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Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe

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Things Fall Apart Essays

Both friend and foil: how the characterization of obierika conveys human truths and social concerns anonymous 10th grade, things fall apart.

In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe masterfully uses his characters to convey larger human truths as well as to drive his plot. Things Fall Apart is about the colonialization of a Nigerian tribe called the Igbo, following the characters...

The portrayal of Umuofia as a contact zone Salindri Dulara Rajakaruna College

Chinua Achebe’s autoethnographic novel “Things Fall Apart “written in 1958 can be viewed as an attempt to destroy the misleading conceptions about Igbo culture that were given to the world by European writers. The way novel presents the arrival of...

Theme Of Superstition Expressed In Things Fall Apart Praket Venkatasai Akshantala 10th Grade

“What the mind doesn't understand, it worships or fears” (Alice Walker). This quote by Alice Walker, a prominent writer, delineates how ideologies and beliefs are often created with a lack of evidence - commonly referred to by the term...

Chinua Achebe's Portrayal of Pre-Colonial Africa: Anonymous

The concept of balance in Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, is an important theme throughout the book. Achebe introduces this idea with an excerpt from William Butler Yeats's poem, "The Second Coming." The notion of balance is stressed here as...

The Destructive Clash of Cultures Jennifer Chiu

In their respective works Things Fall Apart and The Joys of Motherhood, both Chinua Achebe and Buchi Emecheta depict the effects of colonialism on Igbo society.

While Achebe demonstrates the gradual process of colonial imposition, Buchi Emecheta...

The Role of Women Annie White

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart explores the struggle between old traditions within the Igbo community as well as Christianity and "the second coming" it brings forth. While on the surface, it appears the novel narrows its focus to a single...

The Comparison of One Hundred Years of Solitude with Things Fall Apart Justin J.R.K. Kirkey

By Justin J.R.K. Kirkey

An Involved Essay: The Comparison of

One Hundred Years of Solitude with Things Fall Apart

Things - and societies - fall apart. Societies are born; they grow, thrive, decline, and finally perish. Their procession through...

The Release of African Culture on the World Michael Alexander MacGill

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe uses Okonkwo's story to elaborate a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the cultural values of African tribes. Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart as a rebuttal to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness....

Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart: Complements, or Contrasts? Audrey Fisher

When the Europeans arrived in Nigeria to harvest ivory and spread their religious ideals, many Africans were exploited and their cultures were irreversibly changed. Two novels, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua...

Portraits of Nigeria in Two Novels Timothy Sexton

The novels Things Fall Apart and The Joys of Motherhood both present Nigeria as a competitive, consumption-crazed country. Each novel, therefore, also creates a parallel between Nigeria and capitalist, Western societies--yet each one shows that...

Why Things Fall Apart Anonymous

“The white man is very clever…He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”

Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is a prime example of African literature that demonstrates the clash between cultures and...

The Story of Okonkwo: A Fine Balance of Hope and Tragedy Joshua Nobleman

The South African Igbo tribe of Umuofia, as depicted in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” (1958) encompasses layer upon complex layer of social order. From birth to death, every aspect of Umuofian culture is defined by an intricate balance of...

Family Relationships in White Teeth, Disgrace and Things Fall Apart Anonymous

By comparing White Teeth with at least one other appropriate text, explore the presentation of family and family relationships in postcolonial literature.

The ‘metanarrative’ of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth differs from the direct linear narrative of...

Sexism In Things Fall Apart Stephen Harris

The presence of sexism, both individual and institutional, runs rampant in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. It is the most constant theme in the story, more intrinsic in the plotline than even racism, and certainly more deep-rooted. The...

The Culmination of Tragedy: Tradition and Change in Things Fall Apart Anonymous College

Tradition and change are as much at war as the people are in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. The events that define this war are centered on and around the main character, Okonkwo, who finds himself unable to adapt to the changes taking...

