THINGS FALL APART by CHINUA ACHEBE

by NANFAH MEGANE DP1

Chapter 19.

Stylitic devices:

· Similie;- paragraph 5 line five"... and sometimes two rainbows, like a

mother and her daughter..."

-"... can curse the gods of his fathers and his ancestors, like a hunter's
dog..."

Summary:

Chapter 19 of Things Fall Apart opens with the last big rains of the year and the
seven years of Okonkwo in Mbanta was already coming to an end. He gave
Obierika some money and asked him to build two hut in his compound where him
and his family will stay for a little moment since all his huts were burnt. When
getting close to the rainy season there was a beautiful rainbow, and Okonkwo
gathered his three wives to instruct them to prepare a great feast. And this feast was
a way of thanking his mother's kinsmen. An old family thanked Okonkwo for the
feast and after the ceremonie's activities he explains that it is good for kinsmen to
gather because he feels for the younger generation and the clan because of the
religion that has set in their community, saying that a man can now curse his own
beliefs and traditions.

Okonkwo regreats his exile from Umuofia, he beleived that if he has stayed he
would have prosper much more than staying in Mbanta. He akso felt more
comfortable in Umuofia since the men were bold and warlike like him.

Characters and character's traits:

· Okonkwo; in this chapter, Okonkwo is happy to finally soon be going back

to Umuofia showing a feeling of love( theme of love) towards his homeplace
Umuofia and really starts regretting of his exile.
Chapter 20

Stylislistic devices:

· Similie;-"... the clan was like a lizard..."

· Proverb;"... he has put a knife ont he things that held us together and we
have fallen apart..."

-"... they have not found the mouth with which to tell their
suffering...".

Summary:

In this chapter, Okonkwo plans his return to Umuofia with an objectif to regain the
seven losted years in Mbanta by building a bigger compound and marry again 2
more wives to show his wealth. He is also destroyed from his breakup with Nwoye
which he says has a women attiude and so decided to bring up his five other sons
as real men. He also one to find a husband for his daughter Ezinma which he
became very close to, Exinma grew up into a very beautiful young women which
always understands her father, but eventhough Okonkwo still wishes she had been
a boy.

When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia, he finds that the village has changed in a way
he could not have imagined; churches were grown and now ties ranking for
respected men in the clan, and again there was a court and an English district
comissioner that judges legal cases. Prisoners are men which had offended the
white men and their laws, and they were maltreated. One of the clansmen were
condemned by the court for killing a men. Because of the color of the shorts those
white men wore, the villagers gave the court messengers a small nickname; Ashy
buttocks and as they did not like they beat the men causing them to be more violent
and agressive. Okonkwo met Obierika and discusses the change with him, and he
asked why do they people don't fight, and he says its already too late remembering
him of the fate of the Abame people whom were weak and was all beaten by the
white men. Clans has already abadoned their tribes and joined with the strangers,
Obierika said that the white men was smart because they came quitely and
peaceably. He said they white men has destroyed the things that were holding them
together and now they have fallen apart. As Obierika said the clan can no longer
act no longer act as one because evil societies has fallen apart.

But Okonkwo does not want to accept he is determined that his sons will gain titles
but does not see that it does not matter again, and that the power is now for the
white missioners. The chapter ends with Okonkwo and Obierika sitting together in
silence without knowing what to do of the situation.

Characters and Characters traits:

Obierika; he is friendly because he sits and discuss with Okonkwo about what is
happening in Umuofia.

Okonkwo; he is optimistic because he stills believes good for his sons; that they
might have some title. He is also weak since for the first time he can not do
anything for the tragic events that happens in Umuofia.

The white missioners; they are violent and harsh towards the people in the different
clans and they are also very authoratative.

Chapter 21

Stylistic devices:

· Similie;-"... who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo..."

-"...who had so unaccountably become soft like women...".

Summary:

In this chapter, many people in the clan starts appreciating some of the changes
brought by the white man paricularly the trading store and the money that flows
now in Umuofia. Between those white men, Mr.Brown the missionary is a very
patient men and is really fateful, and he became slightly close wih the leaders of
the clan and also to one of the greatest man in the clan called Akunna which one of
his sons schooled in Mr.Brown's school. The two discussed and Mr Brown
understood that the best way to convince the poeple about the religion is not by
attacking their traditions, he then belt a school and a hospial in Umuofia. Brown
said children will become students in school, and at first only the lazy children or
slaves were sent to school and Brown said future leaders of the clan will be those
who can read and write. And he explained that if the clan don't have educated
people, strangers are going to lead them. After some time, some families were
convinced about it and sent their children to school, Brown came to Okonkwo to
tell him about his son Nwoye telling him that he got a good education and that the
call him Isaac. Brown thinking the news will please Okonkwo but he instead chase
him out of his compound. The return of Okonkwo to Umuofia was so
unremarkable because almost all the people were preoccupied by all the changes
done by the white men.

The people of Umuofia now sent their children to missionaries schools and made
use of the new hospital and they also accepted the new religion, even the great men
of the clan talked with Mr Brown that it is just a number of time for a larger
number of people to convert. Okonkwo he came home at the wrong time while
Nwoye has already adapt to the new society of living.

Characters and Characters traits:

· Mr Browm; he is kind and peaceful when he tries to explain to the people

that they need to go to school and not by forcing them, and also when he
goes to see Okonkwo to give him some news about his son Nwoye.

· Nwoye; he is now called isaac, he is a good student in the missionary school.

· Okonkwo; he is arrogant and not caring because he does not want to here
anything about his son.

