Actions

As in most drama, the characters' actions define them. Krogstad spends most of his
time threatening and blackmailing, showing us what a nasty sort of person he can
be. When he does the whole switch-a-roo at the end and releases the Helmers from
his clutches, we see that he's capable of compassion. (He just needed to be loved.
Aww, how sweet.)

Christine tries her best to help Nora throughout the play, which gives us an idea of
her caring nature. She thrives on helping people. We see this again in her union with
Krogstad. She's not always warm and squishy, though. When she hangs Nora out to
dry at the end by forcing her to confront Torvald, we see that that this motherly figure
isn't afraid of some tough love.

Then there's Torvald. His actions paint him as overbearing and superficial. He's the
archetypal overbearing husband. His little concessions to Nora show, though, that he
does love her in his way. Also, for most of the play, he seems like an upstanding
citizen, even if he is kind of a jerk. In the end, however, when says he'll give in to
Krogstad's wishes, we see that it's just the appearance of things that he's concerned
with, not the morality behind it.

Lastly we have Nora. Her doomed struggle to keep her secret is the central action
that drives the play. Her underhanded methods tell us a lot about who she is as a
character. We see what society has forced her to resort to in her desperation. In the
end, however, Nora allows Torvald to know the truth. Then she deserts him. The old
Nora would never have done these things. The change in her character is all too
clear through these final actions. She won't be anyone's doll any longer.

Names

If you examine the names of the two couples in the play, some pretty interesting
ideas are unearthed. Take Christine for instance. Notice that it's Christ-ine. Mrs.
Linde has definitely lived a Christ-like life of self sacrifice. Then there's Krogstad. His
name comes from the Old Norwegian word for crooked, we certainly see him doing a
lot of crooked things over the course of the play. Is he perhaps the Satan to
Christine's Jesus?

Now we come to Torvald and Nora. Both of their names have pagan origins. Torvald
= Thor, Norse god of thunder; Nora = Elenora or Helen. Throughout the play, we see
the Helmers engaging in pagan-like activities. There's the Christmas or Yule tree,
which was originally a pagan thing before Christians adopted it. Then, of course,
there's the feasting, dancing, and celebrating, which all go along with the old pagan
celebration of Yule.

Krogstad and Christine are, in a way, the "Christian" couple, while Nora and Torvald
are the "pagan" pair. That's not to say that the Helmers are literally pagan: it just
means that, in some ways, their lifestyle resembles a sort of pagan perma-fun time.

Krogstad and Christine have both lived lives of hard work and sacrifice. These are
some of the major tenants of Christianity. The Helmers, on the other hand, seem to
live lives of innocent celebration. By the end of the play, it seems that the "Christian"
couple is rewarded for their lives of toil and sacrifice. Nora and Torvald, for their part,
are awakened like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their innocence is
shattered. When Nora walks out of the house she's only just beginning to struggle.

At the beginning of A Doll’s House, Nora seems completely happy. She responds
affectionately to Torvald’s teasing, speaks with excitement about the extra money his
new job will provide, and takes pleasure in the company of her children and friends.
She does not seem to mind her doll-like existence, in which she is coddled,
pampered, and patronized.
As the play progresses, Nora reveals that she is not just a “silly girl,” as Torvald calls
her. That she understands the business details related to the debt she incurred
taking out a loan to preserve Torvald’s health indicates that she is intelligent and
possesses capacities beyond mere wifehood. Her description of her years of secret
labor undertaken to pay off her debt shows her fierce determination and ambition.
Additionally, the fact that she was willing to break the law in order to ensure
Torvald’s health shows her courage.
Krogstad’s blackmail and the trauma that follows do not change Nora’s nature; they
open her eyes to her unfulfilled and underappreciated potential. “I have been
performing tricks for you, Torvald,” she says during her climactic confrontation with
him. Nora comes to realize that in addition to her literal dancing and singing tricks,
she has been putting on a show throughout her marriage. She has pretended to be
someone she is not in order to fulfill the role that Torvald, her father, and society at
large have expected of her.

Torvald’s severe and selfish reaction after learning of Nora’s deception and forgery is
the final catalyst for Nora’s awakening. But even in the first act, Nora shows that she
is not totally unaware that her life is at odds with her true personality. She defies
Torvald in small yet meaningful ways—by eating macaroons and then lying to him
about it, for instance. She also swears, apparently just for the pleasure she derives
from minor rebellion against societal standards. As the drama unfolds, and as Nora’s
awareness of the truth about her life grows, her need for rebellion escalates,
culminating in her walking out on her husband and children to find independence.

Discuss the representation of family in ‘Things Fall Apart’ and ‘A Doll’s House’

The novel, ‘Things Fall Apart’, written by Chinua Achebe depicts the culture and
values of Igbo society and set in the pre- and post-colonial time period of late
nineteenth century Nigeria. The play, A Doll’s House, is written (originally in
Norwegian) by Henrik Ibsen, and set in late 1800s Norway. Both texts explore family
issues and structure, characterised by the social contexts, and reflecting the values
and expectations of the period and place in which the texts are each set. Achebe
and Ibsen essentially explore the disintegration of family life through the principal
male characters’ mistreatment of, Nora from ‘A Doll’s House’, and Nwoye from
‘Things Fall Apart’. Hence, it can be said that both Achebe and Ibsen are challenging
the gender inequality and conformist attitudes dominant in late-19th century Norway
and Igbo culture, through the representation of struggle and suffering inflicted, as a
result, upon the families in each text.

