Things Fall Apart Essay Topics and Outline Examples
Essay Title 1: The Cultural Clash in "Things Fall Apart"
Thesis Statement: Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" explores the collision of Igbo traditional culture and European colonialism, illustrating the devastating consequences of cultural disintegration.
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Things Fall Apart Essay Topics and Outline Examples
Essay Title 1: The Cultural Clash in "Things Fall Apart"
Thesis Statement: Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" explores the collision of Igbo traditional culture and European colonialism, illustrating the devastating consequences of cultural disintegration.
Outline:
Introduction
Igbo Traditional Culture and Values
The Arrival of European Colonists
Conflicts and Changes in Igbo Society
The Tragic Consequences of Cultural Clash
Conclusion
Essay Title 2: Character Analysis of Okonkwo in "Things Fall Apart"
Thesis Statement: Okonkwo, the protagonist of "Things Fall Apart," embodies both admirable and tragic qualities, making him a complex character whose fate reflects larger themes of the novel.
Outline:
Introduction
Okonkwo's Early Life and Ambitions
Strengths and Flaws of Okonkwo's Character
Okonkwo's Struggles and Downfall
Okonkwo's Role in the Novel's Themes
Conclusion
Essay Title 3: Gender Roles and Women's Power in "Things Fall Apart"
Thesis Statement: Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" challenges traditional gender roles within the Igbo society by portraying the strength, resilience, and influence of women, particularly through the character of Ezinma.
Introduction 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...
Discussing the role of women in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart requires a thorough and unbiased reading of the novel. This might be challenging for someone from a western country as at first sight, the women in Things Fall Apart may seem to be an...
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 learn to cope...
Okonkwo is a character in Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” who attempts to conform outwardly while questioning inwardly, although he definitely might not appear to be at first glance. Okonkwo’s inner conflict caused by the tensions of conformity and personal questioning add to the...
“During last planting season when a white man appeared in an iron horse, sipping his wine the people ran away in fear as he beckoned them. Then when elders sought help from the Oracle, it told them the strange man would break their clan and...
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 ritual, which is transmitted through...
Adapting to Change Cesar Chavez once said, “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” Respecting other cultures is very important if you want to have peace within your own culture. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua...
Proverbs are an integral part of human communication and culture, serving as concise and insightful expressions of wisdom, ethics, and traditional knowledge. They have been used across various societies to convey complex ideas in a succinct manner, and literature has often incorporated them to enrich...
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. Thus, Achebe uses the book to...
Throughout history, countries have attempted to spread their influence by establishing colonies. During the nineteenth century, many European countries began attempting to colonize Africa. These colonies did not fare too well. Africa was left in a state of devastation and it’s people’s societies in shambles....
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. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences +...
“The white man is very clever…He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my...
From the very title of this historical fiction novel, Things Fall Apart, composed by Chinua Achebe, it foreshadows the tragedy which is triggered by the tragic hero. Defined by Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, a tragic hero is a character who is of noble stature...
Within any system of oppression, the oppressed, once they realize their treatment is a type of oppression, oftentimes have the impulse to resist. This resistance, sometimes exceptionally dangerous, often bucked by popular opinion and those who have not recognized their own oppression, can take several...
Chinua Achebe introduces the ideas of 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 to be able to display all three of these traits. The biggest example, Okonkwo,...
The prose utilized to write Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is uniquely stylized and molded to suit its African setting. The author is largely successful in developing a blend between the English language and the culture of the Ibo people. Using this European language...
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 around the geographical location of Nigeria; this agricultural...
As a field of study dedicated to surveying countries which have undergone a period of colonial takeover, often by Britain or France, Postcolonialism is thought to have its first roots in the seventies. During this period, the world, more specifically the third one, was on...
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 dominance of the male gender becomes apparent...
By comparing White Teeth with at least one other appropriate text, explore the presentation of family and family relationships in postcolonial literature. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my...
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 impact of Western imperialism on Igbo culture. While Adichie...
Okonkwo was a fierce warrior with a short temper. He had 3 wives and 7 children, and seemed to never fully appreciate any of them. This character in the book “Things Fall Apart”, written by Chinua Achebe, lived in the small African village of Umuofia,...
“A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall” as Aristotle once said. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is used to portray Achebe’s own characterization of a tragic hero. Background: A tragic hero...
This paper is in a file format called LaTeX. You can compile it into something that looks good, or you can just read through all the formatting info. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique...
The portrayals of imperialism in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness contrast significantly. As Joseph Conrad portrays expansionism as a rough power deconstructing the people of savages and brutes. As opposed to Chinua Achebe delineates imperialism as a savage power deconstructing a refined and...
