Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a proud, influential Igbo leader in colonial Nigeria, and his tragic fall amidst British colonialism. It explores the conflict between indigenous traditions and foreign influence, showing how rigid adherence to masculinity, combined with cultural disruption, causes Okonkwo’s personal life and his society to “fall apart”
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Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and
evenbeyond.Hisfamerestedonsolidpersonalachievements.
As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by
throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for
sevenyearswasunbeaten,fromUmuofiatoMbaino.Hewascalledthe
Catbecausehisbackwouldnevertouchtheearth.Itwasthismanthat
Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the
fiercestsincethefounderoftheirtownengagedaspiritofthewildfor
sevendaysandsevennights.
The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their
breath.Amalinzewasawilycraftsman,butOkonkwowasasslipperyas
afishinwater.Everynerveandeverymusclestoodoutontheirarms,
ontheirbacksandtheirthighs,andonealmostheardthemstretchingto
breakingpoint.IntheendOkonkwothrewtheCat.
Thatwasmanyyearsago,twentyyearsormore,andduringthistime
Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan. He was
tallandhuge,andhisbushyeyebrowsandwidenosegavehimavery
severelook.Hebreathedheavily,anditwassaidthat,whenheslept,his
wives and children in their houses could hear him breathe. When he
walked,hisheelshardlytouchedthegroundandheseemedtowalkon
springs,asifhewasgoingtopounceonsomebody.Andhedidpounce
on people quite often.Hehadaslightstammer and whenever hewas
angryandcouldnotgethiswordsoutquicklyenough,hewouldusehis
fists.Hehadnopatiencewithunsuccessfulmen.Hehadhadnopatience
withhisfather.
Unoka,forthatwashisfather’sname,haddiedtenyearsago.Inhis
day he was lazyandimprovidentand was quite incapableofthinking
about tomorrow. If any money came his way, and it seldom did, he
immediately bought gourds of palm-wine, called round his neighbors
and made merry. He always said that whenever he saw a dead man’s
mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in one’s lifetime.
Unoka was, of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbor some
money,fromafewcowriestoquitesubstantialamounts.
Hewastallbutverythinandhadaslightstoop.Heworeahaggard
andmournfullookexceptwhenhewasdrinkingorplayingonhisflute.
Hewasverygoodonhisflute,andhishappiestmomentswerethetwo
or three moons after the harvest when the village musicians brought
down their instruments, hung above the fireplace. Unoka would play
with them, his face beaming with blessedness and peace. Sometimes
anothervillagewould ask Unoka’sbandand their dancingegwugwu to
comeandstaywiththemandteachthemtheirtunes.Theywouldgoto
such hosts for as long as three or four markets, making music and
feasting. Unoka loved the good fare and the good fellowship, and he
lovedthisseasonoftheyear,whentherainshadstoppedandthe sun
roseeverymorningwithdazzlingbeauty.Anditwasnottoohoteither,
becausethecoldanddryharmattanwindwasblowingdownfromthe
north.Someyearstheharmattanwasverysevereandadensehazehung
ontheatmosphere.Oldmenandchildrenwouldthensitroundlogfires,
warmingtheirbodies.Unokaloveditall,andhelovedthefirstkitesthat
returned with the dry season, and the children who sang songs of
welcometothem.Hewouldrememberhisownchildhood,howhehad
often wandered around looking for a kite sailing leisurely against the
bluesky.Assoonashefoundonehewouldsingwithhiswholebeing,
welcoming it back from its long, long journey, and asking it if it had
broughthomeanylengthsofcloth.
Thatwasyearsago,whenhewasyoung.Unoka,thegrown-up,wasa
failure.Hewaspoorandhiswifeandchildrenhadbarelyenoughtoeat.
Peoplelaughedathimbecausehewasaloafer,andtheysworeneverto
lendhimanymoremoneybecauseheneverpaidback.ButUnokawas
suchamanthathealwayssucceededinborrowingmore,andpilingup
hisdebts.
OnedayaneighborcalledOkoyecameintoseehim.Hewasreclining
onamudbedinhishutplayingontheflute.Heimmediatelyroseand
shook hands with Okoye, who then unrolled the goatskin which he
carried under his arm, and sat down. Unoka went into an inner room
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