It could be said that in ‘A Doll’s House’ the strength of a family is centralized and built
upon wealth and societal status. Throughout the play, Nora’s family is shown to be
more of an isolated individual entity, as opposed to a family connected to the
surrounding community. with the supposed ‘head of the family’, Torvald, appearing
to display selfish characteristics towards the end of the play, where he exclaims,
‘Nora, I am saved!’ disregarding anyone else’s wellbeing in his family until Nora
reminds him of her familial presence with the question ‘And I?’ This perhaps signifies
his slightly superficial view of family – viewing his wife to be an object of admiration,
who contributes towards his overall societal image, and having minimal contact to his
children. In contrast, Achebe presents the idea of family in ‘Things Fall Apart’ to have
a larger and inclusive meaning, for instance, when a young girl of the village had
been killed at a market in Mbaino she is referred to as ‘a daughter of Umuofia.’ Here
the narrative voice indicates the whole of Umuofia to be as one ‘family’, reflecting the
strong sense of community found in Igbo culture.
Though to an extent, Okonkwo can be seen to act on self-serving motives to fulfill his
aspirations in gaining more power, his motivations for work can generally be seen to
link back to the wellbeing of his family

Both Achebe’s and Ibsen’s use of foreshadowing in the novel and play re seen to
hint towards the downfall and disintegration of family life. In ‘A Doll’s House’, the
opening word of the play, ‘hide’, hints towards to the lies and deceit revealed later
throughout the novel, and furthermore ultimately leads to the play’s climax where the
family falls apart. In the same way, when Okonkwo’s passion ‘to hate everything his
father had loved’ such as ‘gentleness’ and ‘idleness’, is revealed early on in the
novel, this could be seen as a foreshadow to later events and also to increase the
reader’s understanding of his actions. In addition to this, beating his wife during
peace week exposes the audience to his stern attitude, revealing his character flaw
and indicating that this is what is responsible for the undoing of their family.

Symbols in ‘A Doll’s House’ can also be found to reflect the status of the family
tension, anticipating the conflict that is to ensue. Later on in the play, the appearance
of the ‘Christmas tree’ prop transitions from being decorated in anticipation for
Christmas day to at the beginning of Act Two, where the stage directions tell us ‘The
Christmas Tree is […] stripped of its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on
its disheveled branches’, perhaps symbolically reflecting the disheveled state of
family life as a result of Nora’s deceit and Torvald’s artificial love for his family. The
perception of family life can also be shown through the perception of other
characters in the play and novel; in ‘Things Fall Apart’ Okonkwo is often compared to
fire symbolizing his boundless potency and masculinity, even having the nickname of
the ‘Roaring Flame.’ However on realizing his complete disappointment in his son
Nwoye, Okonkwo has the realization that ‘Living fire begets cold, impotent ash’,
which ironically indicates his own power to be what creates conflicts and destruction
of those in his family, namely Nwoye and lkemefuna.

The ways in which Achebe and Ibsen depict the structure of family both appear to
place men as the most important dominant figure in the household, with women
holding a much more restricted and inferior position. In the opening scene of ‘A Doll’s
House’ the stage directions show Nora to ‘tiptoe to her husband’s door’ and
‘listen[s]’, perhaps indicating that she is not permitted to enter this area of the house
as it is seen as a masculine workplace, with no place for a woman. Furthermore,
later in this scene Torvald is seen to take her ‘playfully by the ear’, perhaps to clearly
indicate to the audience that he holds the power in their family. In the same way, in
Igbo culture, within the compound in which each family resides, the restriction of
women from entering the ‘Obi’, where the husband lives and sleeps, indicates the
confining position of women, where they hold a lower status than the male sons of
the family. While in ‘A Doll’s House’ verbal abuse is more prevalent, Achebe
presents Okonkwo to use physical violence towards his family to maintain control
and exhibit his power within his family and community.

Overall, it could be said that the depiction of family in the play and the book reflect
the values and expectations of the context of production in which the texts are each
set. The inferior position of women within the family are explicitly presented in
‘Things Fall Apart’, as Achebe normalizes the unequal gender roles to be an aspect
of the society along with the extremist masculine qualities Okonkwo inflicts upon his
family, presenting him as a product of his society. In the same way, the significant
androcentric qualities of 1879 Norweigen society are embodied in Torvald’s
character along with the structure of his family. Hence, from this it could be implied
that Ibsen and Achebe criticize the societal values and norms, holding them
responsible for familial collapse.

Theme #1

Individual and Social Fabric

This is one of the most important themes of the play. Most actions of an individual
are in response to the society or community they live. Nora is a loyal wife and a
dedicated mother, but she does not stick to the moral framework of society. She
thinks it morally right to deceive her husband about her debt and forgery. Even
suicidal thoughts are for her husband, who will ruin himself when protecting her later.
Mrs. Linde yearns to be a caretaker and play the role of nurturer. She betrays Nora,
which helps her see the true nature of Torvald. Also, Krogstad does not achieve
happiness through any means but realizes by the end that he can achieve it through
his reformation. He learns that a person must give proper respect to his personality if
he wants to win the respect of others in society.

Theme #2

Feminism

Nora, as a character, becomes prominent not only in the world of literature but also
in the world of theatre. Her figure as a woman towers than those of men with whom
she locks horns. She breaks Torvald’s traditional notion of women subservient to
men; she still has to find future for herself and support her children when she
decides to leave. However, what Torvald fails to understand the value of a woman
and the reason for her debt. Nora has secured a bright future for her children and
also supported her husband, but she has failed to support her own position. It shows
that patriarchal circle has still the same strength as it has before the start of the play.
Femininity though tries to break this circle; it seems that it needs more than merely
the threat to leave as Nora does by the end of the play. However, she indeed stands
in the shadow of her father whenever her husband has some praise for her despite
having decision making ability at critical junctures.

Theme #3

Love and Marriage

Another important theme of the play is love and marriage. Nora and Torvald Helmer
are presented as a happy couple, leading a blissful married life. The use of pet
names by them for each other shows the involvement of love as opposed to Mrs.
Linde’s life. This marriage proves a contrast to the marriage of Mrs. Linde and
Krogstad that happens by the end of the play, which shows that love and marriage
are based on realistic expectations. When the reality of the deception of Nora dawns
upon Torvald, he reveals the other side of human nature and immediately expels
Nora from his life, while she is also ready to go away. On the other hand, Mrs. Linde
and Krogstad have never been in love with each other.

