THINGS FALL APART FINALS REVIEW

THINGS FALL APART FINALS REVIEW

1. Chinua Achebe was born and educated in
Chad
Mali
Nigeria
South Africa
2. Achebe was raised by parents who were an Igbo priestess and medicine man evangelical Christians university professors
Buddhist monks
3. The novel takes place in
Mbanto
Johannesburg
Umuofia
both Umuofia and Mbanto
4. Okonkwo was born the son of a white master and African mistress the son of a priestess the son of a rich man the son of a failure
5. In his youth, Okwonko gained fame in a boxing match, where he beat a boxer called the Fox in a wrestling match, where he beat a wrestler called the Cat in the Festival of the New Yam, when he played the flute in a clan meeting, where he argued eloquently for peace
6. Okonkwo's father was named
Ikemefuna
Obierika
Unoka
Nwoye
7. Okonkwo has two wives four wives one wife three wives
8. Okonkwo is driven to extreme behaviors in part because he is the chief of his clan he was abused as a child he is terrified of failure he is a fanatical Christian
9. Okonkwo's second wife is named
Ekwefi
Ezinma
Ikemefuna
Obgiugi
10. Ikemefuna comes to live in Umuofia because his parents, who were Christian missionaries, died suddenly because he is Okonkwo's nephew and his mother has died as a sacrifice by made his clan, which hopes to avoid war none of the above
11. Ikemefuna becomes especially close with
Ekwefi
Ezinma both Ekwefi and Nwoye
Nwoye
12. After three years, the clan commands that Ikemefuna be killed because he is the sacrifice for the earth goddess he breaks clan law he has leprosy he has the sleeping sickness
13. When a woman of Umuofia bears twins, the infants are abandoned in the forest dedicated to the priesthood worshipped as gods thrown in the river
14. When Ikemefuna is taken to be killed, Okwonko goes with the men weeps for three days both goes with the men and participates in Ikemefuna's execution participates in Ikemefuna's execution
15. The staple crop of the Igbo is rice corn yams wheat
16. Ekwefi's sorrow is that her husband is cruel she is secretly a Christian she used to be a princess she has born ten children, and nine have died
17. As a young girl, Ezinma could best be described as manipulative and cruel precocious and charming healthy and vivacious dull but kind
18. Clan religious authorities believe that Ekwefi is cursed by an <i>ogbanje</i>, a cat spirit that steals children a wicked child who returns to its mother to be reborn so that it can die again a demon who haunts old women the ghost of a murdered adulteress
19. The clan's important decisions are made by an empress a council of three chiefs a king consensus reached in a gathering of all the clan's men, some ten thousand in number
20. The clan's important decisions must be approved by the high chief the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves
Okonkwo
a king
21. Nwoye could best be described as irritable and malicious fierce and violent sad and thoughtful stupid and lazy
22. Late one night, Ezinma is taken temporarily by
Ikemefuna's ghost the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves
Nwoye
the white man
23. The relationship between Okwonko's wives could best be described as catty and backstabbing sisterly and supportive angry and full of jealousy competitive and ruthless
24. Okonkwo's treatment of his family could best be described as stern and often violent loving and tender generous and rational stern but often indulgent
25. For certain religious festivals, men of the clan become the living vessels for important clan spirits. The rituals involve elaborate costumes and masks. These spirits are called obi ozu ogbanje egwugwu
Okonkwo
Proud, ambitious, and ill-tempered, Okonkwo is the tragic hero of Things Fall Apart. An ambitious man who has risen from nothing to a man of importance in his tribe, Okonkwo rules his family with an iron fist. He is deeply dedicated to the traditions and social hierarchies of his people, and he is determined that his sons and daughters follow his demanding example. The indignities forced on him and his people by the British eventually prove to be too much for him. After an act of defiance which goes unsupported by his people, Okonkwo gives in to despair. He kills himself, partly so that he will not be executed under the white man's laws and partly because he is grieving for the death of his people.
Unoka
Okonkwo's father. He died when Okonkwo was very young, and he was a failure. Shame for Unoka drives Okonkwo to work tirelessly. Unoka died in debt and humiliation; the memory of him gives Okonkwo a terrible fear of failure.
Ikemefuna
A young boy given to Umuofia by a neighboring village as tribute. Ikemefuna is sacrificed to prevent a war. He lives in Umuofia for three years, under Okonkwo's roof; Okonkwo looks at him as a son, and to Nwoye he becomes best friend and brother. He is killed by the tribe; out of fear that otherwise people will think him weak, Okonkwo participates in the boy's death.

