to whack Nwoye, and even threatened to kill him. However, Nwoye, on the other hand, was supportive of the new religion, as he felt that the new religion gave him a sense of comfort. He did not see why he could not join the Christians, nor could he understand why Okonkwo opposed so strongly. Also, as he could not stand Okonkwo's violence towards him anymore, he even left home. Hence, as they could not share the same opinions, and are unwilling to give in to each other, their relationship was ultimately strained, to the extent that Nwoye left home forever.

Evidence: Pg 126, '"I don't know, He is not my father," said Nwoye unhappily.' Pg 129, "He felt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul." Pg 133, '"Answer me," roared Okonkwo, "before I kill you!"'

1.        What Falls Apart: The village of Umuofia and their way of life falls apart.Why it Falls Apart: When the whites enter Umuofia, many people have joined the Christian missionaries, abandoning their fellow tribesmen. This causes destruction towards the strength of the village as a whole as many people have left. For example, Nwoye (Okonkwo’s son), Nneka (Woman who always bore twins and seen as bad luck for the family), the osu and many others joined the missionaries

Evidence: “Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” This passage clearly ties the destruction of the Igbo people’s way of life

 

2.        What Falls Apart: Okonkwo’s life falls apartWhy it Falls Apart:

Many events in Okonkwo’s life has contributed to his falling apart. For example, when Ikemefuna, the boy he has taken care of, Okonkwo's ideal son, is sentenced to death. He ends up delivering the killing blow to Ikemefuna and after that, he becomes weaker emotionally. Also, when he accidentally kills a clansman’s son at the funeral from a gun misfunction and was exiled to his motherland, he is disheartened. When his son converted to

the Christianity, Okonkwo was disappointed. Lastly, he fell apart when he killed himself.

Evidence:

“Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after the death of Ikemefuna. He drank palm-wine from morning till night” Pg 55

“Okonkwo had yielded to despair and he was greatly troubled” Pg 115

“Why, he cried in his heart, should he, Okonkwo of all people be cursed with such a son?”

“Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling, and they stopped dead.”

What falls apart: Family RelationshipsWhy it falls apart and evidence: The falling apart of Okonkwo's family is evident throughout the novel, especially between Nwoye and Okonkwo. Between Nwoye and Okonkwo, the reason behind their strained relationship is because of Okonkwo's fear and the wrong way of showing concern. Okonkwo actually wanted Nwoye to succeed and prosper as a real man, and he thought that the best way to discipline is through violence. He didn't want his son to grow up as a failure like his father, Unoka.  (page 13: "and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating.")(Page 51:"Nwoye overheard it and burst into tears, where upon his father beat him heavy.")   The fatherly Okonkwo had the right intention, but the wrong way to show his care and concern for Nwoye. This had shaped Nwoye the wrong way, making him very afraid of his father's presence. This can be seen from page 55 of the novel. When okonkwo asked Nwoye to sit by him, "but the boy was afraid of him and slipped out of the hut as soon as he noticed him dozing." This proved the weakness of their relationship- Strong only at the surface, but strained beneath. It had also caused Nwoye to develop "into a sad-faced youth." (page 13)The father and son between Okonkwo and Nwoye could be said to be totally broken towards the end of the novel, when Nwoye changed his religion into Christian, an undoubtedly great taboo to Okonkwo. In page 133, Nwoye was said to "walked away and never returned". This marks that their relationship was now beyond salvage.  Okonkwo even chose to believe that Nwoye was not his real son (page 134: "Perhaps he was not his son. No! He could not be") For a father to have disowned his own son, it shows the final breakage of family ties and all blood relations between Okonkwo and Nwoye (FALLEN APART).

