Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe - Book Report/Review Example

and Number Things Fall Apart There are many novels in this world that seek to capture history, emotion, or simply a piece of the human experience. Within the novel entitled Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe is able to succeed at presenting all three of these aspects which is perhaps one of the reasons why this book has achieved such acclaim and global success. In reviewing Things Fall Apart, it is important to focus on Achebe’s background, purpose, points, views, and overall goals with this particular piece. The background of this book is important to note in order to understand the plot and its Achebe’s overall points and purpose. Historically, this novel is set in the late 19th century. This is important to note in terms of how the characters live and their relationships with other race, particularly the tensions between whites and blacks. According to an article entitle “Things Fall Apart” on Western Michigan University’s website, Chinua Achebe wrote this book in 1961 which was right in the middle of a lot of turmoil for the United States in terms of the Civil Rights Movement(“Things Fall Apart”). Although the novel does not directly relate to the Civil Rights Movement, it is an important book as the main characters are black which placed a minority at the forefront when they had often been neglected in literature before this. Achebe likely wanted to share the African culture, which is often misunderstood, while presenting real, complex, and three-dimensional black characters which were lacking during this time period. The evidence that Achebe utilizes in order to support his purpose/point is with characters and setting. The setting is particularly important as it really paints a picture of the African landscape: “He loved this season of the year, when the rains stopped and the sun rose ever morning with dazzling beauty”(Achebe). This is important in establishing that Africa, and specifically Nigeria, is a place full of rich beauty and culture. Additionally, the main character of Okonkwo who is full of flaws and strengths adds to the complexity. Okonkwo is a person of esteem within his village as he is a warrior and somewhat wealthy (Achebe). The story follows him as he struggles to overcome his father’s bad reputation. Things become more complicate when he is charged with watching over a prisoner named Ikemefuna who he eventually kills. After being sent into exile for the killing, he returns to find that his village has been changed by Caucasian Christian missionaries (Achebe). Okonkwo and other men within the village are very upset about this and burn down one of the churches. Okonkwo kills a court messenger and ends up committing suicide which is considered to be a major sin in his village and he become something of an untouchable just like his father was (Achebe). The themes within a novel are helpful in determining what the author’s purpose was and there are several different themes within this piece. Perhaps one of the biggest themes is the transition from old traditions and ways to new ones. This is especially seen in the changes the village experiences as a result of coming into contact with Christian missionaries. Before this contact, the villagers had a certain way of doing things, but after converting to the new religion, their habits and traditions were forced to change. Okonkwo experiences this when he burns down the Christian church and sees that he does not have much support in going after the white men who have caused this change. This is an important theme as it plays into Achebe’s purpose of illustrating the changes that the world was experiencing at that particular moment in time in the 1960’s and connecting this turmoil to the changes experienced by a small African society nearly 70 or 80 years prior. It would appear that Achebe was trying to show that no matter what time period a person is in, no matter what the color of their skin is, and no matter where the person lives, humans face the same basic struggles. This is shown through the plot specifically. Achebe’s book is supported by the background of the author and his own experiences; therefore, it is unique in comparison to other books of this time period. According to his biography, Achebe was born in Africa in 1930 to in Nigeria to Christian parents (“Chinua Achebe”). His experience is unique in that he grew up attending an English speaking school, but still was surrounded by the Igbo culture of his village(“Chinua Achebe”). He was extremely influential in the growth of Nigerian and African literature. The mixture of both English and Igbo culture presents a distinct viewpoint which can be seen in the plot of this novel. He was really one of the first authors to write about African culture in English which allowed it to reach a wider audience. Some of his other works include No Longer At Ease, Arrow of God, and A Man of the People. According to his biography, Achebe has received “twenty honorary doctorates from universities around the world…and received the Nigerian National Merit Award which is Nigeria’s highest honor for intellectual achievement”( “Chinua Achebe”). It is due to this background and experience, that it would be fair to say that the author is an expert on the topics of which he writes about and has written other works which support this. Overall, Achebe is successful in his goal and purpose of connecting cultures and human experiences in addition to presenting a complex African character to an English speaking audience who may not have been exposed to these elements in 1961. This group of people in particular would find this book most useful. The basic criteria for judging this novel is simply by observing the building blocks such as characters, theme, plot, and setting and deciding whether or not they are consistent through the novel. In a novel, this is more difficult to do as readers sometimes interpret the story differently. In knowing Achebe’s purpose; however, it is easy to see how these elements come together to support his overall goal and purpose. Things Fall Apart does not really leave anything important out that would affect the overall understanding of the book. The author somewhat ignored other historical elements such as slavery, but as this was not a part of the character’s experiences, it also makes sense to leave out these specific elements. Due to the fact that as a reader I have had different experiences, it can be hard to imagine this world and these characters, but due to Achebe’s background, the overall story is convincing, believable, and appears to be based in fact. It is not a book where the reader will feel wonderful after reading it, but it does provide a glimpse into a world where things differ so much, but the human struggle is relatable at the same time. There are no books that are overly similar to this novel, so it is especially unique to readers who want to be exposed to the Igbo culture. Other books such as Heart of Darkness are more structured around the Caucasian characters and their point of view. The fact that the story is told solely from the African’s point of view shows a significant shift in literature. Things Fall Apart continues to be used in classrooms all around the world due to its unique setting, plot, and characters. It is historical, cultural, and philosophical all at the same time which provides the reader a well-rounded experience. The author seems to know what he wants to say and is successful in doing so, but makes sure to leave room open for the reader’s interpretation and thoughts. For a book that was written in 1961, the continuous life span of the piece indicates its uniqueness and will likely continue to be used for years to come. References Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart . New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print. "Chinua Achebe." 2011. Biography.com. 26 Jul 2011, 03:40 http://www.biography.com/articles/Chinua-Achebe-9174901. "Things Fall Apart." Western Michigan University Web. 26 July 2011. . Read More