Things Fall Apart 3

Obierika's thought of the clan's severe punishment for Okonkwo's accidental crime could be interpreted as his questioning of the clan's customs as well as showing a possibility that the clan's customs and punishments for crimes could be changed internally if more people disagree with the way they do. For example, when Okonkwo broke the peace by beating his wife during the Week of Peace, people talked about how other clans' punishments for breaking the Peace have changed over the years. The oldest man in the village said that the punishment in their clan has become "very mild" (921), mentioning that in the past a man who broke the Peace was dragged on the ground through the village until he died. In this regard, the clan's customs, such as throwing away twin babies to the Evil Forest (which reflects their view/fear of twins as an abnormal occurrence) could be changed when/if more people argue that the custom is cruel and causes more pain to the family. The question comes down to whether the clan can change its own customs that they regard as cruel (or bad)  internally as time passes.   

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Discussion question #1 for Achebe’s  Things Fall Apart (1958, Ch. 11-17, pp. 947-969)

1. What happens during the funeral for Ezeulu? What punishment does Okonkwo get for the incident? Why does a group of men sets fire to Oknokwo's huts, kill animals, and destroy his barn? Obierika thinks, "Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently?" (959). What do you make of Obierika's view of the punishment against Okonkwo? Does Obierika question the clan's custom? Why do Okonkwo and his family move to Mbanta, and why is he no longer enthusiastic about his work in Mbanta? Who is Uchendu and why does he call Okonkwo "a child"? What do you make of Okonkwo's attitude in Mbanta?

2. Visiting Okonkwo in exile, Obierika tells Okonkwo about what happened to Abame. What happened to the people in Abame and why does Okonkwo say, "They were fools. . . .They had been warned that danger was ahead. They should have armed themselves with their guns and the machetes even when they went to market" (964). What do you make of Okonkwo's reaction here? Were the people of Abame foolish? What does Obierika think of the arrival of the colonizers? What worries him [Obierika] about the influence of the colonizers, based on what he has heard about white men?

3. The white missionaries told the people in Mbanta that they worship false gods of wood and stone. Why do the rulers of Mbanta decide to give a piece of the Evil Forest to the missionaries who want to build their church? What role does Mr. Kiaga have in relation to the white missionaries? Why do you think Nwoye has converted to Christianity (several reasons)? Why is Okonkwo upset with Nwoye's conversion? Why does Okonkwo think that Nwoye's conversion is a "crime" (969)?