Okonkwo's family relationships may also had fallen apart due to his personal belief. His relationship was governed by his own belief, principles and his own "right things to do". To Okonkwo, a successful man is one that controls wives and children. Indeed, he lived up to his belief and treated his entirely family strictly (page 12: "Okonkwo ruled his household with heavy hands."), while deep down within him, "Okonkwo was not a cruel man." (page 12.) Therefore, while Okonkwo strives to shine and succeed, he was hurting

everyone around him, therefore affecting his relationship with them. To Okonkwo, showing affection is a show of weakness. Therefore, he would never treat his family well and shower them with love and care.(Page 25: "To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth displaying was strength.") Okonkwo's only way to show his love and care was through more violence and more nagging, which was difficult to be interpreted to be of good intention. The family was therefore filled with fear of his presence, instead of love and happiness. A household like this- violent and fearful instead of happy and secure, is therefore said to have fallen apart inside, in the emotions of all members, even though Okonkwo still managed to make it looked so strong and prosperous on the outside.What things fall apart: Okonkwo never regrets what he do, always have the confidence and takes pride in the things that he done. However, when Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, he regrets and his character fall apart, lose cofidence in himself.?Why things fall apart: Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna which he treats as his son just because he was afraid to be thought weak. Despite his love for him, he killed him, and he regrets and was no longer himself for two days. His strong and proud character fall apart in this scene.?Evidence: page 53 to 55- did not taste any food for two days- did not sleep at night?- tried not to think about Ikemefuna, but the more he thought about himName: Kwek Yan QingClass: 3LYRegister Number: 22

What Falls Apart: Okonkwo's dream of Nwoye becoming a man.

Why it Falls Apart: Okonkwo, being a man who feared idleness and gentleness, did not show his love openly. That had resulted people into thinking that he is cold hearted, including his son who he had high hopes for, but was often disappointed by his laziness. With all the beatings daily, Nwoye could not take it anymore, and was actually always hoping he could get away from his father, so when the Christians offered a faith in which all his questions could be satisfied and away from his father's 'cruel' methods he chose it. And when Okonkwo knew about it, he discredited his son and he was filled with utter sadness on how his son had joined the opposite side and was now unable to be the man that he saw his son as.

Evidence:'But he left hold of Nwoye, who walked away and never returned.'(Page 133), 'And immediately Okonkwo's eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. Living fire begets cold ash.'(Page 135)What Falls Apart: The life of the Ibo

Why it Falls Apart: The colonisation of the white men

Evidence: The first sign of colonisation was that a white man appeared at Abame riding an iron horse. The elders consulted their Oracle and it told them that the strange man

would break their clan and spread destruction among them. And so the people killed him and tied his iron horse to their sacred tree as it looked as if it would run away to call the man’s friends. This probably provoked the white men that they brought a large number of their men and shot everyone at the market. Abame was hence wiped out.

The white men had reached Umuofia and established a church there. They sent in missionaries to instil peace by promoting their religion as the beginning stages of colonisation. If they can change the beliefs of the tribe, they will be able to control the people more easily and the people will trust them too.

The foreign religion was introduced and it started to tear the Ibo structure which was somewhat based on the strength of a family unit. This led to the separation of Okonkwo and his son. When Okonkwo found out that Nwoye was seen among the Christians, he was so overwhelmed with fury that he sprang to his feet and gripped him by the neck. And when Nwoye was freed, he walked away and never returned as he decided to attend the missionary school.

At first, the white men came peacefully and quietly but now, the white men had also brought a government. They had built a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in ignorance. The missionaries had created division within the religion of the Ibo society. Government was then introduced smoothly as the people of the Ibo society could not stay united to protect their way of life.

Umuofia seemed ready to stand up against colonisation and this warmed Okonkwo’s heart to see such strength of numbers at the meeting at the market-place. However, the court messengers came to stop this meeting. Seeing this, Okonkwo stood up and killed the head messenger with his matchet. The people had broken into tumult instead of action. Okonkwo was disheartened as he saw the people not rising up against their oppressors but to let the other messengers escape.