Nwoye
Okonkwo's son. Nwoye is sensitive and thoughtful, but he is also somewhat lazy and sulky. Okonkwo is harsh with the boy, fearing that he will become like Unoka. After the death of Ikemefuna, something breaks in Nwoye. Later, he converts to Christianity, in part to escape his father. His betrayal embitters and outrages Okonkwo.
Ogbuefi Ezeudu
One of the oldest men in Umuofia. He warns Okonkwo not to participate in Ikemefuna's death. Later, at Ezeudu's funeral, Okonkwo's gun explodes and kills a boy, which leads to Okonkwo's exile.
Nwoye's mother
Never named, Nwoye's mother is Okonkwo's first wife. She is a generous woman, and she has been fortunate in the number of children she has had.
Ojiugo
Okonkwo's third and youngest wife. Okonkwo beats her savagely during the Week of Peace, and must pay a heavy fine to the earth goddess.
Ekwefi
Okonkwo's second wife. In her youth, she was one of the great beauties of Umuofia. She has had ten children, but only one has survived. She is a formidable and brave woman, devoted to her surviving daughter, Ezinma.
Ezinma
Clever and brave, Ezinma starts as a precocious but sickly child. She is Okonkwo's favorite daughter, and seems to understand his moods. His attitude toward her shows the more tender side of his character. She grows into a beautiful and strong young woman.
Obierika
Okonkwo's great friend, and another prosperous and powerful man in the tribe. Obierika is also thoughtful. He is less misogynistic than Okonkwo, and he has no love for unnecessary violence. He is a compassionate and just man.
Chielo/ Priestess of Agbala (Oracle of the Hills and the Caves)
In normal life, Chielo is a widow and an ordinary woman. But she is also the Priestess of Agbala, and when the power of prophecy comes to her she is possessed by the godhead. She is one of the most powerful figures of the clan; now important decision can be made without her approval.

Okagbue, the Medicine Man
The Medicine Man helps Ekwefi to try and make Ezinma "stay." They fear that she will die like the earlier children, but the Medicine Man succeeds in finding the supernatural cause of her sickliness.
Uchendu
Okonkwo's uncle. Elderly and wise, Uchendu is an impressive but gentle patriarch. Even Okonkwo submits to his authority.
Akwiku
Okonkwo's cousin. He informs Okonkwo that Nwoye is among the Christians.
Mr. Kiaga
A Christian African, Mr. Kiaga heads the congregation in Mbanto. He is a gentle and wise man, full of unshakeable faith.
Mr. Brown
A white man and missionary. 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. He eventually falls ill due to overwork.
Mr. Smith
Mr. Brown's replacement. Mr. Smith is neither wise nor compromising. Under him, the fanatics flourish. His foolishness brings the Christians of Umuofia into direct conflict with the clan.
District Commisioner
The head of British government in Umuofia. He dispenses justice in total ignorance of local circumstances, and his attitude is arrogant and hypocritical.

Memory/Documentary
Digression is one of Achebe's main tools. The novel is the story of Okonkwo's tragedy, but it is also a record of Igbo life before the coming of the white man. The novel documents what the white man destroyed. The reader learns much about Igbo customs and traditions; depicting this world is a central part of the novel.
Social disintegration
Towards the end of the novel, we witness the events by which Igbo society begins to fall apart. Religion is threatened, Umuofia loses its self-determination, and the very centers of tribal life are threatened. These events are all the more painful for the reader because so much time has been spent in sympathetic description of Igbo life; the reader realizes that he has been learning about a way of life that no longer exists.
Greatness and ambition
Okonkwo is determined to be a lord of his clan. He rises from humble beginnings to a position of leadership, and he is a wealthy man. He is driven and determined, but his greatness comes from the same traits that are the source of his weaknesses. He is often too harsh with his family, and he is haunted by a fear of failure.
Fate and free will
There is an Igbo saying that when a man says yes, his chi, or spirit, says yes also. The belief that he controls his own destiny is of central importance to Okonkwo. Later, several events occur to undermine this belief, and Okonkwo is embittered by the experience. As often happens with tragedy, the catastrophe comes through a complex mix of external forces and the character's choices.
Masculinity
Masculinity is one of Okonkwo's obsessions, and he defines masculinity quite narrowly. For him, any kind of tenderness is a sign of weakness and effeminacy. Male power lies in authority and brute force. But throughout the novel, we are shown men with more sophisticated understanding of masculinity. Okonkwo's harshness drives Nwoye away from the family and into the arms of the new religion.
Fear
For all of his desire to be strong, Okonkwo is haunted by fear. He is profoundly afraid of failure, and he is afraid of being considered weak. This fear drives him to rashness, and in the end contributes to his death.
Tribal belief
Particularly since one of the threats to Igbo life is the coming of the new religion, tribal belief is a theme of some importance. Igbo religious beliefs explain and provide meaning to the world; the religion is also inextricable from social and political institutions. Achebe also shows that Igbo religious authorities, such as the Oracle, seem to possess uncanny insights. He approaches the matter of Igbo religion with a sense of wonder.
Justice
Justice is another powerful preoccupation of the novel. For the Igbo, justice and fairness are matters of great importance. They have complex social institutions that administer justice in fair and rational ways. But the coming of the British upsets that balance. Although the British claim that local laws are barbaric, and use this claim as an excuse to impose their own laws, we soon see that British law is hypocritical and inhumane. The final events leading up to Okonkwo's death concern the miscarriage of Justice under the British District Commissioner.