Moreover, Dr. Rank, too, has loved Nora for years though he has never married.
Nora and Torvald show that their marriage is subject to social rules, conventions,
and customs. When this rule is broken, the marriage stands canceled. Krogstad and
Mrs. Linde’s marriage show that this is not always the case.

Theme #4

Deception

Deception is another major theme of the play. Nora’s action of borrowing debt and
then forging her father’s signature show that she has deceived her husband.
Although Krogstad blackmailed her several times on account of this forgery, she has
never disclosed it to her husband. She then shares this deception to Mrs. Linde, who
advises her that she should inform her husband. She believes that such marriages
based on deceptions do not have a chance to succeed, and she proves right.
Krogstad also suffers from a bad reputation as he is with Nora in forging the
signature of her father and using her a ploy to get a promotion. Therefore, such
frauds and deceptions have been presented in the play as corrupting forces that not
only destroy the very foundations of the society but also ruin blissful married lives.

Theme #5

Materialism

Materialism is an essential thematic strand that runs throughout the play. Stress
upon money is the specific focus of the married couple Nora and Torvald Helmer.
Financial autonomy and success are the central points of Torvald’s point of
view about success, whether it is in marriage or business. His refusal to take cases
that do not give him satisfaction is the primary reason for his financial success. Nora,
too, thinks that by providing material comfort, she can win her husband as well as
her married life. However, expectations of the material success of Nora and Torvald
dash to the ground by the end of the play when they come to know the truth.

Theme #6

Upbringing Children

Although Ibsen has not given children of Nora and Helmer any space in the play, it is
also a thematic strand that runs parallel to the truth of marital love. Emmy, Ivar, and
Bobby show how parents are bringing them up and how they should be treated. Nora
has a little time for them as she brings toys, but father never appears to have any
time except for his financial career. However, in another way, he has time to call his
wife with names such as “little person” or “little woman” or “little songbird” and other
such names reserved for children. This shows that both of them are bringing up their
children as their possessions instead of human beings, which is proved wrong by the
end.

Theme #7

Parental Obligations

The play shows that parents are responsible for bringing up their children with the
right moral values. For example, Nora is accused of following her father’s profligacy
and money-making drive. Dr. Rank seems to have inherited disease as well as moral
flaws from his father. Torvald, too, holds this idea that parents determine the moral
character of a child as he states when Nora is with him that criminals always have
mothers who lie in their lives.

Theme #8

Religion

Although religion does not directly appear in the play, it has some importance. For
example, the events of the play occur around or on Christmas. While the events of
the first act take place in the evening, the second on the day of Christmas and third
on Boxing Day. The arrival of Christmas Tree in the first act also shows this
occasion. Secondly, there is much stress on the morality that is undoubtedly
Christian morality. However, it is interesting that it has not been directly mentioned.
Only Torvald accuses Nora of having “no religion” and that his father does not have
any principle. Nora too admits by the end that she does not know the reality of
religion and that she is not sure about the clergy as well.

Theme #9

Corruption
It is a minor theme but plays an important role in the progress of the play. Dr. Rank is
an epitome of corruption and has inherited tuberculosis along with moral degradation
from his father. In the same way, Torvald accuses Nora of inheriting moral ineptitude
about money and financial matters from her father. In other words, it is suggested
that such corruption, whether it is physical, or moral is a curse for the society.

Theme #10

Lies in Life

Lies and their importance in social life is another minor theme. Nora is living in a
delusional world that by lying to her husband, she can save her marriage. However,
it dawns upon her by the end of the play that lies complicate and even sometimes
destroys very strong relations. Her married life, which seems quite happy, was built
on lies and comes to an end.

In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, Nora Helmer spends most of her on-stage time as
a doll: a vapid, passive character with little personality of her own. Her whole life is a
construct of societal norms and the expectations of others. Until she comes to the
realization that her life is a sham, she spends her whole life in a dream world. In this
dream world, Nora does not take life seriously, an attitude that led to many of the
plot’s complications.

Until her change, Nora is very childlike and whimsical. Her first act on stage is her
paying the delivery body. Though his service only costs 50-p., she gives him a
hundred. Though an additional 50-p. is not a significant amount of money, the casual
way in which she gives it to him is indicative of her fiscal irresponsibility (Cummings).
She hands him the hundred and before he can thank her, she decides in the middle
of the transaction that she is not patient enough to wait for change. The fact that this
seemingly mundane occurrence is presented as the first action on stage showcases
the reckless attitude implied.

Fiscal irresponsibility is a prominent factor in the advancement of the plot. It is Nora’s

fiscal irresponsibility that catalyzes the situation in which Nora's childlike
expectations of Torvald are shattered. The conflict of the story is driven by Nora’s
forging of loan documents to raise money for an expensive trip to Italy; Krogstad,
who had processed the loan, tries to blackmail Nora over the fact that she forged the
documents. Another aspect of the crime, which was not elaborated on so much, is
that even if the documents were not forged, Nora did not have any means to repay
the loan anyway.

Nora could be excused for trusting Krogstad not to blackmail her, but not recognizing
that the loan would have to be repaid is inexcusable. Though at one point we are led
to believe that whenever Nora would pry money away from Torvald, she would
reserve half of it to repay the debt, when Krogstad confronts her, she confesses that
she is not, in fact, in possession of the remaining balance.

An important aspect of a dream world is the suspension of cause and effect. Nora’s
lackadaisical approach is very prominent throughout the story. One example of her
disregard for others is when she blames Mrs. Linde1 for smuggling forbidden
macaroons into the house. Though she is just trying to hide her indiscretions, she
does not care whom she hurts in the process.

Another aspect of the dream world is the acquisition of material possessions; Nora is
always trying to make herself happy by buying things: dresses, toys, candy etc.,
rather than doing anything meaningful with her life. She has never spent serious time
with her husband of nearly a decade, and is always dumping her children on the
nurse rather than bonding with them herself. This practice may have been common
at the time the play was written, but Ibsen is clearly not ashamed of bold social
criticism (Chandler 333).

