Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe - Biography, List of Books, Quotes, Awards, Study Guides & More!
He was also considered by many to be one of the most original literary artists writing in English during his lifetime.
He is best known for his novel Things Fall Apart (1958).
Born Albert Chinualumogo Achebe, Chinua Achebe was raised by Christian evangelical parents in the large village Ogidi, in Igboland, Eastern Nigeria.
He received an early education in English, but grew up surrounded by a complex fusion of Igbo traditions and colonial legacy.
He studied literature and medicine at the University of Ibadan; after graduating, he went to work for the Nigerian Broadcasting Company in Lagos and later studied at the British Broadcasting Corporation staff school in London.
During this time, Achebe was developing work as a writer.
Starting in the 1950s, he was central to a new Nigerian literary movement that drew on the oral traditions of Nigeria's indigenous tribes.
Although Achebe wrote in English, he attempted to incorporate Igbo vocabulary and narratives.
Things Fall Apart (1958) was his first novel, and remains his best-known work.
It has been translated into at least forty-five languages, and has sold eight million copies worldwide.
Other novels include: No Longer At Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), and A Man of the People (1966).
Achebe left his career in radio in 1966, during the national unrest and violence that led to the Biafran War.
He narrowly escaped harm at the hands of soldiers who believed that his novel, A Man of the People, implicated him in the country's first military coup.
He began an academic career the next year, taking a position as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria.
That same year, he co-founded a publishing company with Nigerian poet Christopher Okigbo.
In 1971, he became an editor for Okike, a prestigious Nigerian literary magazine.
In 1984, he founded Iwa ndi Ibo, a bilingual publication dedicated to Igbo cultural life.
Achebe's university career was extremely successful: he was made Emeritus Professor at the University of Nigeria in 1985; he taught at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Connecticut; and he received over twenty honorary doctorates from universities around the world.
He also received Nigeria's highest honor for intellectual achievement, the Nigerian National Merit Award, in 1987.
His novel Anthills of the Savannah was shortlisted for the Booker McConnell Prize that same year.
Achebe became active in Nigerian politics in the 1960s.
Many of his novels dealt with the social and political problems facing his country, including the difficulties of the post-colonial legacy.
When Biafra, an Eastern region in Nigeria, declared independence in 1967, Achebe put aside writing long fiction in order to spend thirty months traveling Europe and the United States advocating for the new country.
During this period, he produced several short stories dealing with the complex realities of the Nigerian Civil War; the best known of these stories is "Civil Peace". Several decades later,
in 1994, Achebe was forced to flee Nigeria after the repressive regime threatened to imprison him for his political stances and activism.
Achebe was married and had four children.
He last lived in the United States, where he held a teaching position at Bard College until 2009, when he joined Brown University as a professor of Africana Studies.
In his later years, he also served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund.
He continued writing throughout his life, producing both fiction and non-fiction, and winning awards like the Man Booker International Prize in 2007.
His final published work was the literary autobiography There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra.
Chinua Achebe died in 2013, of an undisclosed illness in Boston.
Chinua Achebe Bibliography
Chinua Achebe Awards
Things Fall Apart Summary, Analysis, Characters and Quotes
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Things Fall Apart - Chapter 5 
Things fall apart - Chapter 5 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
In spite of Okonkwo's beginnings in poverty and misfortune, he has risen …
Things fall apart - Essay Questions Not rated yet
Study Help Essay Questions
1. Why did Achebe choose to take the title of his novel, Things Fall Apart, from William Butler Yeats' poem …
Things fall apart - Study Help Full Glossary Not rated yet
Study Help Full Glossary
kola nut the seed of the cola, an African tree. The seed contains caffeine and yields an extract; it represents …
Things fall apart - Study Help Full Glossary Not rated yet
Study Help Full Glossary
Abomination anything hateful and disgusting.