Proverb Symbolism for the Clan Anonymous 12th Grade

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe introduces the ideas of maturity/reputation, respect, and communication as Umuofian cultural values. The success of its citizens when it comes to their social standing is dependent on their abilities...

Fathers and Sons in Purple Hibiscus and Things Fall Apart Anonymous 11th Grade

Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart both emphasize the complexities of father-son relationships. The major theme of parental conflict is developed throughout the course of both texts and serves to illustrate...

The European and African Narrative Techniques used in 'Things Fall Apart' and 'Petals of Blood' Diana Grech College

The structure of the African novel is seen to be made up from two different frameworks, the external, or international, and the indigenous “mode of discourse and artistic expression.” 1 Therefore, the typical African novel contains elements in its...

Murder and Repression in Things Fall Apart Leah Kristine Smith College

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a novel full of individuals, within a tribe, as they deal with the frequently tragic and disappointing events of their lives. Okonkwo, the protagonist, and his son, Nwoye, are two of these individuals who must...

Misconception of the Generation Gap Anonymous College

Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart , is set in Nigeria; the novel examines the clash between traditional African culture, and western ideals by the Igbo tribe, through the protagonist, Okonkwo. Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s...

Setting in Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" Anonymous 11th Grade

Perhaps one of the most influential elements of literature, a setting may potentially dictate the plotline of a story, establishing culture, tradition, and a backstory. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart sees an African world that largely revolves...

Globalization in Things Fall Apart and Gods Without Men: A Challenge to Spirituality? Anonymous College

After conducting extensive research studying cultures around the world, theorist and social anthropologist Peter Van Der Veer remarked that "the critical elements, like those to be found in the spiritual ideas at the beginning of the 20th century,...

The Process of Colonialism: Narratives from Achebe and Boyden Anonymous 12th Grade

The process of colonialism is the ongoing eradication of old practices and the exploitation of new practices, and often entails settlement into a foreign land, the introduction of new cultural practices, and the enforcement of religious practices....

The Importance of Setting in Ethan Frome and Things Fall Apart Anonymous College

Ethan Frome and Things Fall Apart are found in two dramatically different settings, with each plot relying heavily on the setting of the novel to tell its story. The setting of a story is a broad term and can contain many layers. While each story...

Things Fall Apart

Chinua achebe, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Things Fall Apart: Introduction

Things fall apart: plot summary, things fall apart: detailed summary & analysis, things fall apart: themes, things fall apart: quotes, things fall apart: characters, things fall apart: symbols, things fall apart: theme wheel, brief biography of chinua achebe.

Historical Context of Things Fall Apart

Other books related to things fall apart.

• Full Title: Things Fall Apart
• When Written: 1957
• Where Written: Nigeria
• When Published: 1958
• Literary Period: Post-colonialism
• Genre: Novel / Tragedy
• Setting: Pre-colonial Nigeria, 1890s
• Climax: Okonkwo's murder of a court messenger
• Antagonist: Missionaries and White Government Officials (Reverend Smith and the District Commissioner)
• Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for Things Fall Apart

Joseph Conrad: “A Bloody Racist”. Chinua Achebe delivered a lecture and critique on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness , calling Conrad “a bloody racist” and provoking controversy among critics and readers. However, Achebe's criticism of Conrad has become a mainstream perspective on Conrad's work and was even included in the 1988 Norton critical edition of Heart of Darkness .

Achebe as Politician. Achebe expressed his political views often in writing, but he also involved himself actively in Nigerian politics when he became the People's Redemption Party's deputy national vice-president in the early 1980's. However, he soon resigned himself in frustration with the corruption he witnessed during the elections.

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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Essay Example

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I. Introduction: Thesis Statement: “Things Fall Apart” is about a struggle between change and tradition, as the protagonist Okonkwo suffers from many cultural conflicts that lead to his ultimate downfall.

