Things Fall Apart (1958)

Chinua Achebe’s novel has become a classic look at life in Nigeria before and after the coming of colonialists. More than half of it is focused on the time just before missionaries and other conquering Europeans show up. It was not a perfect idyll and it’s easy to see many problems in that society. Our main character, Okonkwo, is a proud self-made man among his people, a championship wrestler and a warrior renowned for his kills. He has three wives and several children. He is abusive and demanding, quick to knock people around when he loses his temper (including his wives). He seems to lose his temper a lot. Yet he is also widely respected by village elders. Okonkwo’s father was weak, passing down a shameful legacy which Okonkwo transcended. One area of particular non-enlightenment in this village is with gender, as usual. Women are not treated well and it is a devastating insult for a weak man to be called “a woman.” Just when you’re starting to wonder about colonialism, the second half comes along. At the end of the first part Okonkwo commits a serious offense, and though it is an accident he is exiled from the village for seven years. During that time missionaries appear and begin to convert tribe members. The missionaries appeal first to tribal outcasts and gather influence and momentum from there. Eventually Okonkwo’s son becomes a convert, which creates rifts and tensions across the larger family. Okonkwo practically disowns him as “a woman” but these colonialists knew what they were doing, dividing to conquer. It’s really hard to watch once it starts. Okonkwo is old school and ignorant of Europeans. His solution is to fight back and make war, but by then it’s too late and only causes him more and more problems. Achebe’s writing style is simple and straightforward, almost serene. Except for the novel’s reputation I wasn’t sure where it was headed in the first half, which is a portrait of that culture’s old ways—the things that will fall apart. Seeing the way colonialism works is moving and vivid in its clarity. But the story is not just about colonialism but also a powerful character study of Okonkwo—complex, imperfect, fascinating. Okonkwo and other village figures believe they have a good deal of power, and they do within their society. But that society is under attack—the missionaries are sent in first to soften the ground—and then we see Okonkwo’s whole world systematically destroyed. Achebe’s voice is placid but what he describes is enraging. He maintains a perfect balance between the two modes until the very end. Powerful novel.

In case the library is closed due to pandemic, which is over.