In her dream world, Nora takes a back seat approach to life and becomes like an
object, reacting to other’s expectations rather than advancing herself. As a result of
her passivity, Torvald is very possessive of, frequently adding the “my” modifier to all
the pet names he calls her. In the original Riksmål2 (Boel), there are many monetary
idioms, lost in translation, that advance the concept of Nora’s objectness.

In one line, Torvald calls her “[his] dearest property”; Mrs. Linde states that she will
save Nora “at any price”, as if she could be bought (Drake 32). Though she is
infatuated with the acquisition of possessions, she herself is a possession of Torvald.

When Torvald enters the scene, Nora's childlike behavior becomes more patent.
Torvald calls her pet names "little lark", "little squirrel", and "Little Miss Extravagant".
Nora is being treated like a cute little girl and she happily accepts the epithets.
Torvald finds himself having to restrain Nora with rules, much as a father would have
to inhibit a child, forbidding her from pursuing candy and other temporal pleasures.
(Kashan) When the play was first performed in English (in Milwaukee), it was titled
"The Child Wife" (Templeton 113).

The maturity level Nora exhibits demonstrates that the relationship between Torvald
and Nora is more like father and daughter than husband and wife. (Ford) She whines
at Torvald3, exhibits poor judgment4, does not care about the consequences of her
actions5, and immaturely shuts her ears to unpleasant thoughts, placing her hand on
her mouth and exclaiming, "Oh! Don't say such things!" when Torvald presents a
hypothetical tragedy.

The father-daughter relationship is referred to later when Nora confronts Torvald in

the final act. She makes this connection that life with her father was like life with
Torvald. Nora’s father would force his beliefs on her and she would comply with them
lest she upset him; she would bury her personal belief under Papa’s. According to
Nora, Torvald was guilty of the same things. In addition to his insistence on her
wearing the fish girl costume is his frustration over her inability to grasp the
tarantella. The costume and dance are part of Torvald's fantasy of gazing upon Nora
from across the room at a party and pretending that she is something exotic. Torvald
made Nora take on a foreign identity; Torvald used her as a doll.
On the subject of the costume party, Dr. Rank suggested that Nora go as herself and
that he be invisible. Under the surface, Rank is suggesting that Nora should not be a
doll. With an invisible chaperon, Nora would not be dominated by a figure placing an
identity over her. If this interpretation is Rank’s intended meaning, it would
corroborate Nora’s judgment of his character when she explains how she always
feels at ease around Dr. Rank because he does not have any expectations or
demands of her.

At the end of the play, the doll symbolism becomes very powerful. Nora imagines
that Torvald will two dimensionally remain morally upright and, on principle, defend
Nora's honor and not allow Krogstad to blackmail the Helmers. Nora imagines that
Torvald would sacrifice his own reputation and future to save her, but Torvald tells
her that he would not make the sacrifice, shattering Nora's dream world.

At this point it becomes clear to Nora that “[she] had been living all these years with
a strange man, and [she] had born him three children”. This realization forces Nora
into the real world and she ceases to be a doll. At the end of the above statement,
she adds “Oh, I cannot bear to think of it!” which echoes her childlike shutting out of
unpleasant thoughts.

It is not only that Torvald would not sacrifice himself for her that opens Nora’s eyes
to reality. She did not understand that though Torvald loved her, he loved her as a
thing - a status symbol (Lord 25). Nora serves as a wife and mother, but not as an
equal to Torvald. Torvald planned to cope with the scandal resulting from blackmail
by stripping Nora of her spousal and motherly duties, but would keep her in the
house for appearance sake. If Nora, with her reputation tainted as a criminal, would
poison the minds of the Helmer children, she would be useless as a mother to them
(Metzger).

The next thing Nora does is change out of her fancy dress. Torvald bought this dress
for Nora to wear at a costume party because he wanted her to appear as a
"Neapolitan fish girl". As one would put clothes on a doll, Torvald dresses Nora.
When she sheds this dress, she is shedding a trapping of her doll-like existence
(Cummings).

In the past, Nora was always a passive child-like possession who followed Torvald's
orders, but now she is an independent adult and is able to dominate Torvald, who is
used to playing with dolls. In comparison with the "real" Nora, Torvald is the doll.
Nora seats Torvald at the table and explains her situation to him. She does not let
him speak until she has finished what she wants to say. At the table, Torvald is still
wearing the clothes he wore to the fancy dress party.

Like the fish girl outfit, these clothes are artificial; they are a costume and at the
table, Torvald is put in a role where the costume is not appropriate and his "dollness"
becomes apparent. He is like a G.I. Joe action figure at a little girl's tea party and he
cannot cope with the situation. The incongruity of his outfit with the setting reveals
that Torvald is false. He then realizes that what he thought was Nora was not, that
his world was a sham, and that he is nothing more than a doll in a pretend world.
When Nora comes to the realization that her character was little more than a
composite of societal and others’ expectations, she recognizes that the strong,
staunch, principled Torvald she thought she was married to was only a character
formed out of her own expectations. Their marriage was a doll marriage: he a doll
husband, she a "doll wife”, and their children destined to be “doll children”.

In regard to the children, Nora realizes that if she continues the pattern of instilling
societal norms on her children, they too will fall into the trap of dollhood. In the first
scene, Nora is revealed to have bought a doll for her daughter who is so young that
she is expected to break the toy in a short time; the tradition of doll playing starts at
an early age.

Nora, having grown up as a manipulated tool of others, is under the impression that
manipulation of others is a societal norm. Though she is usually passive, she can be
seen to use others, even when the manipulation is of no benefit to her. A prime
example of this is when she tells Dr. Rank that it was Mrs. Linde who brought
forbidden pastry into the house. Telling the truth in this situation would not make Dr.
Rank think significantly less of her, but she compulsively blames Mrs. Linde, which
lowers her standing with Kristine.

Since Nora is willing to perform extraneous manipulation, even when it harms her,
we can see her addiction to it (Young 74). Other examples of manipulation are
having a nanny take care of her children, having Mrs. Linde repair her dress,
behaving seductively around Dr. Rank, whining at Torvald to get money, and most
importantly convincing Krogstad to overlook the similarity between her penmanship
and her "father's".