**Chinua Achebe's college work sharpened his interest in indigenous Nigerian cultures. He had grown up in Ogidi, a large village in Nigeria. His father taught at the missionary school, and Achebe witnessed firsthand the complex mix of benefit and catastrophe that the Christian religion had brought to the Igbo people. In the 1950s, an exciting new literary movement grew in strength. Drawing on indigenous Nigerian oral traditions, this movement enriched European literary forms in hopes of creating a new literature, in English but unmistakably African. Published in 1958, Things Fall Apart is one of the masterpieces of 20th century African fiction.
Things Fall Apart is set in the 1890s, during the coming of the white man to Nigeria. In part, the novel is a response and antidote to a large tradition of European literature in which Africans are depicted as primitive and mindless savages. The attitudes present in colonial literature are so ingrained into our perception of Africa that the District Commissioner, who appears at the end of the novel, strikes a chord of familiarity with most readers. He is arrogant, dismissive of African "savages," and totally ignorant of the complexity and richness of Igbo life. Yet his attitude echoes so much of the depiction of Africa; this attitude, following Achebe's depiction of the Igbo, seems hollow and savage.
Digression is one of Achebe's most important tools. Although the novel's central story is the tragedy of Okonkwo, Achebe takes any opportunity he can to digress and relate anecdotes and tertiary incidents. The novel is part documentary, but the liveliness of Achebe's narrative protects the book from reading like an anthropology text. We are allowed to see the Igbo through their own eyes, as they celebrate the various rituals and holidays that mark important moments in the year and in the people's live.
Achebe depicts the Igbo as a people with great social institutions. Their culture is rich and impressively civilized, with traditions and laws that place great emphasis on justice and fairness. The people are ruled not by a king or chief but by a kind of simple democracy, in which all males gather and make decisions by consensus. Ironically, it is the Europeans, who often boast of bringing democratic institutions to the rest of the world, who try to suppress these clan meetings in Umuofia. The Igbo also boast a high degree of social mobility. Men are not judged by the wealth of their fathers, and Achebe emphasizes that high rank is attainable for all freeborn Igbo.
He does not shy from depicting the injustices of Igbo society. No more or less than Victorian England of the same era, the Igbo are deeply patriarchal. They also have a great fear of twins, who are abandoned immediately after birth to a death by exposure. Violence is not unknown to them, although warfare on a European scale is something of which they have no comprehension.
The novel attempts to repair some of the damage done by earlier European depictions of Africans. But this recuperation must necessarily come in the form of memory; by the time Achebe was born, the coming of the white man had already destroyed many aspects of indigenous culture.
1. What is the name of Okonkwo’s motherland?
(A) Mbaino
(B) Mbutu
(C) Mbanta
(D) Mantra

2. What holy animal does Okonkwo’s clan suspect the Christians have killed and eaten?
(A) A locust
(B) A python
(C) A monkey
(D) A tortoise

3. What is the name of the first missionary who comes to Umuofia?
(A) Mr. Brown
(B) Reverend Smith
(C) Mr. Jones
(D) Missionary Man