II. “His Whole Life Was Dominated by Fear, the Fear of Failure and Weakness.”

• Being Seen as Effeminate.
• Becoming His Father.
• Having an Unproductive Life and Disgraceful Death.

III. “When a Man Says Yes His Chi Also Says Yes.”

• Gain Status and Respect.
• He Does Not Want to Borrow Seeds but He Does It Anyway.
• He Began His Farm Before the Townsfolk.

IV. “Okonkwo’s Chi Was No Made for Great Things.”

• Sent to Exile.
• Too Much Pride.
• Terrible Temper.

V. Okonkwo’s Family Relationships.

• He Put His Culture Before His Family.
• Mistreats His Child.
• Mistreats His Wives.

VI. Conclusion. Okonwo’s pride and fear result in his self condemnation.

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the reader is given insight into the culture of an African tribesman and how his ideals, when confronted with cultural transition, affect his concept of identity. Things Fall Apart is about a struggle between change and tradition, as the protagonist Okonkwo suffers from many cultural conflicts that lead to his ultimate downfall.

Achebe wrote of Okonkwo, “His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness.” Three examples of this fear can be seen in his fear of being viewed as effeminate, his fear of becoming his father, and his fear of having an unproductive and disgraceful life. Ikemefuna’s death is an example of Okonkwo’s immense fear of being seen as effeminate, is an example of his fear of weakness and failure because the goal of his culture is to be perceived as masculine and to be perceived as effeminate is to be perceived as weak and fail at the core goal of his culture at the same exact time. This situation is noted in the text when the author says, “ He made him feel grown up; and they no longer spent the evenings in mother’s hut while she cooked , but know sat with Okonkwo in his obi,…”(p. 45). Despite embracing his son and trying very hard to make him sell feminine, he fails and ultimately plays a role in the boy’s execution. In many ways Okonkwo’s success can be seen as a product of his fear of weakness and failure. Another example of his fear of weakness isn’t that he was afraid of work, but rather his fear of weakness and failure in regards to his father and the desire to never be anything like him. As noted in the text, Okonkwo’s father was lazy and carefree. The man had the reputation for being “poor and his wife and children had just barely enough to eat… they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back.” (5) Okonkwo’s fear that he will become like his father is so powerful that it ultimately becomes the driving factor that makes him successful and the leading cause for his failure with his family. Okonkwo’s final fear can be attributed to his relationship with his father, but also to his relationship with his culture, as the one thing he has most come to dread is suffering from an unproductive life and a disgraceful death. These fears instilled a drive in Okonkwo and allowed him to develop skills necessary to be successful.

Three examples leading to, or reasons for, Okonkwo’s  success, can be seen in his obsession with gaining status, his refusal to take handouts, and his desire to be the first to start adulthood at a young age. For Okonkwo success is based on material acquisition and growth, and his power. Okonkwo starts off working hard on a far to gain status and respect. He says, “I began to fend for myself at an age when most people still suck at their mothers’ breasts. If you give me some yam seeds I shall not fail you” (21). Okonkwo’s obsession with success, throughout the novel is becomes a major part of his character and can be attributed as a main characteristic contributing to his success. This obsession manifested itself in many materialistic ways. One example of the values that lead  Okonkwo to become successful can be seen in how he does not want to borrow seeds from a wealthy many, but does any way to get an early start at harvest. His ambitions to start farming at a young age, lead him to starting adulthood at a young age, and getting a jumpstart on his life building status in his tribe before his peers. All three of these traits demonstrated by Okonkwo make it very clear why he rose to success within his tribe. Achebe does make it clear to point out that, “Okonkwo’s chi is not “made for great things,” which ultimately becomes the cause of his failure.