In the end, colonisation finally drove Okonkwo to end his life as the oppression is too great for his divided tribe to overcome. Hence, he rather took his life than becoming the sufferer of colonisation.   What Falls Apart:       Relationship between Okonkwo and NwoyeWhy it Falls Apart: Conflict

Evidence:  Okonkwo was unable to adapt or compromise his ethics to changing situations that call for more tolerance or compassion. As if Okonkwo didn’t have enough on his plate, the white Christian missionaries shown up, started converting villagers, and forced the English system of government on the Igbo people. Essentially the white men were destroying the clan’s unity. Even Okonkwo’s oldest son joins the Christians. Now Okonkwo is faced with enemies of a different kind – not simply fear of himself or his sons becoming womanly, but the potential that his whole tribe will be impotent and not fight the white men. Okonkwo had whose sense of pride and dignity continues until the end, making him against so much when he knew his son, Nwoye joined the Christians. He chose to express his anger towards Nwoye.

  In fact, “Nwoye turned round to walk into the inner compound when his father, suddenly overcome with fury, sprang to his feet and gripped him by the neck. “Where have you been?” he stammered. Nwoye struggled to free himself from the choking grip,” showed the violence on Okonkwo towards Nwoye. His this action was usually reserved for enemies or people whom one hates a lot. Yet, he had done this to his own son, was not treating his son as his son. He was actually brutally assessing his son as his enemy because he had forsaken the religion that Okonkwo believed. Besides, “Answer me,” roared Okonkwo, “Before I kill you!” also expressed the inhumane and brutal of Okonkwo by threatening to kill his own son. This is yet another one of Okonkwo’s anger being unleashed upon his son.

  Okonkwo violence and his inability to adapt changes had made Nwoye left him eventually and joined Christians. His relationship with Nwoye was “falling apart”.what falls apart: Umofian tribe and the religion that holds them together

why it falls apart:

1. arrival and influence of christian missionaries2. difference in reaction of Umofians ie. some of they accept the missionaries and become a part of them while others violently opposed them3. Umofians' faith in their religion was not strong enough to withstand the arrival of Christianity, also not strong enough to keep them together

evidence:

The main reason that led to the tribe falling apart was that their faith in their religion and beliefs was not strong enough to withstand the arrival of Christianity and it was also not strong enough to keep the Umofians together, and the main cause of this was the arrival of the Christian missionaries. When the white men first arrived with their religion, Mr Brown tried his very best to get Umofians to convert to Christians and believe in Christianity. Because he seemed friendly and approachable, many Umofians warmed up to him and were okay with his presence in the village. They even allowed the missionaries to build their church in the evil forest. With this, the missionaries got their first three converts.

After four days, where the missionaries were expected to die, the church was still there and the men were healthy. Because of this, they won over a handful more of converts. As time went by, more and more Umofians converted to Christians as they believed that the new religion was even more powerful that the evil sprits of the clan, and the missionaries treated each and every convert equally, regardless of whether or not they were outcasts of the clan.As Christianity grew stronger within Umofia, the Umofian religion grew weaker and the clan was further divided into two halves. Those that still held on to their Umofian beliefs grew lesser and lesser, and only a few opposed the missionaries as violently as Okonkwo. There was nothing the tribe could do about the Christians; they could not kill the converts as they were still kinsmen. Eventually, Mr Brown built a trading store, a school and even a government. In this sense, Umofia was slowly becoming a city similar to those of England's, and it was losing it's original appearance and values. Umofia was falling apart, and as it was becoming "modernized", it was losing it's original beliefs, it's traditions, it's way of life; it was falling apart.As Umofia and Umofians alike slowly adapt to the new way of life and change to live as the "white men" do, they lose what once held them together- their Umofian beliefs and traditions. Okonkwo knew that it was too late to undo what the missionaries had done, and he knew that Umofia would be "destroyed" as it was no longer what it once used to be. He could not bear to see it happening before his eyes and he committed suicide.Okonkwo's suicide can also be seen as a representation of Umofia's fate. It would soon change into a village completely dominated by the "white men" and their religion, and it would keep on changing until it eventually was not Umofia anymore, until it finally "died". What once used to be a glorious tribe, has now fallen apart, much like how what once used to be a great man, has now passed on.What Falls Apart: Relationships between Okonkwo and NwoyeWhy it Falls Apart: The killing of Ikemefuna. Evidence: After the killing of Ikemefuna, Nwoye is unable to speak to his father and their relationship collapses from that moment. With the source of 'manliness' (Ikemefuna) gone, Okonkwo feels that Nwoye has became more and more feminine, making him push him further. However, his plan backfires and the relationship between the two parties slowly degenerate instead. The breaking point was when Nwoye, being unable to tolerate his father and clan customs joined the white missionaries (Christianity).What Falls Apart: Nwoye's trust in his societyWhy it Falls Apart: Nwoye saw the cruelty in the customs and traditions, through the incident when he and his mother heard the cries of the infant that had been thrown into the evil forest. He felt disgusted and a little frightened at that time. Also, the death of Ikemefuna, a boy who had done nothing but provide joy to Nwoye's househood showed the unfairness of the society (why did Ikemefuna have to die when it wasn't his fault??)