One critic brings up the three uses of the word “wonderful” in the play. Each use
heralds a conflict between Nora's dreamworld and reality. The first clash is when
Nora realizes that her rebellious actions are outside the pale of societal norms: an
objective shock. The second, a subjective shock, comes in the second act when
Nora realizes that she is deeper than her childish and whimsical facade. The final,
the “metaphysical” shock is when Nora realizes that her entire world is a complete
sham; at the end of the play, Torvald, who is still a doll, is left wondering what “the
most wonderful thing” is (Johnston 142).

One can think of each illusion as a wall of Nora's dollhouse; each time Nora
recognizes the incongruity between reality and her doll house, a wall is torn down. At
the start of the play, the house has three walls (the fourth wall being open to the
audience), and at the end of the play, all the walls have been razed, leaving Nora
free.

The stage itself is a good metaphor for a dollhouse. It may have the appearance of a
19th century Norwegian home, but a missing a wall grants the audience omniscience
of the private lives of the characters. Would Nora have sneaked macaroons if she
knew a crowd of people were watching her? The playwright can do whatever he
wants to with the characters on stage; they are his dolls, but when Nora leaves
Torvald, she also leaves the stage. Off stage, what was once Nora is now an
actress. When Nora the character was going through the motions of her sham life,
she was like an actress filling a role by adopting a prefabricated personality not her
own, thrust upon her by others.

Things Fall Apart

The Struggle Between Change and Tradition
As a story about a culture on the verge of change, Things Fall Apart deals with how
the prospect and reality of change affect various characters. The tension about
whether change should be privileged over tradition often involves questions of
personal status. Okonkwo, for example, resists the new political and religious orders
because he feels that they are not manly and that he himself will not be manly if he
consents to join or even tolerate them. To some extent, Okonkwo’s resistance of
cultural change is also due to his fear of losing societal status. His sense of self-
worth is dependent upon the traditional standards by which society judges him. This
system of evaluating the self inspires many of the clan’s outcasts to embrace
Christianity. Long scorned, these outcasts find in the Christian value system a refuge
from the Igbo cultural values that place them below everyone else. In their new
community, these converts enjoy a more elevated status.
The villagers in general are caught between resisting and embracing change and
they face the dilemma of trying to determine how best to adapt to the reality of
change. Many of the villagers are excited about the new opportunities and
techniques that the missionaries bring. This European influence, however, threatens
to extinguish the need for the mastery of traditional methods of farming, harvesting,
building, and cooking. These traditional methods, once crucial for survival, are now,
to varying degrees, dispensable. Throughout the novel, Achebe shows how
dependent such traditions are upon storytelling and language and thus how quickly
the abandonment of the Igbo language for English could lead to the eradication of
these traditions.

Varying Interpretations of Masculinity

Okonkwo’s relationship with his late father shapes much of his violent and ambitious
demeanor. He wants to rise above his father’s legacy of spendthrift, indolent
behavior, which he views as weak and therefore effeminate. This association is
inherent in the clan’s language—the narrator mentions that the word for a man who
has not taken any of the expensive, prestige-indicating titles is agbala, which also
means “woman.” But, for the most part, Okonkwo’s idea of manliness is not the
clan’s. He associates masculinity with aggression and feels that anger is the only
emotion that he should display. For this reason, he frequently beats his wives, even
threatening to kill them from time to time. We are told that he does not think about
things, and we see him act rashly and impetuously. Yet others who are in no way
effeminate do not behave in this way. Obierika, unlike Okonkwo, “was a man who
thought about things.” Whereas Obierika refuses to accompany the men on the trip
to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo not only volunteers to join the party that will execute his
surrogate son but also violently stabs him with his machete simply because he is
afraid of appearing weak.
Okonkwo’s seven-year exile from his village only reinforces his notion that men are
stronger than women. While in exile, he lives among the kinsmen of his motherland
but resents the period in its entirety. The exile is his opportunity to get in touch with
his feminine side and to acknowledge his maternal ancestors, but he keeps
reminding himself that his maternal kinsmen are not as warlike and fierce as he
remembers the villagers of Umuofia to be. He faults them for their preference of
negotiation, compliance, and avoidance over anger and bloodshed. In Okonkwo’s
understanding, his uncle Uchendu exemplifies this pacifist (and therefore somewhat
effeminate) mode.

Language as a Sign of Cultural Difference

Language is an important theme in Things Fall Apart on several levels. In
demonstrating the imaginative, often formal language of the Igbo, Achebe
emphasizes that Africa is not the silent or incomprehensible continent that books
such as Heart of Darkness made it out to be. Rather, by peppering the novel with
Igbo words, Achebe shows that the Igbo language is too complex for direct
translation into English. Similarly, Igbo culture cannot be understood within the
framework of European colonialist values. Achebe also points out that Africa has
many different languages: the villagers of Umuofia, for example, make fun of Mr.
Brown’s translator because his language is slightly different from their own.
On a macroscopic level, it is extremely significant that Achebe chose to write Things
Fall Apart in English—he clearly intended it to be read by the West at least as much,
if not more, than by his fellow Nigerians. His goal was to critique and emend the
portrait of Africa that was painted by so many writers of the colonial period. Doing so
required the use of English, the language of those colonial writers. Through his
inclusion of proverbs, folktales, and songs translated from the Igbo language,
Achebe managed to capture and convey the rhythms, structures, cadences, and
beauty of the Igbo language.

hings Fall Apart is acclaimed as the finest novel written about life in Nigeria at the
end of the nineteenth century. Published in 1958, it is unquestionably the world’s
most widely read African novel, having sold more than eight million copies in English
and been translated into fifty languages. But it offers far more than access to pre-
colonial Nigeria and the cataclysmic changes brought about by the British. It also can
be a window into the story of the Aborigines in Australia, the Maori of New Zealand,
and the First Nations of North, Central, and South America in the “falling apart” of the
indigenous cultures of these and other places whose centers could not hold.