About sheep and goats / about wheat and tares Two frequently …
Things fall apart - Quiz Not rated yet
Quiz
Before dying, Ikemefuna thinks of Okonkwo as
A betrayer
A vessel of bravery and strength
An evil spirit
His real father …
Things Fall Apart - Use of Language Not rated yet
Use of Language
Introduction
Writers in Third World countries that were formerly colonies of European nations debate among themselves …
Things fall apart - Critical Essays Major Themes Not rated yet
Critical Essays Major Themes
Introduction
For many writers, the theme of a novel is the driving force of the book during its creation. …
Things fall apart - Chinua Achebe Biography Not rated yet
Chinua Achebe Biography
Early Years
Chinua Achebe (pronounced Chee-noo-ah Ah-chay-bay) is considered by many critics and teachers …
Things fall apart - Character Analysis Reverend James Smith Not rated yet
Character Analysis Reverend James Smith
Reverend Smith is a missionary who replaces Mr. Brown as the new head of the Christian church. Reverend …
Things fall apart - Character Analysis Mr.Brown Not rated yet
Character Analysis Mr.Brown
Mr.Brown is the first white Christian missionary in Umuofia and Mbanta. He is a patient, kind, and understanding …
Things fall apart - Character Analysis Obierika Not rated yet
Character Analysis Obierika
Okonkwo's best friend, Obierika serves as a foil for Okonkwo. That is, Obierika's personality contrasts with and …
Things fall apart - Character Analysis Unoka Not rated yet
Character Analysis Unoka
A tall, thin man with a slight stoop, Unoka was Okonkwo's father. He appeared "haggard and mournful . . . except …
Things fall apart - Character Analysis Okonkwo Not rated yet
Character Analysis Okonkwo
The protagonist of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is also considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds a position of …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 25 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 25 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Following the killing of the messenger, the District Commissioner goes to Okonkwo's …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 24 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 24 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
The District Commissioner sets the six men free after the village pays the required …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 23 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 23 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Okonkwo is pleased about the destruction of the church and feels that daily …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 22 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 22 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
The new head of the Christian church, the Reverend James Smith, possesses nothing …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 21 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 21 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Not all members of the Igbo clan in Umuofia dislike the changes taking place. …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 20 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 20 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
During Okonkwo's first year in exile, he already began to plan his grand return …
Things fall apart - Chapter 19 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 19 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Although Okonkwo has achieved status in his motherland, he feels that his seven …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 18 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 18 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Initially, the church and the clan remain segregated from one another in Mbanta. …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 17 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 15 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Chapter 17 continues the story of how Nwoye becomes a Christian. The missionaries …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 16 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 16 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Two more years pass before Obierika visits Mbanta a second time, again with …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 15 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 15 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
During Okonkwo's second year in exile, his good friend Obierika and two other …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 14 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 14 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Okonkwo arrives in Mbanta to begin his seven-year exile. His maternal uncle, …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 13 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 13 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
In the dead of night, the sound of a drum and a cannon announce the death …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 12 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 12 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
After Chielo took Ezinma away, Okonkwo was not able to sleep. He made …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 11 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 11 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
As Okonkwo relaxes in his hut after the evening meal, he listens to the …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 10 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 10 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Chapter 10 is devoted to a detailed description of a village public trial. …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 9 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 9 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Okonkwo finally enjoys a good night's sleep since the death of Ikemefuna, …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 8 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 8 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
For two days after Ikemefuna's death, Okonkwo cannot eat or sleep; his …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 7 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 5 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Nwoye and Ikemefuna spend all their time together like brothers. In the …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 6 Not rated yet
Things fall apart - Chapter 6 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
On the second day of the festival, everyone gathers at the village playing …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 4 Not rated yet
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 4 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
In spite of Okonkwo's beginnings in poverty and misfortune, he has risen …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 3 Not rated yet
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 3 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
Chapter 3 describes incidents from Okonkwo's childhood and young adulthood …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 2 Not rated yet
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 2 - Summary and Analysis
Summary
One night, as Okonkwo is settling on his bed, he hears the beat of a drum …
Is Things Fall Apart Real? Not rated yet
Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe in 1958. The novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo ("Ibo" in the novel) leader …
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 1 Not rated yet
Things Fall Apart - Chapter 1 - Summary and Analysis
Set around the turn of the century, the novel focuses first on the hero of the book, Okonkwo, …
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