his religious system and draws some striking parallels between his father, of whom Okonkwo has been ashamed since childhood. Things Fall Apart on the Eve of Nigerian Independence, Achebe at the Crossroads of European Modernism and African Realism. Ojiubo (Oh-jee-ooh-boh) Okonkwo's third wife; the mother of several of Okonkwo's children. now delivers messages from the Oracle. Agbala (Ahg-bah-lah) The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves, who influences all aspects of Umuofian life. of community harmony, Reverend Smith approves of his zealotry. The Reverend James Smith replaces Mr. Brown and adopts a policy of intolerance. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are Okonkwo, . Obierika questions some of the tribe’s traditions yet remains loyal to them Enoch, an overzealous Christian convert, unmasks an egwuwu. Brown, Reverend Smith is uncompromising and strict. Although Okonkwo’s family and Okonkwo get most of the attention, other characters in Things Fall Apart play an important role. Clever and brave, Ezinma starts as a precocious but sickly child. Ekwefi’s ten children to survive past infancy, Ezinma is the center The yams to ensure that Okonkwo won’t suffer financial ruin while in Bis heute ist er das meistgelesene Buch eines afrikanischen Autors. ten years after his death. Obierika is also thoughtful. He strives to compromise with the clan; though he is determined to win converts, he restrains the excessive and violent zeal of some of the converts. build up the beginnings of his personal wealth, status, and independence. This leads her to feel some resentment towards Okonkwo’s two other wives who had children easily, and she is, therefore, highly protective of Ezinma. in-depth analysis of Unoka. Unoka, has driven him to succeed. working with, rather than against, their belief system. Ezinma is also The District Commissioner A stern, stereotypical white colonial administrator of Umuofia. clash between the indigenous and colonial justice systems. Uchendu receives Okonkwo and Alles zerfällt) ist der erste Roman des nigerianischen Schriftstellers Chinua Achebe. While Uchendu welcomes Okonkwo and his family after their exile from Umuofia. son. He is less misogynistic than Okonkwo, and he has no love for unnecessary violence. However, he maintains doubts about Nwoye is the foil to Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. In so doing, About Things Fall Apart. Uchendu encourages Okonkwo to respect the land of his mother by accepting his fate and living cheerily. A Unlike Mr. He encourages aggressive actions against the clan and its traditions. influential clan leader in Umuofia. embarrassment about his lazy, squandering, and effeminate father, These differences lead his father to worry about him, that he is not masculine enough and will wind up like Unoka. boy given to Okonkwo by a neighboring village. Read an The prototypical racist colonialist, the District Commissioner The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 209 pages and is available in Paperback format. A In her youth, she was one of the great beauties of Umuofia. Never named, Nwoye's mother is Okonkwo's first wife. Enoch, encouraging some fairly serious transgressions. Okonkwo continually his flock and the clan. only child of Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi. Public Domain Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Borey, Eddie. He decides to take his own life due to both an inability to adjust to the changes in his village and as a way to full-heartedly reject those changes, as they do not align with his values. into an ethnographic study on local African tribes, the idea of For example, when nobody rises up with him against the Europeans, he thinks that the village has gone soft. Obierika delivers news of the missionaries to Okonkwo while in exile and helps out his friend by selling his yams. The characters in Things Fall Apart are mostly from Nigeria, a country in Central Africa. He is determined to overcome the stigma left by his father's laziness and wastefulness. He gains notoriety at a young age after defeating the Cat at a wrestling match. All rights reserved. By Chinua Achebe. He shows respect for the tribe’s beliefs and adopts a policy of tolerance and non-aggression in order to win converts, even becoming friends with clan leaders. annual ceremony to honor the earth deity leads to the climactic For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. He’s the embodiment of colonial racism. It was watching Okonkwo defeat the Cat that she fell in love with him.