Chinua Achebe is the ideal teller of this story, born in Nigeria in 1930 and growing up
in the Igbo town of Ogidi. He spoke Igbo at home and studied English in school,
imbibing the dual culture. In an autobiographical essay, he describes his childhood
as being “at the crossroads of cultures.” In the course of a distinguished academic
and literary career, much of it in exile, Achebe has been the recipient of many
awards, beginning with the Margaret Wrong Memorial Prize in 1959 for Things Fall
Apart and including more than thirty honorary doctorates. Achebe is in great
demand throughout the world as a speaker and visiting lecturer, and is presently
teaching at Bard College in New York.

Achebe uses that most English of literary forms, the novel, to make his story
accessible to Westerners, and interlaces the narrative with Igbo proverbs and
folktales. The novel challenges Western notions of historical truth, and prods readers
into questioning our perception of pre-colonial and colonial Africa. More than half the
novel is devoted to a depiction of Igbo culture, artfully drawn as we follow the rise to
eminence of the protagonist. As a champion wrestler and a great warrior, Okonkwo
is a natural leader. His flaw, however, is that he never questions the received
wisdom of his ancestors. For this reason he is not drawn in a flattering light, but his
culture is given a full and fair depiction.

Students might well keep journals in which they identify their own culture’s equivalent
to each Igbo folkway, discovering affinities as well as differences. There is no culture
shock in discovering that Okonkwo’s father has low status because of his laziness
and improvidence. He would rather play his flute than repay his debts. It follows,
then, that land, a full barn, expensive titles, and many wives confer status. Our
protagonist is ambitious. Indeed, one of his flaws is his fear of failure, of becoming
like his father.

Viewing society from the inside, students can make inferences about why a high
value is accorded to clan solidarity, kinship, and hospitality, and the reasons for
courtship and funeral customs. In a culture without written language, the arts of
conversation and oration are prized. Wisdom is transmitted through proverbs,
stories, and myths. The agrarian cycle of seasons, with their work and festivals, the
judicious use of snuff and palm wine, the importance of music and dance, all could
be noted and compared to similar Western mores. Law and justice keep the peace,
pronouncing on a land dispute or the killing of a clansman. A priestess and masked
tribesmen interpret the Oracle, speaking for ancestors and gods. They enforce
taboos against twins and suicide, and offer explanations for high infant mortality.

The second and third parts of the novel trace the inexorable advance of Europeans.
For years, stories told about white slavers are given little credence in Okonkwo’s
village. The first white man to arrive in a nearby village is killed because of an omen,
and in retribution all are slaughtered by British guns. Christian missionaries seem to
be madmen, their message of wicked ways and false gods attractive only to
outcasts. But along with Christianity come hospitals and schools, converting farmers
to court clerks and teachers. Trading stores pay high prices for palm oil. Government
is closely linked to religion and literacy. A District Commissioner superimposes
Queen Victoria’s laws, and Africans from distant tribes serve as corrupt court
messengers and prison guards.

For many writers, the theme of a novel is the driving force of the book during its
creation. Even if the author doesn't consciously identify an intended theme, the
creative process is directed by at least one controlling idea — a concept or principle
or belief or purpose significant to the author. The theme — often several themes —
guides the author by controlling where the story goes, what the characters do, what
mood is portrayed, what style evolves, and what emotional effects the story will
create in the reader.

Igbo Society Complexity

From Achebe's own statements, we know that one of his themes is the complexity of
Igbo society before the arrival of the Europeans. To support this theme, he includes
detailed descriptions of the justice codes and the trial process, the social and family
rituals, the marriage customs, food production and preparation processes, the
process of shared leadership for the community, religious beliefs and practices, and
the opportunities for virtually every man to climb the clan's ladder of success through
his own efforts. The book may have been written more simply as a study of
Okonkwo's deterioration in character in an increasingly unsympathetic and
incompatible environment, but consider what would have been lost had Achebe not
emphasized the theme of the complex and dynamic qualities of the Igbo in Umuofia.

Clash of Cultures
Against Achebe's theme of Igbo cultural complexity is his theme of the clash of
cultures. This collision of cultures occurs at the individual and societal levels, and the
cultural misunderstanding cuts both ways: Just as the uncompromising Reverend
Smith views Africans as "heathens," the Igbo initially criticize the Christians and the
missionaries as "foolish." For Achebe, the Africans' misperceptions of themselves
and of Europeans need realignment as much as do the misperceptions of Africans
by the West. Writing as an African who had been "Europeanized," Achebe
wrote Things Fall Apart as "an act of atonement with [his] past, the ritual return and
homage of a prodigal son." By his own act, he encourages other Africans, especially
ones with Western educations, to realize that they may misperceive their native
culture.

Destiny

Related to the theme of cultural clash is the issue of how much the flexibility or the
rigidity of the characters (and by implication, of the British and Igbo) contribute to
their destiny. Because of Okonkwo's inflexible nature, he seems destined for self-
destruction, even before the arrival of the European colonizers. The arrival of a new
culture only hastens Okonkwo's tragic fate.

Two other characters contrast with Okonkwo in this regard: Mr. Brown, the first
missionary, and Obierika, Okonkwo's good friend. Whereas Okonkwo is an
unyielding man of action, the other two are more open and adaptable men of
thought. Mr. Brown wins converts by first respecting the traditions and beliefs of the
Igbo and subsequently allowing some accommodation in the conversion process.
Like Brown, Obierika is also a reasonable and thinking person. He does not
advocate the use of force to counter the colonizers and the opposition. Rather, he
has an open mind about changing values and foreign culture: "Who knows what may
happen tomorrow?" he comments about the arrival of foreigners. Obierika's receptive
and adaptable nature may be more representative of the spirit of Umuofia than
Okonkwo's unquestioning rigidity.