Three examples of reasons why Okonkwo’s actions lead to his failure can be seen in his exile, his pride, and his inability to control his temper. The fact that Okonkwo is sent into exile is an example of his ultimate failure.  He is essentially sent for chopping a man’s head off, but when he is sent to exile for seven years, he is never the same again. Okonkwo’s greatest tragic flaw that leads to his downfall is his pride. Pride is ultimately the trait that leads to commit suicide. He is overbearing with his impatience and expectations of others who are not as successful as his pride causes him to feel self righteous.  Okonkwo has established himself as a   self-made man and it makes him impatient of others who are not of the same status. For example, when meeting with the tribe’s elders, he deliberately refers to a man as a woman and says, “This meeting is for men.” This man had no titles, and so Okonkwo felt that he was entitled to speak to the man in this manner. However, Okonkwo was forced to apologize to him. Another flaw  Okonkwo has that results in failure is his temper. Okonkwo is very strict and judgmental with his son, Nwoye, for following in his footsteps. Okonkwo’s fears that Nwoye will be a failure so he allows his temper to get the best of him due to his on fear and he mistreats his son. He is also violent with his wives due to his temper and his fear of losing authority over them. He ultimately breaks the rules of Week of Peace when he beats his wife for not bringing him dinner. The combination of Okonkwo’s pride and uncontrollable temper are what lead him to the decision to commit suicide after he returns from a 7 year exile, but his flaws are also what contribute to many of the conflicts he has with his family.

Achebe wrote that Oknonkwo had conflicts or problems in his family relationships. Examples of these can be seen in Okonkwo’s family interactions. One example of the conflict Okonkwo had with his family can be seen in the fact that he allowed his son, Ikemefuna’s, to be sentenced to death and then took part in the executions despite opposing the decision, simply out of fear of appearing weak. It is an example of how he put his culture before his family. Another example that can be seen is how Okonkwo’s  treats members of his family harshly due to fear. This can definitely be seen with his son Nwoye, who he views as lazy. Okonkwo perceives his own work ethic as great, admirable and powerful, while he views Nwoye as a “degenerate and effeminate” (133). The final example can be seen in how Okonkwo viewed his personal role in his family. The text notes that Okonkow believed, “No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man” (45). Okonkwo is afraid of losing control of his family and being perceived as weak by his wives, so he occasionally mistreats them to compensate for this fear. Okonkwo’s obsession goes so deep that he perceives a loss of respect within his family will result in a loss of respect in the community. The perspective Okonkwo held onto about what it means to be a man transferred over to his relationships with his children and his wives and resulted in him being disconnected from his family and a failure as a father and husband based on his own standards of respect.

In sum, the conflicts that Okonkwo faces, in the book Things Fall Apart, are partially a product of his own doing, and partially a product of cultural transition from what he knows to something new. He devotes his life to gaining status and power within a culture that is taken from him by Christina colonists. The stories centers on his personal evolution of identity within a pre-colonial society to a post-colonial one. The reader is able to interpete all of the fears, values, failures and successes that Okonkwo embodies and that ultimately result in his suicide throughout this transition.

References:

“Okonkwo’s Downfall in: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe” WriteWork.com. WriteWork.com, 26 November, 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Things Fall Apart — Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart

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118 Things Fall Apart Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best things fall apart topic ideas & essay examples, 💡 most interesting things fall apart topics to write about, ⭐ good research topics about things fall apart, 👍 simple & easy things fall apart essay titles, ❓ things fall apart essay questions.