Evidence:(refering to the twins being thrown into the forest) "vague chill had descended on him and his head had seemed to swell"(refering to Ikenefuna's death)"something seemed to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow."

What Falls Apart:Nwoye's relationship with OkonkwoWhy does it Fall Apart:Nwoye was appalled by Okonkwo's murder of Ikemefuna, his "brother", for his own pride and honour.Evidence: Before the murder, Nwoye tried to accomodate Okonkwo's wishes for him to be manly and domineering like himself, partially due to Ikemefuna's influence. However, after the murder, Nwoye felt something "give way" within him, any form of admiration he had for his father. Thus, he went against his father's wishes and joined the Christian missionaries. When accosted by Obierika, Nwoye stated that Okonkwo was not his father, and when beaten by Okonkwo, he remained expressionless, showing how he no longer considered Okonkwo's existence as meaningful to him. Okonkwo also disowned Nwoye, bringing their blood ties to a definite end.What falls apart: Okonkwo's familyWhy it falls apart: firstly, their family bond was not even strong in the first place. the relationship between okonkwo and his wives was as such "Do what you are told woman". everything that his wives did were based on a orderly routine constructed by okonkwo and everybody had to listen to him regardless of whether he was right or wrong. i can also infer that he did not truly love his wives or treat them as equal partners. dus to his culture, he felt that women were below him and treated them that way. the chores they did and the meals they cooked, were taken for granted.he never showed appreciation at all. there was also no nakedness in the family. everybody was lying to one another even though both parties knew they were lying they still did it anyway which showed that they had this wall in between them, they could not open up to one another and there was no honesty in the family but lies and deceit. how can a family be close, a bond that will not be broken if they are not honest with one another?tthere was no room for negotiation or communication. even if one disagreed to okonkwo's actions, one must still obey and respect it.  that is why, when Ikemefuna died, when nwoye converted to a christian, the family just kept falling apart until Okonkwo finally killed himself. because, no one in the family, was there to support or help one another to make sure that each other were safe. there was no sense of belonging, it was as if, they lived together but not in heart. Evidence: ruled his family with an iron fist, when Okonkwo was beating up his third wife his wives only dared to ask him to stop from afar, and they knew there was nothing they could do. when his third wife was missing, his first wife covered up for her, and okonkwo pretended not to know. nwoye had to pretend to be manly just to please okonkwo and could not jsut be himself ( i thought family was the ONE place you could just be yorself, silly and all ad will always be accepted?) One thing that falls apartWhat falls apart: The clan which Okonkwo was in.Why it falls apart: Christianity took over the clan and gained the groundEvidence: 1 Ogbuefi Ugonna, who had taken two titles, cut the anklets of his titles and joined the Christians.2 They had built a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in ignorance. Some prisoners were men of title who should be above such mean occupation. 3 Their own men and sons have joined the ranks of the strangers. They have joined his religion and they help to uphold his government.