For example, consider Umuofia's initial lack of resistance to the establishment of a

new religion in its midst. With all its deep roots in tribal heritage, the community
hardly takes a stand against the intruders — against new laws as well as new
religion. What accounts for this lack of community opposition? Was Igbo society
more receptive and adaptable than it appeared to be? The lack of strong initial
resistance may also come from the fact that the Igbo society does not foster strong
central leadership. This quality encourages individual initiative toward recognition
and achievement but also limits timely decision-making and the authority-backed
actions needed on short notice to maintain its integrity and welfare. Whatever the
reason — perhaps a combination of these reasons — the British culture and its code
of behavior, ambitious for its goals of native "enlightenment" as well as of British self-
enrichment, begin to encroach upon the existing Igbo culture and its corresponding
code of behavior.

A factor that hastens the decline of the traditional Igbo society is their custom of
marginalizing some of their people — allowing the existence of an outcast group and
keeping women subservient in their household and community involvement, treating
them as property, and accepting physical abuse of them somewhat lightly. When
representatives of a foreign culture (beginning with Christian missionaries) enter Igbo
territory and accept these marginalized people — including the twins — at their full
human value, the Igbo's traditional shared leadership finds itself unable to control its
whole population. The lack of a clear, sustaining center of authority in Igbo society
may be the quality that decided Achebe to draw his title from the Yeats poem, "The
Second Coming." The key phrase of the poems reads, "Things fall apart; the center
cannot hold."

Underlying the aforementioned cultural themes is a theme of fate, or destiny. This

theme is also played at the individual and societal levels. In the story, readers are
frequently reminded about this theme in references to chi, the individual's personal
god as well as his ultimate capability and destiny. Okonkwo, at his best, feels that
his chi supports his ambition: "When a man says yes, his chi says yes also" (Chapter
4). At his worst, Okonkwo feels that his chi has let him down: His chi "was not made
for great things. A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. . . . Here was a
man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation" (Chapter 14).

At the societal level, the Igbos' lack of a unifying self-image and centralized
leadership as well as their weakness in the treatment of some of their own people —
both previously discussed — suggest the inevitable fate of becoming victim to
colonization by a power eager to exploit its resources.

In addition to the three themes discussed in this essay, the thoughtful reader will
probably be able to identify other themes in the novel: for example, the universality of
human motives and emotions across cultures and time, and the need for balance
between individual needs and community needs.

Clear, Descriptive, Sympathetic toward the Umuofia

Achebe narrates events pretty objectively, without many embellishments. Readers
are left largely to impose emotion on the text and decide for themselves whether
characters are admirable or justified in their behaviors. However, towards the end,
Achebe begins showing sympathy towards the Umuofia by describing the brutalities
inflicted on the people by the white government. The last paragraph of the book in
particular shows a purely pretentious and self-satisfied District Commissioner with an
inflated sense of Western superiority.

From its very title, Things Fall Apart foreshadows the tragedy which the novel
depicts. We don’t mean to be downers , but can a book about things falling apart
really have a happy ending? The novel documents the falling apart of the Igbo tribe
due to the coming of the Christian missionaries and the rule of the English
government.

The only point in the book in which the title is referenced is Chapter Twenty, when
the main character, Okonkwo, and his friend, Obierika, are discussing the invasion of
white men into their community. Obierika says, “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.” This passage clearly ties the destruction of the Igbo people’s way of life
to sneaky, divisive action on the part of European missionaries and imperialists.

Folktales
To Okonkwo, folktales – especially those featuring animals – are a symbol of
femininity. To him, the stories seem to show a childish love for escapism and provide
few useful values or morals. Mothers and daughters in the novel have a tendency to
share folktales, but they are also one of Okonkwo’s son Nwoye’s favorite forms of
entertainment. Because Nwoye prefers folktales over bloody war stories, Okonkwo
fears that his son is too effeminate.

Yams
Yams are a crop grown exclusively by men. Growing yams is labor intensive, and the
size of a man’s fields and harvest say much about his work ethic. Yams are grown to
gain wealth and also to feed one’s family. They are a symbol of masculinity and
ability as a provider.

Fire
The narrator and characters often compare Okonkwo to fire, he even has the
nickname around town as the “Roaring Flame.” For Okonkwo, fire is a symbol of
boundless potency, life, and masculinity. However on realizing his complete
disappointment in his son Nwoye, Okonkwo has the realization that “Living fire
begets cold, impotent ash.” Like fire, Okonkwo sees his own progeny as impotent.

Ash
As you might guess, ash is seen as impotent, cold, and lifeless. Okonkwo links ash
to emasculation. Not only does Okonkwo compare his own son, Nwoye, to ash, but
the court messengers are also called “Ashy-Buttocks” – a comment about the color
of their shorts but also about their masculinity.

The Mother of the Spirits

The Mother of the Spirits is seen as the mother of the egwugwu and therefore a deity
worshipped by the Umuofia. In many ways, she is the personification of the Umuofia
clan. The point at which one of the Christian converts, Enoch, commits the terrible
crime of unmasking one of the egwugwu is a climactic moment for the Umuofia.
Unmasking an egwugwu is equivalent to murdering a god. It is a point at which the
Umuofia way of life has been deeply disrespected and the damage done is
irreparable. The night after the unmasking, the Mother of the Spirits loudly mourns
the death of her son. The narrator draws a comparison between the Mother of the
Spirits and the clan: “It seemed as if the very soul of the clan wept for the great evil
that was coming – its own death.” It’s also important that the Mother of the Spirits
takes no action but weeping and mourning – she doesn’t avenge the death of her
son, and neither will the Umuofia people avenge the crimes the white men commit
against them.

The Egwugwu
The egwugwu are a symbol of the culture and independence of the Umuofia.
The egwugwu are seen as ancestral gods, though in actuality they are masked
Umuofia elders. The egwugwu serve as respected judges in the community, listening
to complaints and prescribing punishments and deciding conflicts. Just as
the egwugwu are superstitiously thought to be the spirits of the Umuofia ancestors,
for the sake of the novel, they are symbolically the spirit of the clan. When
the egwugwu loose power in the community and are replaced by a white court, the
clan’s culture and independence is lost.

