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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158 pages
Literature
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158 pages
Literature
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CHAPTERONE
Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and
evenbeyond.Hisfamerestedonsolidpersonalachievements.
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
sevenyearswasunbeaten,fromUmuofiatoMbaino.Hewascalledthe
Catbecausehisbackwouldnevertouchtheearth.Itwasthismanthat
Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the
fiercestsincethefounderoftheirtownengagedaspiritofthewildfor
sevendaysandsevennights.
The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their
breath.Amalinzewasawilycraftsman,butOkonkwowasasslipperyas
afishinwater.Everynerveandeverymusclestoodoutontheirarms,
ontheirbacksandtheirthighs,andonealmostheardthemstretchingto
breakingpoint.IntheendOkonkwothrewtheCat.
Thatwasmanyyearsago,twentyyearsormore,andduringthistime
Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan. He was
tallandhuge,andhisbushyeyebrowsandwidenosegavehimavery
severelook.Hebreathedheavily,anditwassaidthat,whenheslept,his
wives and children in their houses could hear him breathe. When he
walked,hisheelshardlytouchedthegroundandheseemedtowalkon
springs,asifhewasgoingtopounceonsomebody.Andhedidpounce
on people quite often.Hehadaslightstammer and whenever hewas
angryandcouldnotgethiswordsoutquicklyenough,hewouldusehis
fists.Hehadnopatiencewithunsuccessfulmen.Hehadhadnopatience
withhisfather.
Unoka,forthatwashisfather’sname,haddiedtenyearsago.Inhis
day he was lazyandimprovidentand was quite incapableofthinking
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,fromafewcowriestoquitesubstantialamounts.
Hewastallbutverythinandhadaslightstoop.Heworeahaggard
andmournfullookexceptwhenhewasdrinkingorplayingonhisflute.
Hewasverygoodonhisflute,andhishappiestmomentswerethetwo
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
anothervillagewould ask Unoka’sbandand their dancingegwugwu to
comeandstaywiththemandteachthemtheirtunes.Theywouldgoto
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
lovedthisseasonoftheyear,whentherainshadstoppedandthe sun
roseeverymorningwithdazzlingbeauty.Anditwasnottoohoteither,
becausethecoldanddryharmattanwindwasblowingdownfromthe
north.Someyearstheharmattanwasverysevereandadensehazehung
ontheatmosphere.Oldmenandchildrenwouldthensitroundlogfires,
warmingtheirbodies.Unokaloveditall,andhelovedthefirstkitesthat
returned with the dry season, and the children who sang songs of
welcometothem.Hewouldrememberhisownchildhood,howhehad
often wandered around looking for a kite sailing leisurely against the
bluesky.Assoonashefoundonehewouldsingwithhiswholebeing,
welcoming it back from its long, long journey, and asking it if it had
broughthomeanylengthsofcloth.
Thatwasyearsago,whenhewasyoung.Unoka,thegrown-up,wasa
failure.Hewaspoorandhiswifeandchildrenhadbarelyenoughtoeat.
Peoplelaughedathimbecausehewasaloafer,andtheysworeneverto
lendhimanymoremoneybecauseheneverpaidback.ButUnokawas
suchamanthathealwayssucceededinborrowingmore,andpilingup
hisdebts.
OnedayaneighborcalledOkoyecameintoseehim.Hewasreclining
onamudbedinhishutplayingontheflute.Heimmediatelyroseand
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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