• Themes and Symbolism in Things Fall Apart: Symbols & Examples of Imagery Mother of the Spirits The Mother of the spirits can be viewed as personification by the clan of Umofia and the Mother of Egwugwu.
• Colonial Discourse in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe Achebe’s book centers on the life of a village ‘superstar’ by the name Okonkwo and the arrival of white missionaries at the fictional village of Umuofia.
• Social and Cultural Aspects of Pre-Colonial Africa in Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart The novel emphasize on the encounters of the pre-colonial Africa and the effect of British colonialism during the 19th century. Gender disparity is clear in this village and the crimes are identified with gender where […]
• Post-Colonial Theory in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe We further analyze the individuals and how their actions and activities affect the society’s social culture in relation to the post-colonial society of today.
• Moral Complexities in Things Fall Apart by C. Achebe In spite of the fact that he was one of the greatest men in Umuofia and a leader of his community he was hence not given the burial ceremony that he deserved as an Umuofian […]
• Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” & “Things Fall Apart” by Achebe: Comparison The work of art reflects the reality of life and hardship experienced by people: “The vision seemed to enter the house with me – the stretcher, the phantom-bearers, the wild crowd of obedient worshippers, the […]
• Patriarchy and Masculinity in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” Thus, the novel is built on the juxtaposition of concepts, ideas, and concepts, thanks to which the reader can fully understand the main character’s perception of the concepts of masculinity and patriarchy.
• Identity in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe If the person loses the ability to distinguish between cultural history and his/her identity, the consequences can be rather destructive, as in the case of Okonkwo from Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”.
• “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe: Post Colonial Theory The white men tried to spread the gospel but “the arrival of the missionaries had caused a considerable stir in the village…”..
• Comparison of Shakespeare The Tempest, T.S. Eliot The Wasteland, and Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart Magic In the opening of the play Prospero is the one who, had conjured the storm in a desire to entice his, brother Antonio and the king of Naples, Alonso.
• Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart: Narrative In the same vein, Joseph Conrad’s novella “Heart of Darkness,” written in 1899, is about the struggle of two civilized Europeans, Marlow and Kurtz, after they ventured in to the wouldarkness’ of uncivilized Africa,’ and […]
• “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe: Theme Study The main theme of the novel, in terms of cultural subjugation and introduction of western traditional values to replace contemporary African cultures are discussed during the course of this novel. This perhaps is the mainstay […]
• Female Submission in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” Through this book, the reader is brought to the realization of the role that the white man played in the destruction of the bonds which existed in the African culture.
• Cultural Conquest in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe The period comprising the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century is known for the European colonization and separation of Africa.
• “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe: Customs and Rituals To show how powerful Chielo was Chinua Achebe says, ‘As soon as the priestess stepped into this ring of hills, her voice was not only doubled in strength but was thrown back on all sides.’ […]
• Colonization in Chinua Achebe’s Novel “Things Fall Apart” The tribesmen did not want to give up the new trading society to fight for their independence, that I why they had accepted the confines of the white man’s rule.
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” Critical Review Published in 1958, the novel describes the life of a Nigerian village – Iguedo, at the advent of the white colonization in Nigeria.
• Novel’ Significance: “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe This is one of the details that can be identified. However, this approach can lead to disastrous effects such as the marginalization of people.
• The Nature of Disturbances in “Things Fall Apart” The author illustrates the disruption of peace by the arrival of white-men in the Igbo community. Nevertheless, the showing up of the white man and Christianity led to a change in this practice, the women […]
• ”Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and ”Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe The basic theme of the novel is Ibo culture which is to be changed because of the pressure on the part of the external forces. The introduction of the protagonist of the story Okonkwo is […]
• The Novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe The main theme of the Things Fall Apart is the confrontation of the old and the new world, and the eternal struggle of traditions with innovations, in which there are no winners.
• Things Fall Apart: Drama and Its Elements in the Novel Achebe chose to write about the traditions and values of the Igbo people to show that they had their own rich culture before the British came. The novel is about the Igbo people, their way […]