Ethos, Logos and Pathos. They are one of the most important parts of literature that can’t be replace. They provided the ethical appeal, the emotional and the conviction of logic to the novel and the reader. In the book “Things Fall Apart”, the author have...
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 Achebe, provide accounts of how the white...
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. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe...
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 the differences are not in degree, but in the details....
Both novels share the major overarching themes of social disintegration and change, but differ in the ways that the two described societies deal with that change. Other points of contract between the novels are the way they treat the roles of men and women in...
The European invasion and earlier colonial accounts of African history.
Symbols/motives
Colonialism, culture, family, friendship, life, struggle, politics, a cultural clash, Igbo society
Influence
While the African culture is often ignored, this particular book speaks directly about life in the Igbo society. It also tells an insider story of the African experience that becomes clear for those people who are not directly involved. It tells about the spiritual history of African people and makes a cultural aspect that is often ignored even through the lens of colonial background.
Plot
This complex, yet profound novel tells us a story of Okonkwo, a wrestling champion belonging to the Igbo community. The novel takes place among the fictional clan where we learn about family life, history of the main character, custom, society, and the usual challenges. The third part of the book deals with the Christian missionaries and the European colonialism.
Interesting facts
The title of the book has been taken from a poem called "The Second Coming", which has been penned by W.B. Yeats.
Achebe's goal has been to let the readers learn more about the African society that has been dynamic and vivid, yet completely different from the Western society.
The book shows Africa as a modern and well-developed society.
The "Things Fall Apart" manuscript has been lost for months until it has finally been found for publishing.
Achebe has been influenced by the style of Charles Dickens.
The book has given a start for the African literature all over the world.
Achebe's work has helped to break down numerous stereotypes about the African society and the tribes.
Quotes
“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
“A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”
“If you don't like my story, write your own”
“Then listen to me,' he said and cleared his throat. 'It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is supreme. Is it right that you, Okonkwo, should bring your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted? Be careful or you may displease the dead. Your duty is to comfort your wives and children and take them back to your fatherland after seven years. But if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you, they will all die in exile.”
“Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered. As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings.”
Why is this topic important
The most important lesson that this book brings and a reason why it is essential for us is the socio-cultural clash that takes place as the colonial times arrive. We are given an opportunity to compare the things that were usual for Igbo community and the changes that immediately took place, mostly against a person's will.
Why should this topic be used
It is an important topic that helps us to write about the culture, society, our background, history, and the changes that we have to endure when the new changes come. The book is a great example of how the old friendships and tradition vs change instantly become broken when the cultural pressure comes up. It is also a great novel that tells us about our faith and the rule of power.
What is Okonkwo's breakdown?
Okonkwo is an element or a symbol of peripeteia or a dramatic reversal. We can follow Okonkwo's path from being a man of respect to becoming an outcast in his tribe (clan). The tragedy of his death (suicide) is what represents the downfall.
References
1. Rhoads, D. A. (1993). Culture in Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/african-studies-review/article/abs/culture-in-chinua-achebes-things-fall-apart/D123B160B650B9BE84E6E85ACF032B9A African Studies Review, 36(2), 61-72.
2. Caldwell, R. (2005). Things fall apart? Discourses on agency and change in organizations. Human relations, 58(1), 83-114. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0018726705050937?journalCode=huma)
3. Ikuenobe, P. (2006). The idea of personhood in Chinua Achebe’s Things fall apart. Philosophia Africana, 9(2), 117-131. (https://www.pdcnet.org/philafricana/content/philafricana_2006_0009_0002_0117_0131)
4. Parmentier, M. A., & Fischer, E. (2015). Things fall apart: The dynamics of brand audience dissipation. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(5), 1228-1251. (https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/41/5/1228/2962093)
5. Nnoromele, P. C. (2000). The Plight of a Hero in Achebe s" Things Fall Apart". College Literature, 27(2), 146-156. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/25112519)
6. Shiner, M., Scourfield, J., Fincham, B., & Langer, S. (2009). When things fall apart: Gender and suicide across the life-course. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953609003670 Social Science & Medicine, 69(5), 738-746.
7. Ten Kortenaar, N. (1991). How the centre is made to hold in Things Fall Apart. ESC: English Studies in Canada, 17(3), 319-336. (https://muse.jhu.edu/article/694908)
8. McCormick, G. H., Horton, S. B., & Harrison, L. A. (2007). Things Fall Apart: the endgame dynamics of internal wars. Third World Quarterly, 28(2), 321-367. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436590601153721)