4 Okonkwo was deeply grieved, he mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and the men of Umuofia who had so unaccountably become soft like women.5 Enoch unmasked an egwugwu in public for the sake of Christians which was considered disrespectful.6 The Gods are weeping. Idemili is weeping. Ogwugwu is weeping. Their dead fathers are weeping because of the shameful sacrilege they are suffering.7 Okonkwo, the egoistic guy, could not bear with all these “fall aparts” which led to him hanging himself.What Falls Apart: OkonkwoWhy it Falls Apart: Okonkwo was unwilling to let go of the past. He is stubborn in his mindset and try his utmost hardest to keep things status quo. However, change is inevitable and this is what led to Okonkwo's downfall.  Okonkwo was a high and mighty man in the Ibo tribe. He was a man of fight and violence, and he never expressed his emotions. However, despite his power, he was still punished for beating his wife, thus he was fragile. When he was sent to seven years of exile, he kept holding on the the fact that he had made his name big in Umuofia. because of the seven years in exile, much of his power is lost and in order to gain back his power after seven years, Okonkwo plans to build more huts, marry more wives and become richer. This shows that he cannot let go of his past. When he went back after exile, everything changed and because he could not accept it, it led to his downfall. Okonkwo's life starts falling apart the moment he was sent to exile.Evidence:- Okonkwo was punished for beating his wife during the week of peace, where no one was supposed to display any violence.- Okonkwo's adopted son, Ikemefuna was sentenced to die and because of his pride, he ended up delivering the killing blow to kill Ikemefuna.- Okonkwo kills a fellow clansman accidentaly at the funeral and is sentenced to seven years in exile.- Okonkwo did not allow Nwoye to convert into a christian and thus disowned his own son.- Okonkwo gets fed up with his fellow clansmen for betraying the Ibo culture that leads him to kill a colonialist messenger.- Okonkwo kills himself finallyWhat things fall apart: Okonkwo and his life

Why things fall apart: The reason why Okonkwo’s life fell into pieces was because of his stubborn pride and overly dominant character. He was unable to accept the fact that life was going to be different for him when he returned to Umuofia 7 years after his exile, it was going to be harder to rise to that status he was originally from, especially when there were the Christian missionaries in control. His life fell apart when he could not take the

pressure anymore and rebelled against the Christians, causing him to be locked up with five other men for the same crime. He pinned too high hopes for himself, and hoped very much to return to Umuofia in a grand manner that will be recognised by everyone, yet no one paid much attention to it even though he had planned for his daughters’ marriages. He was unable to take things which were not in his favor, hence he took action by killing the Christian messenger, which expressed his anger and hatred for the people who had sort of diverted the people of Umuofia away from their original religion and culture. As Okonkwo was unable to cope with putting all his things together, he failed alone, as a man, just like his father had mentioned, and everything that he had had fell apart. The most grieving part of it was that he failed alone, and died alone, just like his father, when he had started off the exact opposite of him but ended up in a state like him.

 

Evidence: “Even in his first year of exile he had begun to plan for his return. The first thing he would do would be to rebuild his compound on a more magnificent scale. He would build a bigger barn than he had had before and he would build huts for two new wives. Then he would show his wealth by initiating his sons into the ozo society. Only the really great men in the clan were able to do this. Okonkwo saw clearly the high esteem in which hewould be held, and saw himself taking the highest title in  the land.”, ”Okonkwo’s  return to his native land was not as memorable as he had wished. It was true his two beautiful daughters aroused great interest among suitors...who had so unaccountably become soft like women.”

What Falls Apart: the clan

Why it Falls Apart:

The clan fell apart in part 3 of TFA. It is evident that things changed, and were not the way they used to be. Things started to change once Okonkwo went on exile. (Quote 1) The Christians were the mastermind behind the falling apart of the clan. They were the ones who caused all the drastic changes in Umuofia. 