• Ikemefuna’s Place in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Due to this contrast, the protagonist is revealed to the full extent as a father. At the same time, there is no difference between the characters of Nwoye and Ikemefuna.
• “Things Fall Apart” by Achebe and “We Should All Be Feminists” by Adichie For instance, the story of the Earth and Sky highlights the interdependence of masculinity and femininity since the earth requires rainfall and sunlight from the sky to thrive.
• Protagonists in Oyono’s Houseboy and Chinua’s Things Fall Apart Notably, Okonkwo and Toudi’s masculinity is a false image that is preserved by focusing on the symbol of masculinity and rejecting new ways of progress.
• Colonizers vs. Ibo Society in “Things Fall Apart” by Achebe In fact, the nature of the colonialists’ influence on the Ibo people and their culture is pinpointed in the very title of the book.
• Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: Turning Sorrow Into Meaning In the novel, the culprit for the destruction of Okonkwo’s personality, the disintegration of the clan, which Elder Mbata speaks of in the second passage, the destruction of family ties and religion, is the person […]
• The Western Conception of Africa in “Things Fall Apart“ by Chinua Achebe From within the context of the land and the people of it, it is demonstrated that a great culture was already in the throes of change, again reclaiming the power for the people while still […]
• The Influence of “Things Fall Apart” In so doing, he renders meaning to the traditional African way of life and he also dignifies the people of the continent.
• Mirror Image: Heart of Darkness & Things Fall Apart However, Okonkwo is helpless once he finds British colonization creeping in and destroying the traditional parameters of the village and their culture as a whole along with the ramification of their religion with the invasion […]
• Writing Tools of “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe The book was written during the pre-colonial time and the author portrayed the western practices as of value to the people in the village.
• Chinua Achebe’ Book “Things Are Falling Apart” Chinua Achebe, an African author with his origin in Nigeria mainly focuses on the colonization of African countries and the role of women in the society in the village of Umuofia in his book Things […]
• “Things Fall Apart” a Book by Chinua Achebe Literature Analysis The title and the opening lines very much portray the matters that went on in the village, making it the bulk of the story.
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe – Literature Analysis This essay seeks to establish the strengths and weaknesses of the Igbo culture as portrayed in Things Fall Apart to assess the author’s success in achieving his main goal.
• Literature: Things Fall Apart and The Epic of Gilgamesh The two are internally affected by the struggle between the forces longing for change and those advocating for the restoration of the status quo.
• Society Role in Literature: King Lear and Things Fall Apart The difference is that the leader of the plan is much tougher physically and emotionally, and it is evident that he would not give up his values and morals.
• Okonkwo’s Identity in “Things Fall Apart” In turn, it could be assumed that the vehement feeling of connection to the particular culture influences perceptions and identity of an individual about the place of his/her culture in the world due to the […]
• “Things Fall Apart“ and “Midnight’s Children“: Comparison One of the main qualitative aspects of the ongoing discourse of post-colonialism, is that it often addresses the issue of what can be considered the indications of one’s endowment with the so-called ‘post-colonial’ identity.
• Belgian and British Colonial Practices in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe The first distinction is the manner in which the British used to gain control of the people of Umuofia, the village of Okonkwo’s village.
• The European Colonization of Africans in Achebe’s Book “Things Fall Apart” For the last fifty years, these critics have somehow reduced the face value of the text in the book. This forms another set of variation in the face value of the text in the book.
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe The Umuofia society is religious as it is characterized by the worship of Chuckwu the chief the god, spirits and the ancestors.
• «Things Fall Apart» by Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe Even at the helm of his success, he still remembered how he suffered when his playmate said his father was an agbala.
• Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and the Culture of the Igbo However, when the oracle instructs that Ikemefuna is to be killed, Okonkwo severs his head with a machete even despite the fact that he is warned by the elder that he did not need to […]
• Things Fall Apart: Collage of Ideas and Main Themes He is not only responsible for his family and each member but he should also care about his clan and the reputation of this clan.
• Devotion to Traditions and Culture in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart is a literary work that represents the development of several different ideas like the importance of religion, significance of culture, and power that leads to conflicts of different types; Chinua Achebe made […]
• Things Fall Apart: Ibo Hero Analysis In addition to this, towards the end of the novel, he commits suicide due to the fact that he has no followers when it comes to dealing with the missionaries.