Chapter 22

Stylistic devices:

· Hyperbole;"...the eriee voices of countless spirits, and bells that clatered

behind some of them, and the clash of machetes as they ran forward and
backwards and saluted one another..."
 · Similie;"...the band of egwugwu moved like a furious whirlwind..."

-"...it was like the laugh of rusty metal..."

Summary:

In this chapter, Mr Brown left the village and his successor is Mr James Smith he
was not as Mr Brown and instead did not approved Mr Brown's policies and
accomodations. And he sees things as black and white, and that black is evil. Just
some few time when he arrived, he suspended a young woman from the church for
pouring new wine into old bottlesm he did not even beleif in the story of Obanje
and said that those who beleive in it was not worthy of the lord's table. Enoch a
young man whose faith seemed to be more than Mr Browns' and was therefore
called the outsider who wept louder than bereaved. In Umuofia one of the greatest
crime to commit was to unmask an egwugwu in public Umuofia was in confusion,
and that's what Enoch did causing a great conflict between the church and clan in
Umuofia, and in return the egwugwu destroyed his compound while he was hiding
in the church. Smith and his interpreter met the crowd of egwugwus outside the
church, the villagers will not harm Smith because of their respect for Mr Brown
but there was going to destroy his shrine.

Smith commands the people to leave through his interpreter but the remained and
destroyed the church advising him to leave cause he does not want to understand
their tradition so they too don't want his religion said by the leader of the egwugwu
called Ajofia, and they destroyed the church.

Characters and Characters traits:

· Mr Smith; he is stubborn when he is asked to leave and do not, and also does
not want to respect the traditions of Umuofia making him very different
from Mr Brown which the people really liked.

· Enoch; he is Smith's disciple and shows a character of fear when the

egwugwu were approaching the church, he is also fightful because he is
ready to fight to takeplace.

· Ajofia; he is the leader of the egwugwu.

Chapter 23

Stylistic devices:

· Aspect of culture; "...an Umuofia man does not refuse a call..."

· Similie;"...Umuofia was like a startled animal..."

-"...Okonkwo's compound was like a deserted homestead..."

Summary:

The chapters opens up with Okonkwo feeling happy for the first time since many
years, when he had spoken violently to the clansmen and that they had listened to
him with respect. After two days of the destruction of the church, the people were
walking armed so that if something happens unaware they will not be like the
Abame people. Three days later messengers from the district community invites
Okonkwo with five other men to their office, and they accepted to go because an
Umuofia man do not refuse to a call. They do not carry guns because it might be
impolite, one of the men called Ogbuefi Ekwueme begins to explain why the
church was burnt, but one of the district missioner ask him to stop and said to them
that they will not do them any harm only if they agree to cooperate with them.

After some time after the meeting, they had a small fight with the white man which
were knocking their head because they heard a conversation of Okonkwo and the
other men that they were suppose to kill the white men. And the clansmen talked
about their mad treatment of people, the messengers was told to treat the prisoners
with respect but instead they knocked their head, beat them and Okonkwo was full
of hate. The court messengers goes to Umuofia and informed the villagers with
what is happening, the men of Umuofia gathered and decided to pay the fine to
peace the white men. Ezinma which was at a visit in her future husband family,
returned home immediately when she learned that her father had been imprisoned
and she rushed to Obierika's home to ask him what are they going to do about it but
unfortunaetly he weren't there.
Characters and Charters traits:

· Okonkwo; he is full of hate towards the missioners and for the first time he
can't do anything towards them.

· The white men; they are agressive because they just beat and maltreat the
prisoners as if they were animals.

Chapter 24

Stylistic devices:

· Personification and Hyperbole;"...his sweet tongue can change fire into cold
ash..."

· Personification;"... all our gods are weeping..."

Summary:

In the chapter, Okonkwo and the other are set out of prison because the fine has
been paid, and the six men do not speak with each other and walk back to the
village and no one welcome them but they instead move out of their way.
Okonkwo's main friends and relationships gathered at his hut, but they know that at
when coming back no one talk to him except Obierika. The village crier announced
to the villagers that there will be a meeting the next day, and Okonkwo can't sleep
because he is anticipating what the meeting will all be about. If Umuofia fights
then he will join but if not he promise he will avenge himself, people start coming
in the meeting place from all the nine villages and Okonkwo is furious that every
might not choose the option of fighting. One of the six men released called Okika
said to the people that they all know that their lives are in danger and that the gods
are weeping because some clan members had decided to break from the clan to
join the british, he said they need to fight eventhough it means they will shed the
blood of some clansmen. The four fathers nevered wanted the people to kill their
own brothers but it was the only way to stand against the white men, suddently the
meeting was interupted by courrt messengers which were send to disperse the
crowd, Okonkwo took his machete and cut the messenger's head, and the rest of
the messengers was left to go by the villagers and Okonkwo then knew that there
will be no war.

Okonkwo return to the village surrounded by people that he has no interaction with
them, Okonkwo weeping, the people start suspecting Okonkwo has lost his
masculinity. The end of the chapter explains that the people releaised they can not
win the british, but Okonkwo wants to take revenge even if it is alone.

Characters and Characters traits:

· Okonkwo; he is warlike because he is willing to do anything to revenge

against the british people, he just want a war to takeplace and he is also a
bully because he just kills the missioner without any pitie.

· Obierika; he is a caring friend because he is the only that talks with

Okonkwon when he came back from prison.

· Okika; he is warlike like Okonkwo and also cares about his traditions.