Things Fall Apart Flashcards
Characters (13 cards)
Major Plot Elements
Main conflict: Okonkwo, a respected Igbo leader, struggles to maintain his status and traditional values as colonialism and Christian missionaries disrupt his society.
Main events: Okonkwo’s rise to prominence, his exile after accidentally killing a clansman, the arrival of missionaries, the division within the clan, and Okonkwo’s increasing desperation.
Outcome/ending: Okonkwo, unable to adapt to the changes and feeling betrayed by his people, commits suicide, symbolizing the collapse of traditional Igbo society.
Themes
- Tradition vs. Change: The novel explores the tension between traditional Igbo culture and the disruptive influence of colonialism and Christianity.
- Fate and Free Will: Okonkwo’s attempts to control his destiny are repeatedly thwarted by both personal flaws and external forces.
Symbols
- The Locusts: Represent the coming of the colonizers—initially welcomed, but ultimately destructive.
- Fire: Okonkwo is compared to fire, symbolizing both his passion and his destructive tendencies.
Point of View
Third-person omniscient, primarily following Okonkwo but also providing insight into other characters and the broader community.
Characters
Okonkwo
Ekwefi
Ezinma
Obierika
Ikemefuna
Nwoye
Mr. Brown
Reverend James Smith
Okonkwo
- Protagonist, powerful clan leader in Umuofia
- Hardworking, aggressive, proud, inflexible
- Driven by fear of weakness and being like his father
- Violent, quick-tempered, stoic, emotionally repressed
- Tragic hero; downfall due to rigid masculinity and inability to adapt
Ekwefi
- Okonkwo’s second wife
- Strong-willed, loyal, loving mother
- Deeply devoted to her daughter Ezinma
- Endures hardship and loss (many children die young)
- Courageous, challenges Okonkwo at times
Ezinma
- Only surviving child of Ekwefi and Okonkwo’s favorite daughter
- Intelligent, insightful, bold, perceptive
- Treated as an equal by her mother, cherished by her father
- Considered special (“ogbanje” child)
Obierika
- Okonkwo’s close friend and confidant
- Thoughtful, wise, compassionate, diplomatic
- Questions tradition and change, voice of reason
- Loyal, helps Okonkwo during exile
Ikemefuna
- Boy given to Umuofia as peace settlement
- Adaptable, gentle, likable, responsible
- Forms close bond with Okonkwo’s family, especially Nwoye
- Tragic victim of clan’s customs
Nwoye
- Okonkwo’s eldest son
- Sensitive, thoughtful, gentle, conflicted
- Struggles under Okonkwo’s expectations
- Attracted to Christianity, rejects father’s values
Mr. Brown
- First white missionary in Umuofia
- Respectful, understanding, patient, diplomatic
- Builds relationships with the Igbo people
- Advocates compromise and education
Reverend James Smith
- Successor to Mr. Brown
- Zealous, uncompromising, intolerant, rigid
- Disrespects Igbo beliefs, escalates conflict
- Represents colonial extremism
