Things Fall Apart

Who was Achebe’s intended audience? Who did he write Things Fall Apart for? What was he trying to communicate to his audience?

            I would say that his intended audience was for unknowing people. The average person that never understood a culture like the Igbo. He is trying to communicate the way culture, the personalities of these characters so people can understand what it’s like.  
  
What does the opening epigraph by Yeats tell us about the novel? What themes does it introduce?
       
        Looking back now, I think that Okonkwo is the falcon and the falconer is his dad. Anarchy meaning, the power that Okonkwo’s father had on him is fading - “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”  

Is Okonkwo destined for tragedy or did his choices (made of his own free will) lead him to his tragic end?
       
        Okonkwo’s choices lead him to tragedy. He chose to not be like his father. He wanted to be powerful. He didn’t show emotion, well anything other than anger. Love or compassion was a sign of weakness. People who want power and aren’t nice about how they get it...it’s called Karma.

Why does Okonkwo hang himself? Is it a cowardly act or brave? Weak or noble?

  

What do the constant references to gender (male/female) say about Okonkwo? About Igbo culture?
       
            Throughout the book there were references it says that Okonkwo and the Igbo culture are outdated and sexist. Unfortunately, woman were treated with a small degree of respect. Not so often you heard anything neg. about a man, but it shows how respect is lacked in the culture and from Okonkwo.

Why do you think Achebe often used untranslated Igbo words? What kind of tone was he trying to evoke?

     I think that Achebe used the words because he wanted the reader to feel like they were in their culture and experience the events that were happening in the book. The tone he was trying to create was a realistic one. He wanted the reader to be connected to the incidents, not just treat the story as another book. He wanted the connection to be real.







Why do you think the people of Umuofia maintain the belief that the egwugwu are gods when they are clearly masked humans?
The Western canon has traditionally imagined white European culture as humane and civilizing. On the other hand, Eastern and African cultures have been depicted as primitive and savage. Does this hold true for Things Fall Apart? How are the representations of both parties – the Igbo and the white men – more complex than this traditional model?
Does Things Fall Apart present a one-dimensional perspective of white people or a holistic and accurate one?
Is the story told about the Igbo and colonization only relevant to this specific Nigerian group or is it representative of other colonized groups as well?