4. How many villages does Umuofia comprise?
(A) One
(B) Four
(C) Nine
(D) Seven

5. Whom did Okonkwo beat in his legendary wrestling match?
(A) Ekwefi Ogbuedi the Rooster
(B) Ogbuedi the Snake
(C) Isaac the Toad
(D) Amalinze the Cat

6. In what country does Things Fall Apart take place?
(A) Kenya
(B) Nigeria
(C) Chad
(D) South Africa

7. What do the inhabitants of Mbanta believe is responsible for the white man’s miraculous survival after having built his church in the Evil Forest?
(A) His eyeglasses
(B) His Bible
(C) His borrowed machete
(D) His attitude

8. What is an ogbanje?
(A) A masked spirit
(B) A type of yam soup
(C) A changeling child
(D) A musical instrument

9. What does Okonkwo constantly wish Ezinma had been?
(A) His firstborn child
(B) A son
(C) A better cook
(D) A donkey

10. What does a palm tapper tap?
(A) His hand, to keep the beat
(B) A shoulder, for advice
(C) A tree, for wine
(D) The ground, for oil

11. For what reason is Okonkwo exiled?
(A) He owes money.
(B) He willfully kills a fellow clan member.
(C) He steals yams.
(D) He unintentionally kills a fellow clan member.

12. What are the outcasts required to do before they may join the church?
(A) Shave their heads
(B) Pierce their tongues
(C) Get cam wood tattoos
(D) Change their names

13. What is the name of Okonkwo’s second wife?
(A) Chielo
(B) Ojiugo
(C) Ekwefi
(D) Ezinma

14. Where are the Christian women forbidden to go when the clan hears of the killing of a royal python?
(A) To the Evil Forest
(B) To the stream
(C) To the church
(D) To the Tribal Council Meeting

15. What does Okonkwo do even though he is advised not to?
(A) Marry Ojiugo
(B) Beat Nwoye twice
(C) Attack Chielo
(D) Help kill Ikemefuna

16. What crop is king for the Igbo?
(A) Cassava
(B) Yam
(C) Cotton
(D) Riding Crop

17. When the Igbo refer to the “iron-horse,” what do they mean?
(A) A train carriage
(B) Maduka, the star wrestler
(C) A bicycle
(D) An elephant

18. What is the polite name for leprosy among the Igbo?
(A) The swelling sickness
(B) The white skin
(C) The heathen state
(D) The albino condition

19. When do the clan members share the kola nut?
(A) When declaring war
(B) When giving birth to children
(C) When wrestling
(D) When gathering for social occasions

20. In the allegory of Tortoise, what do the birds give to Tortoise?
(A) Bird seed
(B) Feathers
(C) Water
(D) A branch

21. What does Enoch do to provoke the rage of the clan?
(A) He unmasks an egwugwu.
(B) He converts Nwoye.
(C) He steals 200 cowry shells.
(D) He mutilates twins.

22. How does Okonkwo die?
(A) He is poisoned by the Commissioner.
(B) He hangs himself.
(C) He is stabbed by Enoch.
(D) He dies of the swelling disease.

23. Why are the villagers happy when the locusts arrive?
(A) Because they represent future happiness
(B) Because they mean good weather and good crops
(C) Because their bodies can be made into glue
(D) Because they taste good

24. What does Okonkwo fear most?
(A) Joining the missionaries
(B) Confronting his father
(C) Becoming like his father
(D) The overthrow of the village elders

25. The title Things Fall Apart is taken from a poem by
(A) Alfred Lord Tennyson
(B) Joseph Conrad
(C) T.S. Eliot
(D) William Butler Yeats

. Who said, “Do what you are told, woman"?

Okonkwo
Nwoye
Chielo
Ikemufuna
Ofoedu
Hang 10!
Q. Who said, "If they had ignored his womanish wisdom five days ago, we would not have come to this"?

Okonkwo
Egonwanne
Chielo
Nwoye
Ezinma
Hang 11!
Q. Who said, "Ekwefi, is it true that when people are grown up, fire does not burn them?"?

Okonkwo
Unoka
Obierika
Nwoye
Ezinma
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. Who said, "I shall fight alone if I choose"?

Okonkwo
Unoka
Obierika
Nwoye
Ikemefuna
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. Who said, "The head of my church is God Himself.”?

Okonkwo
Obierika
Nwoye
Ikemefuna
Mr. Brown
You're killin' it, wow!

