Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)

by Chinua Achebe

Noes on Chinua Achebe -born in Nigeria, read and studied Shakespeare and more English texts -turnin point is MisterJohnson, 1939 novel set in Nigeria (this book is response to Mister Johnson) -everyone offended because M.J. Is super racsit even professors -"this isnt us" tell our stories, tgus things fall apart (not Africa, but insight) -treat book not like a native informant (to go in a community of "natives" to learn their secrets, then you can tell the world how the community works) problem is that the world changes. Its not exotic, it was someones life --dont generalize. This is a text of a certain culture from a certain time-not all of Africa -helped make an African Series that gave people jobs and income-supported many authors (Heinemanm) -Baifra movement (Nigeria and in the Ibgo region) no one teusts them lol -Ethiopia is treated like Zion because it resisted colonialism

CHAPTER ONE

Igbo- language there are many from other places are called Igbo it is an area, not all speak Igbo Presentation: major festival-yam!

Okonkwo

Interesting because in the Igbo culture, change is very important but Okwonko is ridgid

Unoka accepted the honor of breaking the kola.

Most of my notes are from my class. We had a spokeswoman from the Congo who explained scenes and the cultures through our texts. Here the kola nut is a symbol for saying "I'm with you. We are together." Eating the nut is by not splitting in half and eating separately (which is saying you deny the person). But it is traditionally eaten by slowly breaking it apart and eating side by side. She told us it's a bitter nut and no one really loves it, at least she doesn't. So it's mainly symbolic. Also mainly men preform this as they have more opportunities to do so.

But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands. That was why Okonkwo had been chosen by the nine villages to carry a message of war to their enemies unless they agreed to give up a young man and a virgin to atone for the murder of Udo’s wife. And such was the deep fear that their enemies had for Umuofia that they treated Okonkwo like a king and brought him a virgin who was given to Udo as wife, and the lad Ikemefuna.

Also from class: chi is like luck here. Except it is believed in like it's a higher power. If it rains, you did something bad-your chi is bad.

To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.

Look for this throughout. It is Okonkwos biggest fear. Watch as Things Fall Apart

Yam stood for manliness,

Since it was so hard to cultivate, yes. Also it was used in almost all dishes, thus there is so much yam in the book. As my teacher said, old yams were better. New yams, in the new year we're too hard and not that flavorful. But like the new year tradition to clean things out for the new year, the old leftover yams are thrown out. They don't mold, instead they develop a hard shell on the exterior

Nwoye had heard that twins were put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest, but he had never yet come across them.

This is a tradition, still in practice today in some areas. But there's also other areas that are strictly against this tradition that are only a few miles apart (in Nigeria). It is "not normal" so it scared people, thus of the devil.

If only he could find some work to do he would be able to forget.

This was a sign to me of depression. He didn't like what he loved. He changed.

And then the smooth, shiny pebble fell out. He picked it up. “Is this yours?” he asked Ezinma. “Yes,” she replied.

Think about this instance. Was it planted, was it not? Maybe was the stone an old grave of a symbol of a lost child? Maybe it was to prove the existence of the bad spirit (forgot how to spell the word).

“Our duty is not to blame this man or to praise that, but to settle the dispute.” He turned to Uzowulu’s group and allowed a short pause.

More of a mediator approach to keep the community. Not necessarily justice