The introduction of Christianity in Umuofia not only attracted the outcast and “agbala,” but also a person with authority in the clan, Ogbuefi. As a leader of the clan, Ogbuefi had great influence on the clan. In addition, the Abame incident had great impact on the clan and people were all afraid of going against the Christianity. With influence from a leader, and fright present in the people, more people started to join the Christianity and its government. These people lost the power to fight. Umuofia was no longer a village that practices wrestling. They, who had taken up the foreign religion, and claimed that its own religion was bad. This suggests the clan losing support as its people get drained to the Christianity. (Quote 2)

The Christians were clever people. They knew how to conquer and change the clan. They came quietly and peacefully. Yet, they have taken control of the clan, unnoticed. (Quote 3) Thus, we see that the clan has experienced drastic changes

and eventually fell apart.

Evidence:Quote 1 (pg 153) "Umuofia had indeed changed during the seven years Okonkwo had been in exile. "Quote 2 (pg 156) "he has won our brothers, and our clan no longer acts like one."Quote 3 (pg 156) "He has put a knife on the things that hgeld us together and we have fallen apart."What Falls Apart: Okonkwo's tribeWhy it Falls Apart: As the white missionaries come into the village, they brought with them the new religion of Christianity and at the same time, a new government that administrates the white men's laws and order. This, then throws Umuofia into chao as they did not expect the change. The missionaries wins over some coverts, but the coverts are the outcasts of the Ibo society, thus the Ibo people look down upon the white missionaries at first. They offered them a part of the Evil Forest to build the church, not knowing that the forest is only 'evil' due to their superstitious beliefs, and is actually harmless in the first place. After building the church, the white missionaries started to establish their government, and tries to colonize Umuofia. Then, attitudes of the Umuofians started to change towards the white missionaries due to the fact that their trade was boosted thanks to them, they became wealthier. Hence, the tribe began to fall apart as they stray from their roots and beliefs and lean towards the Christians. The arrival of the white missionaries and their Christainity weakens the kinship bonds that is central to Igbo culture. Ancestral worship plays an important role in Igbo religion, and conversion to Christianity involves a partial rejection of the Igbo structure of kinship. Evidence:The church wins many converts from the efulefu (titleless, worthless men). One day, several osu, or outcasts, come to church. Many of the converts move away from them, though they do not leave the service.

Mr. Kiaga’s steadfast conviction persuades most of the other converts not to reject their new faith simply because the outcasts have joined them. The osu soon become the most zealous members of the church.

The village leaders and elders offer them a plot in the Evil Forest, believing that the missionaries will not accept it. To the elders’ amazement, the missionaries rejoice in the offer. the elders are certain that the forest’s sinister spirits and forces will kill the missionaries within days. To their surprise, however, nothing happens, and the church soon wins its first three converts.What Falls Apart: Religious beliefs/ religionWhy it Falls Apart: The religion falls apart due to the introduction of the white missionaries. When the white missionaries first came into village, they were speaking through interpreters, mentioning that the gods that were upheld by them were apparently flase, and their own God was the one true god. Nwoye, who was affected the missionaries, changed his religious views. He was spotted being together with the

missionaries. When the missionaries firstly arrived in Umofia, the clansman had the evil intention of allowing the ‘spirits’ of the Evil Forest, to kill them. And thus, they told them to rest and stay within the Evil Forest. As mentioned earlier on in the novel, the Evil Forest was greatly feared by all, as religion sparked off the fear in them. It was said that the wouldn’t last 28 days. However, after a month, the missionaries were perfectly fine. This caused some minor doubt within the clansman, whether their religion is reliable or not. At that exact same time, the missionaries were preaching the clansman, and they had the church in place, so as to allow the followers to pray there. After managing to win a few hearts, the missionaries continued their preaching activities, and at the exact same time, they were coming down hard on the ‘fake’ religion that they believed in. Acknowledging the fact that they had indeed broken the traditional beliefs of the clansmen’s religion, they wanted to take this opportunity to ensure that their religion would take over their God. Moreover, the gods of the village were aimed to gather good cultivation, and achieve a good number of blessings to the family. However, the white missionaries spoke of their God, and they spoke of it in a better voice – to save the humans. This therefore, I believe is a reason why they managed to win the hearts of several supporters.