Q. Much of the traditional Igbo life is presented around what kind of traditional roles?

Race
Religion
Gender
Spirituality
Career
Hang 10!
Q. Who is the provider of family and defender of its honor?

Father
Mother
Sister
Brother
Oldest relative
Hang 10!
Q. How is personal reputation publicly shown?

Hats
Flags
Awards
Ankle bracelets
Tattoos
Dude you rock!
Q. Okonkwo's father's reputation was that of someone who was

Happy
Fun
Humorous
Hardworking
Lazy
Hang 11!
Q. What does Ekwefi fear?

Reputation
Parents
Losing child
Water
Fire
Hang 10!

Q. What are the egwugwu?

Dependence
Culture
Fear
Family
Dreams
You're killin' it, wow!
Q. What is the personification of the Umuofia clan?

Brother of the Jungle
Cousin of the Winter
Sister of the Gods
Mother of the Spirits
Father of the Lake
Dude, you roll!
Q. What is cold and impotent?

Fire
Ice
Ash
Water
Flowers
Dude, you roll!
Q. What does the narrator compare to Okonkwo?

Fire
Water
Spirits
Snakes
Trees
Hang 10!
Q. What is a crop grown exclusively by men?

Peas
Yams
Tomatoes
Garlic
Potatoes
You're killin' it, wow!

Q. Which might Okonkwo believe?

I just don't want to be like my dad.
I will be the perfect father, just like Dad.
Dad is truly wonderful.
If I do what Dad does, my life will be great.
Dude you rock!
Q. Our story takes place, for the most part, in

England
Nigeria
Mars
Argentina
Hang 10!
Q. At the end, the District Commissioner is

Smug
Sorry
Depressed
Sad
Dude you rock!
Q. If we believe the District Commissioner represents Western Civilization, at the end, we believe

The West thinks a little too highly of itself.
The West has helped many around the world.
The West brings glorious customs to all.
Dude, you roll!
Q. Ezinma is

The apple of Okonkwo’s eye
A doubting Thomas
A dime a dozen
A slap on the wrist
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. Ezinma inspires Okonkwo to

Create works of art
Start a blog
Tweet his latest ideas
Show compassion
You're killin' it, wow!
Q. What does Okonkwo do with Obierika's advice?

Follows every word
Weighs its pros and cons
Pretty much ignores it
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. Which is not a way to move up the social food chain in Igbo culture?

Be brave in war
Be a skilled athlete
Write a song that wins a Grammy
Have productive yam fields
Dude, you roll!
Q. According to Okonkwo, what are "feminine" characteristics?

Hard-working
Hard-nosed
Peace-loving
Awesome at math
You're killin' it, wow!
Q. What does Okonkwo do that is just plain repugnant?

Beats his wives
Hang 10!

. What is Ikemefuna’s problem with Nwoye?

He thinks he’s lazy
He thinks he’s doing drugs
He thinks he spends too much time with his girlfriend
He thinks he should be getting better grades
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. From where did Ikemefuna come?

He is an orphan that Okonkwo adopts
He is Okonkwo’s son
Okonkwo won Ikemefuna in a settlement with a neighboring tribe
No one knows
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. What happens between Okonkwo and his youngest wife, Ojiugo, during the Week of Peace?

Okonkwo and his wife make peace after a bad argument
Okonkwo accuses his wife of negligence and beats her
Okonkwo and his wife share a piece of pie
Okonkwo and his wife adopt a puppy
Hang 11!
Q. What do the village people do with the locusts?

They catch them and keep them as pets
They eat them
They wear them as rings
They use them as currency
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. Who says that Ikemefuna should be killed?

A Ouija board
The oracle
Nwoye
The talking donkey
Dude you rock!

Q. Who kills Ikemefuna?

Okonkwo
Nwoye
A vampire
A vagrant
You're killin' it, wow!
Q. What is an ekwe?

A kind of sheep
A musical instrument
Another name for the earth goddess
A type of currency
You're killin' it, wow!
Q. Why is Okonkwo’s family forced to go into exile?

Because they have poor hygiene
Because they owe too many people money
Because Okonkwo killed a clansman
Because they don’t get along well with others
Your brain is bulging with intelligence.
Q. What do the missionaries want?

To convert the residents of Umofia to Christianity
To buy some yarn
To borrow some locusts
To buy some land
Dude you rock!
Q. What is Okonkwo’s fate?

He hangs himself
He goes to war
He writes a book
He learns to knit
Hang 10!