Analysis of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - Book Report/Review Example

Opinion Essay on "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart refers to an English-language novel publishedin 1958 by a Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe (Achebe 3). People view the novel as one the most archetypal contemporary African writings, and one of the first African books written in English to ever receive global critical approval. It is considered as a set book in schools all through Africa and widely studied and read in English-speaking nations all round the globe. The name of the book was adapted from William Butler Yeats elegy, The Second Coming (Booker 15).

This paper will talk about the positives of Chinua Achebe’s novels. I like the novel because it shuns away from discussing the pre-colonial life Eden. Instead, the author sketches a world in which war, suffering and violence exist, but are balanced by a powerful sense of social coherence, ritual, along with tradition. I also liked the fact that Achebe’s Ibo protagonist, Okonkwo, was a self-made person (Roberts 14). Okonkwo was the sons of a charming neer-do-well, who worked extremely hard all his life to triumph over his fathers weakness.

As the novel progresses, this young fighter eventually gained prosperity, and became a widely respected person in his village, Umuofia (Roberts 17). His villagers could now depend on Okonkwo for advice. Okonkwo was a prosperous farmer, a champion wrestler, father to several children and a husband to three wives. He was also a person who exhibited flaws well-renowned in Greek tragedy (Achebe 34). Okonkwo controlled his household with a grave hand. His spouses, in particular the youngest, lived in unending fear of his burning temper, and also his little children.

This portrays how African families lived before the European exploration. Such a line also shows how African men were powerful in the colonial days (Achebe 36). Maybe Okonkwo, down in his heart, was not a mean person. However, his entire life was subject to fear, the fear of not succeeding and of weakness. It was more intimate and much deeper than the fear capricious gods, evil and magic. Oknokwo was also more fearful of failing than the fear of forests and nature. Okonkwos fear of failing was much greater that the factors mentioned above (Roberts 23).

It could not be observed openly, but lay deep within himself. He feared that one day he might follow the steps of his father, living as a deprived person. It is essential to note that Africans, back in the colonial days, were extremely superstitious. Therefore, for a person to not believe in nature among other factors is overwhelming. Such as person, according to me, is a super hero (Booker 56). Reading about him is what keeps a person glued to the book. Even though the book is quite long, I could read it time and again just to interpret the story of Oknokwo.

He is a legend as overcoming such circumstances is not any easy task. Finally, Achebe does not bring in the theme of colonialism till the last 50 pages. This was after discussing how Okonkwo lost everything and went into exile. Nevertheless, within the traditions of Okonkwo’s culture, he still hoped of redemption. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Press, 1994. Print. Booker, Keith. The Chinua Achebe Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003. Print.

Roberts, John. A Short History of the World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.