Thins Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebe's first novel and was published in 1958, a time often called the Nigerian Renaissance because in that period a large number of very strong Nigerian writers began to create a powerful new literature that drew on the traditional oral literature, European literature, and the changing times in Nigeria and in Africa at large. Writers as varied as Ben Okri and Wole Soyinka developed in the context of the ideas and energy of the Nigerian Renaissance, but Achebe is considered one of the earliest and best novelists to have come out of modern Nigeria, in fact one of the top English-speaking novelists of his time anywhere.In 1958 much of Africa was still under the colonialist yoke, although a few countries (most notably Ghana) had already achieved independence. Set in a time of great change for Africans, Achebe's novels illuminate two painful features of modern African life: the humiliations visited on Africans by colonialism, and the corruption and inefficiency of what replaced colonial rule. Things Fall Apart in particular focuses on the early experience of colonialism as it occurred in Nigeria in the late 1800's, from the first days of contact with the British to widespread British administration.
Okonkwo is known for his bad temper and his willingness to be rude to unsuccessful men. At one point his temper also made him guilty of an offense against the earth goddess, because he forgot that the village was celebrating the Week of Peace and beat his youngest wife during the holy festival. The goddess' priest prescribed a series of sacrifices and penance for him to perform. The first missionary in Umuofia is a highly religious but kindly man named Mr. Brown who practices accommodation and tolerance in his cohabitation with the villagers. His health gives out, and he is succeeded by the Reverend James Smith, a rigid man who is intolerant of local traditions and thinks of the world as a battleground between good and evil. Smith encourages the most provocative of his new converts, including a man named Enoch who commits an act of sacrilege against the traditional religion: he unmasks one of the dancing spirits representing the clan's ancestors. The Mother of the Spirits walks the earth that night, mourning and emitting a bone-chilling wail.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Ekwefi Okonkwo's, Characters OKONKWO, Reverend Smith, Fall Apart, Nwoye Okonkwo's, Hopes Impediments, Achebe Ibo, British Commissioner, Week Peace, Mbanta Brown, fall apart, earth goddess, ekwefi okonkwo's, british administration, eldest son, british administrator, set past teach, reverend smith, europeans acting, acting god's, teach readers africans, ibo society, past teach readers, especially ones set, ones set past,
Approximate Word count = 3334
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)
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