Evidence: Chapter 16, 17, 18

What Falls Apart: Families

(A little explanation: By families, I meant both Okonkwo and his tribe.)Why it Falls Apart:

1.     Okonkwo’s family fell apart because Okonkwo lost his son to a new religion, and ended up departing the remaining members of his family (by suicide). Him suiciding was a major part of his family falling apart as he is the head, leader, figure of authority, and commander of the family. He leads the family. Without him, the family has no one to lead them, no one to keep them together. They may just end up splitting ways and returning to their own tribes.

 

2.     Okonkwo’s tribe fell apart because of the introduction of a new religion, and more people shifting their belief to the new religion. With some not following the same religion, it showed that the tribe had fallen apart. Besides, they accepted the new religion at the start, and that was the main cause of them falling apart.

 Evidence:

1.     ‘he left hold of Nwoye, who walked away and never returned’ (this line explains the shift/ change of faith which led to the falling apart of the relationship between Nwoye and Okonkwo.)

‘Okonkwo’s body was dangling’ (This line is the reason for the inference of ‘They may just end up splitting ways and returning to their own tribes.’)

 

2.     ‘he has won our brothers, and our clan no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.’ (This line shows that even Obierika, a member of the tribe, knew that they were falling apart due to the introduction the new religion.

What Falls Apart: Okonkwo

Why it Falls Apart: He cannot deal with the change that the Christian Missionaries have brought with them. Okonkwo cannot bring himself to accept the drastic change of his society and culture. His whole life was built upon it, and when it changed, he fell apart. It is not easy to change life-long habits, for Okonkwo it is even harder because he had believed so strongly in it. When everything around him changed, he became disorientated because he no longer fits into the new culture and society. When he does not fit it anymore, the burden of standing alone in his own beliefs gets to him, and he falls apart.

Evidence: “He has put a knife on things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” This was what Okonkwo’s friend had said about the Christian Missionaries and their culture. This evidence shows the chain reaction of the impact of the new culture. Ultimately it will result in Okonkwo’s death. “He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women.” This evidence shows Okonkwo’s strong belief in the clan’s culture and also the strong attachment he feels towards his clan. Thus when the clan fell apart due to the new culture, he found it unacceptable. “Okonkwo stopped looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had led the other messengers escape. They had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in that tumult. He heard voices asking: ‘Why did he do it?’” this edvidence shows the difference between Okonkwo’s clansmen and himself. The clansmen were gradually coming to terms with the change about their lifestyle and culture. However Okonkwo had not. This evidence shows that he stands out among the rest because of his refusal and inability to accept the change. It also shows that he stands alone in his original beliefs. The fact that Okonkwo does not fit into the new culture adds on to the burden he feels of the change. This is the turning point where he finally falls apart and committed suicide.What Falls Apart: SelfWhy it Falls Apart: As time goes by and people spend their lives in a world riddled with chaos and unhappiness, it takes a toll on themselves. Whether it be due to family, money or social problems, our stressful environment leads us to self-destruction ultimately if we do not take the reins and steer ourselves back on track. Human beings are vulnerable by

nature, as such they are often hurt emotionally regardless of how strong they may appear to be. In our current society, freedom is taken away and slowly turning into what we call a civilised "eat or be eaten" world. We are forced to put up brave fronts even if we are truly cowering in our hearts, forced to live up to other people's expectations. This is but similar to the wild where caterpillars take up the appearance of a fierce predator or the stripes the tiger have to help it hide from its prey.Evidence: Okonkwo stubbornly held on to his manly beliefs, for fear that others may see him as a coward should he not attend Ikemefuna's killing. In his heart he could feel the doubt and his conscience telling him to not take part in it. Yet he followed the men into the forest with Ikemefuna to kill him, even dealing the final blow. After the killing, Okonkwo was deeply affected and could not think nor behave like he usually did. He didn't eat for two days and could not fall asleep for a period of time. This led to Okonkwo's character being shaken very badly and eventually the death of him when he could not handle the problems he faced after that trauma.