• Characteristics of Okwonko in Things Fall Apart First, when he bullies his wives and sons in the homestead, he reveals to the white man that, in Africa, a man is the head of the family. Finally, in committing suicide, Okwonko demonstrates to […]
• Culture and Humanity: “Things Fall Apart” and “The Gods Must Be Crazy”
• Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” and Harrison’s “The Black Man’s Burden”: Self-Motivation, Courage, and Sacrifice
• Marginality, Dichotomy, and Hegemony in “Things Fall Apart”
• The Relationship Between Cultural Relativity and Superiority in “Things Fall Apart”
• White Missionaries and the Igbo People in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: Tension and Conflict Between Traditional and Modern Views
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: A View of the Impacts of Imperialism
• The Specific Gender Roles in the Village Environment in the Novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• Imperialism and the Allegory of the Cave in “Things Fall Apart”
• The Positive and Negative Aspects of European Assimilation in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• Big Picture, Small Picture: Context for Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Personal and Cultural Identity in “Things Fall Apart” and “I Lost My Talk”
• Internal Conflict Leading to the Downfall in the Ibo Culture in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Okonkwo, the Power Hungry Warrior in “Things Fall Apart”
• The Problems Facing the Ibo People in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: Inevitable Suffering in Tragedies
• Ways of Colonialism and Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• British Imperialism and “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: Exploring the Ibo Culture and Traditional Aspects
• The European and African Narrative Techniques Used in “Things Fall Apart” and “Petals of Blood”
• “Things Fall Apart”: Cultural Changes After African Colonization
• Tragedy in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• “Things Fall Apart” and African Stereotypes
• Female: The Stronger Gender in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Political and Religious Threats in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” and Intercultural Communication
• Problems and Challenges for Chinua Achebe in “Things Fall Apart”
• Colonialism: Comparisons Between “Things Fall Apart” and Historical Accounts
• Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: Orientalism and Gender Roles
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” and the Character of Nwoye
• Africa Fall Apart: “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe and Pre-Modern Era Africa
• Chinua Achebe’s Novel “Things Fall Apart”: Theology and Religion
• The American Attitudes Towards the Peasants and the Lower Classes in “The Great Gatsby” and “Things Fall Apart”
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: Finding Unoka in the Mirror
• The African and Ibo Culture in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
• “Things Fall Apart” and the Influences of Family, Culture, and Society
• Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: The Culture Collision and Its Impact on Okonkwo
• Relationship Between Character and Society in “Things Fall Apart”
• Fate and Free Will in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: A Discussion of Women in Igbo Society
• What Are Two Themes in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Is the Most Important Message in “Things Fall Apart”?
• How Does Achebe Depict Ibo Culture in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Is “Things Fall Apart” Main Idea?
• What Happens in the End of “Things Fall Apart”?
• Why Is “Things Fall Apart” Historical Fiction?
• What Is the Conclusion of “Things Fall Apart”?
• Who Is the Most Important Character in “Things Fall Apart”?
• Why Achebe Chose the Title “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Are the Conflicts in “Things Fall Apart”?
• How Is Foreshadowing Used in “Things Fall Apart”?
• Is “Things Fall Apart” a True Story?
• What Is the Cave Called in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Are Some Symbols in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Does Okonkwo’s Suicide Symbolize in “Things Fall Apart”?
• Why Is “Things Fall Apart” Important in African Literature?
• What Are Cowries in “Things Fall Apart”?
• Why Is Okonkwo Important in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Is the Story “Things Fall Apart” About?
• What Is the Historical Background of “Things Fall Apart”?
• Who Is the Narrator in “Things Fall Apart”?
• How the Tribe Changes in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe?
• Who Is the Antagonist in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Are the Moral Lessons in “Things Fall Apart”?
• How Is Colonialism Shown in “Things Fall Apart”?
• What Are Two Major Conflicts in “Things Fall Apart”?
• How Is “Things Fall Apart” a Tragedy?
• What Does the Last Paragraph of “Things Fall Apart” Mean?
• What Does the Tortoise Symbolize in “Things Fall Apart”?
• Who Is the Hero in “Things Fall Apart”?
• Symbolism Titles
• Wuthering Heights Essay Titles
• British Empire Ideas
• Genocide Essay Titles
• Indigenous People Research Topics
• European History Essay Titles
• Rwandan Genocide Research Ideas
• King Lear Research Ideas
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IvyPanda . "118 Things Fall Apart Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/things-fall-apart-essay-topics/.

