Things fall apart

Ordinary World

The first step occurs on the first page of Things Fall Apart when we are introduced to Okonkwo and his village. It is stated that Okonkwo's influence and status were known by all of the nine villages and beyond.

This introduces us to the characters and the overall setting

Quote: "Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and beyond"

Okonkwo hated his father's lifestyle and wanted to be better than him. this is because His father was viewed as a dishonorable and weak man who could not pay off his debt. This goes against everything that Okonkwo believed in and he wanted nothing to do with him.

Quote: ¨When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. Any

wonder then that his son Okonkwo was ashamed of him?¨ (Achebe 8)

Call to Adventure

Refusal To Call

Throughout the story, Okonkwo was saying he wouldn't kill himself because that isn't an honorable death.

Quote: ""Then kill yourself," said Obierika. "Forgive me," said Okonkwo, smiling. "I shall not talk about thanking you anymore." ( Achebe 142)

This implies that Okonkwo does not plan to kill himself, but by the end of the story, he ends up taking his own life.

Crossing the Threshold

During a celebration, Okokwos gun explodes and kills a 16-year-old child and he is exiled from the village for 7 years as punishment. This deeply impacts his life as his reputation is next to ruined and it goes against everything he wanted to be in life.

Quote: ¨It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who committed it must flee from the land.¨(Achebe 124).

Meeting the Mentor

When Okonkwo begins his 7-year exile in Mbanta he is met by his uncle Uchendu who accepts him into the village. Uchendu teaches Okonkwo to respect their cultural history and to also accept the help of his mother's family. This teaches him a powerful lesson about humility and acceptance of his situation.

Quote:¨His life had been ruled by a great passion--to become one of the lords of the clan.

That had been his life spring. And he had all but achieved it. Then everything had been broken.¨

Okonkwo spends 7 years exiled from his village with his many wives and children as he tries to overcome the harsh conditions of nature. this is primarily a mental challenge as Okonkwo is forced to leave everything he had ever known and he has thrown away his progress.

Quote: "But it was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left-handed in old age."

(Achebe 131)

Test, Allies, and Enemies

Okonkwo returns to his village after the exile and is horrified to see what has happened. The village has completely changed as a group of white men has begun settling and has converted many people causing dozens to loose there titles and progress in favor of pursuing Christianity. the men have also begun enforcing a sort of law where people are put in jail if they do not follow the rules.

Quote: "But I cannot understand these things you tell me. What is it that has happened to our people? Why have they lost the power to fight?" (Achebe 175)

The Road Back

The villagers have a meeting and Okonkwo reminisces about the great warriors of the village from the past, Okonkwo wants to go to war with the white men but the village doesn't have the same fighting spirit as they use to so Okonkwo takes matters into his own hands and plans to kill them.

Quotes: "tomorrow he will tell them that our fathers have never fought a 'war of blame'.if they listen to him I shall leave them and plan my revenge" (Achebe 200)

Approach to the Inmost Cave

During exile the village changed a lot, the white men invaded and extinguished the village's fighting spirit, When Okonkwo returns he sees the white men and immediately resorts to violence against them but realizes nobody in the village is fighting back.

Quotes: "What is it that happened to our people? Why have they lost the power to fight?." (Achebe 175)

Supreme Ordeal

This is when Okwonko hangs himself on the tree because of the predicament he was in. Umofia was being colonized by white men and he was put in jail. He could've killed himself because of what happened before he was exiled and when he came back was probably disappointed to see how the village he grew up in was in a bad situation.

QUOTE: "Then they came to the tree from which Okwonko's body was dangling, and they stopped dead." (Achebe 207)

The Reward