1 / 12

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart. Week 12 Notes. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart. Background of Chinua Achebe: Raised as a Christian His father was a teacher in a missionary school. He attended colonial schools and university in Nigeria. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart.

kerem
Télécharger la présentation

Things Fall Apart

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Things Fall Apart Week 12 Notes

  2. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Background of Chinua Achebe: • Raised as a Christian • His father was a teacher in a missionary school. • He attended colonial schools and university in Nigeria

  3. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart • Achebe’s style of writing includes: • Traditional idioms (figures of speech) • Folk tales • Proverbs

  4. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Pre-Colonial Nigeria: • The Niger River divides the country into three major regions. The country is as large as Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Kuwait combined. • There are over 100 million people in Nigeria today. The Igbo people are the third largest ethnic group.

  5. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Pre-Colonial Nigeria: • The Igbo people live in the eastern region – where Things Fall Apart is set – near town of Onitsha. • The Yoruba live in the west and the Hausa-Fulani, an Islamic people, live in the north.

  6. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Pre-Colonial Nigeria: • Nigeria was a center of the European slave trade for many years – a dangerous and lucrative business. • After the slave trade for Great Britain ended in the early 19th century, Nigeria became a source for palm oil, and in 1914 was officially a British colony

  7. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Pre-Colonial Igbo/Ibo: • It is a patriarchal society. Decision making involves males only • Men grow yams and women grow other crops • Live in villages based on male lineage – male heads of household all related on father’s side (approximately 5,000 people per clan)

  8. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Major Characters: Okonkwo- “the roaring flame”- Ibo tribesman living in the nine-village area of Africa called Umuofia, afraid of failing like his father

  9. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Pre-Colonial Igbo/Ibo: • No single leader, elders lead • Social mobility: Titles earned (not inherited). High value placed on individual achievement. • Hospitality very important • Some Igbos owned slaves captured in war or as payment for debt.

  10. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Major Characters: Unoka- Okonkwo’s father and the root of all his fears and problems; represents all the characteristics the Ibo abhor (gentleness, lack of ambition, sensitivity to people & nature)

  11. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Major Characters: Okonkwo’s first wife is never mentioned by name; she is wise, compassionate, peaceful, and adheres to tribal traditions Ekwefe- Okonkwo’s second wife; courageous and strong willed Ojiugo- Okonkwo’s third and youngest wife; makes her husband angry

  12. Literature Notes: Things Fall Apart Major Characters: Nwoye- Okonkwo’s son; disappoints him by showing signs of his grandfather’s sensitivity and laziness Ikemefuna- boy who comes to live with Okonkwo’s family as a peace offering from another tribe; fills the void in Okonkwo’s life that his own son cannot

More Related