'Caught by the Tides' Review: Jia Zhangke Stands Up for China but Watches Things Fall Apart

C hinese director Jia Zhangke put a note on a title card at the end of his film "Caught by the Tides," which screened in the Main Competition of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on Saturday: "Just standing up for the land of my birth." But there's no just in this film, or for that matter in any of his work. "Caught by the Tides" is an examination of the director's homeland, to be sure, but it's far more evasive and challenging than mere tribute.

A portrait of modern China that manages to be both grounded in reality and sparked by illusion, "Caught by the Tides" is also an impressionistic, nonlinear work that mixes fiction and nonfiction; it's as easy to lose your bearings in Zhangke's wash of images as it is to get lost Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis."

This isn't unusual territory for Zhangke, who embraced both experimental storytelling and Chinese life and culture for his entire career. "Caught by the Tides" throws down a challenge from its very first scene, in which a man stands in a field, a wrench in his hand and a motorcycle lying by his side, and watches a blazing fire. A heavy metal song smashes in, its singer yelling, "Not even a wildfire can burn all the weeds."

And from there, Zhangke slashes through the weeds of China in the 21st century, using footage he's shot over the last two decades plus. There's occasionally a plot of sorts, and even a romance, but only to a degree. In a way, the film takes its cue from scenes of a lone woman (Zhangke's wife, Qiao Qiao) who wanders through the movie, seldom commenting but taking it all in with a gaze rich with sadness.

We see work sites, massage parlors and a dump of a place that sports the title "Workers Cultural Palace." There are chaotic nightclub scenes and joyous celebrations when Bejing is named host city of the Olympic Games. There are robots taken to dropping quotes from Mother Teresa and Mark Twain, and lots of singers: The movie is rich in music, including an acoustic lament from a man who sings about how he's gone to the bar every night for 30 years, and will continue "until it all comes down."

In a way, "until it all comes down" is a central theme of the film. The first section is set largely in Central China in 2001, in the time leading up to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, which destroyed about 1,500 cities, towns and villages when it was built and filled in the early 2000s. These scenes are filled with destruction - buildings being torn down, rubble left behind, people leaving - and with the ominous aura of greater destruction to come.

An hour or so in, the film shifts to Southern China and jumps ahead by two decades to 2022. But again, it's a time when danger hangs in the air - China during the pandemic, with men and women dancing around a ballroom in masks while a workman weaves between them spraying disinfectant.

Throughout the film, a sense of chaos and disintegration suffuses the striking images. Zhangke may be standing up for China, but he's also watching things fall apart. The chief emotion on the faces of his subjects is often as not sadness, a point underlined a late-model robot explains that the difference between it and humans is that it can't get sad.

"Caught by the Tides" is an elegy of sorts, at times angry and abrasive but more often gentle and reflective. It's not easy and it's definitely not commercial, leaving it up to the viewer to find threads and bask in the mood rather than grasping for things like plot. That can be frustrating, but also rewarding if you can relax into Zhangke's rhythms. And despite the sense that things are falling apart, the film also finds moments of coming together. You could call it a movie about connection, but one fashioned out of shots of isolation.

The post 'Caught by the Tides' Review: Jia Zhangke Stands Up for China but Watches Things Fall Apart appeared first on TheWrap .