Though Okonkwo is a respected leader in the Umuofia tribe of the Igbo people, he
lives in fear of becoming his father – a man known for his laziness and cowardice.
Throughout his life, Okonkwo attempts to be his father’s polar opposite. From an
early age, he builds his home and reputation as a precocious wrestler and hard-
working farmer. Okonkwo’s efforts pay off big time and he becomes wealthy through
his crops and scores three wives.

Okonkwo’s life is shaken up a when an accidental murder takes place and Okonkwo
ends up adopting a boy from another village. The boy is named Ikemefuna and
Okonkwo comes to love him like a son. In fact, he loves him more than his natural
son, Nwoye. After three years, though, the tribe decides that Ikemefuna must die.
When the men of Umuofia take Ikemefuna into the forest to slaughter him, Okonkwo
actually participates in the murder. Although he’s just killed his adoptive son,
Okonkwo shows no emotion because he wants to be seen as Mr. Macho and not be
weak like his own father was. Inside, though, Okonkwo feels painful guilt and regret.
But since Okonkwo was so wrapped up in being tough and emotionless, he alienates
himself from Nwoye, who was like a brother to Ikemefuna.

Themes in Things Fall Apart

Theme #1

Colonialism and Its Adverse Impacts

Colonialism is one of the major themes of the novel which is introduced in the later in
the book. When Okonkwo returns from exile to his village, Christianity has already
spread so far. The entire tribe is facing trouble due to the new religion and civilization
represented by Mr. Brown. Okonkwo knows that “The white man is very clever” and
despite having tarnished reputation in the village, he locks horns with them. He
comes to know that Mr. Brown has started teaching the natives how to read and
write. Several norms and traditions have been abolished calling them savage ways.
However, it happens that the Igbo people become furious over this cultural onslaught
but not all of them. This transformation of the locals spread chaos and change the
indigenous culture but at the cost of the destruction.

Theme #2

Social Transformation and Tradition

The novel, Things Fall Apart, also deals with the battle between progressive social
transformation and traditions. Most people including Okonkwo do not accept the new
religious and social order brought by the British missionaries. Similarly, most of the
villagers are also caught in the struggle between the social and religious changes
and their traditions of society. They are pondering over the dilemma of whether to
accept the new reality or stick to their old-fashioned way of thinking. When Okonkwo
kills a messenger, the silence resulting from some natives is based on the fact that
they are ready to accept transformations. However, the same has dislodged him
from his position of becoming a manly figure as opposed to his father’s meekness.

Theme #3

Masculinity

Masculinity and its demonstration are considered a virtue in the African villages as
shown in this novel. Okonkwo stresses much upon masculinity that he is often
ashamed at his own father who was a musician and lazy instead of being an active
and a violent man. That is why he does not like his son, Nwoye who is peaceful and
compares him to Ikemefuna who is more courageous. Okonkwo’s masculinity makes
him cruel and ruthless even in his domestic affairs. It is also that when others fail, to
prove his masculinity he kills Ikemefuna. He then encourages himself after that
during his self-reflection when his conscience makes him feel guilty. He also berates
his ancestors for avoiding bloodshed and anger.

Theme #4

Superiority of English

Although Achebe has tried to insert Igbo words in English, it seems he has accepted
the imperialism of language. The English Language has been termed superior
through Mr. Brown and another missionary who speaks English and has spread
English as a medium of religious preaching and administrative work. Whenever a
local wants to assert his superiority, he speaks English. However, at the same time,
Achebe has also made it clear through the words of Igbo that the native language is
untranslatable and is complex and transparent just like English.
Theme #5

Social Documentary

Achebe has used the form of a novel to record the life and social norms and
traditions of the Igbo people before the arrival of the white men. He has outlined their
norms of masculinity, and social fabric plausibly through the character of Okonkwo,
his wives, his ancestors, and his son. Even Okonkwo himself is the epitome of the
strength in the Igbo society.

Theme #6

Social Disintegration

Although the first part of the novel shows the social fabric of the Igbo people. It also
discloses how it starts disintegrating and forming into a new social setup after the
arrival of Mr. Brown and other representatives of the English people. The whole
social fabric falls apart after the tribes accept a new way of life. The invasion by the
foreign language and foreign culture have eroded the very values of the Igbo people.
These reasons drove Okonkwo to kill the messenger and commit suicide while he
tried to resist the invasion of the alien culture. This completes the social
disintegration and its evolution into a new social set up.

Theme #7

Ambition and Grandeur

Okonkwo’s disenchantment of his father’s behavior and adoption of aggressive

manly traits point to his ambition of becoming a head of his tribe. He demonstrates
all the quality of a leader and starts transforming his nature and becomes more
ruthless. However, as he realizes his failure and commits suicide.

Theme #8

Free Will and Fate

A human’s chi or spirit is always in synchronization with his will. In other words, it is
aligned with the way that a person can control his own destiny like Okonkwo.
However, at several moments, it appears that Okonkwo uses his free will but does
not have control over his life as fate sends him to an exile, drives him to kill the
missionary and finally, suicide. These events defy this notion that there is a free will
in the Igbo society.

Theme #9

Tribal Beliefs and Customs

The threat to the Igbo society, belief system, and customs are coming from the new
religion of Christianity preached by Mr. Brown. Okonkwo knows this very well and
refuses to accept the change. Although some people support him in the start, they
soon leave him for more progressive and prosperous Christianity instead of following
the old Igbo conventions. The customs of the Igbo clan seem to give way in the face
of the new civilization.

Theme #10

Sense of Justice

The sense of justice and dispensation of justice gives stability to society as shown by
Things Fall Apart. The Igbo people have different institutions and traditions for
dispensing justice to the people. Okonkwo is exiled under this tribal legal system and
is brought back after seven years. He kills his adopted son Ikemefuna under this
system. However, when the arrival of the English has destabilized this system, the
Igbo system seems old and barbaric in comparison to it. Their traditions fall apart
due to the fast institutionalized religion and governance of the white people.
Therefore, it provides a sense of justice that prevails in the end when Okonkwo
commits suicide.