“Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond.”
Chinua Achebe is regarded by many as “the father of African literature”, although Achebe himself vehemently rejected this title of approbation, his status as one of the most seminal figures in modern African literature is well-earned and incontrovertible. Achebe’s opus, and the subject of this review, Things Fall Apart is the most widely translated, studied, and read African novel; its impact transcends continental boundaries and is often cited as one of the most influential novels ever written.
Born in British Nigeria in 1930, Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and Professor of African Studies. He grew up at a cultural crossroads, influenced in his childhood by both Nigerian pre-colonial Igbo traditions and postcolonial Christianity ‒ factors which would heavily feature in his literary works. During his time as a student at the University of Ibadan, Achebe became intensely critical of European literary depictions of Africa, the majority of which portrayed Africans as savages or property, but rarely ever as humans with complex, developed characterizations.
Published in 1958, Things Fall Apart depicts Nigerian tribal life before and after the coming of European colonialism during the late 19th century. The novel is trisected with the first section set in a pre-colonialism Igbo community of Umuofia (a fictional tribe and consortium of nine villages), with the second and third sections set during the early colonial era Christianisation of the Igbo people.
Things Fall Apart follows the life of Okonkwo, a man held in high esteem by the Umuofia tribe for his work ethic, masculinity, and wrestling abilities. Okonkwo is plagued by a fear of failure and weakness inherited by his deceased father Unoka, who failed to abide by cultural norms and accrued significant debt. It is this deep-seated fear and hatred of Unoka and everything he stood for that drives Okonkwo from poverty to power, it also drives him to cultural transgressions resulting in a seven-year exile.
During his and his family’s exile, Christian missionaries arrive, convert his oldest son, and form a missionary in his village. Following this, members of the British empire arrive and permanently change the socioeconomic, cultural, and political ecosystems of Igbo society.
Things Fall Apart is an excellent book and an important read; novels like Heart of Darkness (Conrad) and Mister Johnson (Cary) present a Eurocentric view of African culture, tradition, and civilisation, which aside from being undoubtably superficial, are also deeply racist in their depiction of “savages”. Achebe provides a far more nuanced account of pre- and post-colonial African life, honestly discussing the good and the bad in a manner which shows all as human.
Luckily for those who appreciate Achebe’s critically acclaimed inspection of Nigerian life around the time of the Conquest of Africa, Things Fall Apart is the first in a trilogy of Achebe’s oeuvre concerning European colonialisation and the Christianisation of Nigeria. Oft referred to as the “African Trilogy”, it is comprised of Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease (1960), and Arrow of God (1964). Furthermore, Achebe stated that Things Fall Apart is also followed by two loosely connected “spiritual successors” (A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987)).
“He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.”
This review of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is the fifth instalment of a fortnightly series called 50 Books. The series shines a spotlight on classical literature from throughout history and all over the world. If you have suggestions for future instalments comment and let me know.
Next time: Gabriel García Márquez’s opus, One Hundred Years of Solitude
Words by Luke Horwitz
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