What Falls Apart:OkonkwoWhy it Falls Apart:Dilenma of whether to kill IkemefunaEvidence: In the novel, Okonkwo was in a dlienma at a point of time when the village decided to kill Ikemefuna, who was adopted by Okonkwo when he was brought to the village. Ikemefuna even calls Okonkwo father and Okonkwo loves the boy alot. However, he has to come to a decision of whether to kill Ikemefuna and in the end, he was the one who killed Ikemefuna personally just to save his reputation of being a chauvanist when he could have just turned a blind eye to let his tribemen do the job of killing Ikemefuna. This led to his downfall and it was a turning point of his life. Days before the Killing of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo was in conflict with himself as he did not know whether killing Ikemefuna was the correct choice. He was even so stressed that he confide in his wife, but ended up venting his anger on her as he was too stressed. He did not know whether or not to kill Ikemefuna and many people have persuaded him not to have a hand in this killing but in the end, because of is egoistic character and his thinking of showing emotions as weak, he kills ikemefuna who calls him'father'.What falls apart : okonkwo and nwoye's father-son relationshipWhy it falls apart : the 'new faith' has influenced nwoye, and he has attending it, sparking the conflict between father and son. also, it is due to okonkwo's harsh treatment of his son that caused Nwoye to leave and never return after the severe beating from Okonkwo.Evidence : in TFA, where Nwoye says 'he (okonkwo) is not my father', and when Okonkwo says 'he does not have a son like nwoye'.What falls apart: When Ikemefuna was being killed by Okonkwo, the respect of Nwoye’s for his father snapped. Here, the respect of Nwoye’s towards his father ‘falls apart’. Why it falls apart:Firstly, Okonkwo brought away the closest soulmate of Nwoye, and took away the only pillar of his. Because of this action, there is tinge of anger and hatred towards his father for not considering his feeling.Secondly, he saw the cruelty of his father. Okonkwo might be violent, but never will Nwoye imagine, that his father will kill someone who was part of his family. Ikemefuna

was not an ordinary person to their family, he is special to them, and his presence makes the family very different. On top on that , Ikemefuna calls Okonknwo ‘father’, it is like a father killing his own son- which make people feel that father is very cold-blooded, and in this case, Nwoye view his father as someone so.Lastly, and the most important factor. This action of the killing of Ikemefuna reminded him of the last harvest season when he and his family were returning from the fields with yams, when he passed by the stream he heard the crying of an infant from the forest beyond the water. He always heard that whenever a woman gave birth to twins, they were left in earthenware pots in the forest because they were bad luck, but he never encountered them until then. Hearing the baby cry had given him the feeling that he was passing an evil spirit, the same way that he felt when his father returned from killing Ikemefuna. In additional, since Okonkwo had the gut to hit his wife in the Week of Peace, not afraid of offending the The Oracle of Caves and Hills, why did he have to obey them this time? Harboring this thought, Nwoye might deem Okonkwo as being unfair, and blame him even further. With all this emotions of Nwoye, his respect for his father snapped, and ‘fall apart’.

Evidence:‘Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, who was two years younger, became inseparable from him because he seemed to know everything’- page 25The evidence above shows that Nwoye like Ikemefuna very much, and is inseparable from him.

‘Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna had been killed, and something seemd to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow’- page 54The ‘snapping of a tightened bow’ likened to the snapping of the respect towards his father, snapped.

‘It was after such a day at the farm during the last harvest that Nwoye had felt. They were returning home with baskets of yams from a distant farm across the stream when they had heard the voice of an infant crying in the thick forest. A sudden hush had fallen on the women, who had been talking, and they had quickened their steps. Nwoye had heard that twins were put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest, but he had never yet come across them. A vague chill had descended on him and his head had seemed to swell, like a solitary walker at night who passes an evil spirit on the way. Then something had given way inside him.’