Achebe’s Things Fall Apart | AustraliaEssayWriters

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?
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?

Discussion Question #1 for Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (Ch. 7-10, pp. 929-947)
1. What decision did the clan and the Oracle make about Ikemefuna and what advice does Ogbuefi Ezeudu give to Okonkwo? Why did Okonkwo go out with the men who came to take Ikemefuna from Okonkwo’s compound? Why does Okonkwo end up killing Ikemefuna? When Ikemefuna runs towards Okonkwo saying, “My father, They have killed me!” (933), why does Okonkwo take an action against Ikemefuna? Is Okonkwo a violent man, or is he unable to control his fear of being seen as weak? How does Nwoye react towards Okonkwo after the incident of Ikemefuna? How would you characterize Nwoye? What does Nwoye think of the Oracle’s decision of killing Ikemefuna and the clan’s custom of throwing away twins to the Evil Forest?
2. After Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, he did not eat or sleep Do you think Okonkwo feels guilty about killing Ikemefuna? Okonkwo becomes emotionally shaken after he killed Ikemefuna, and he asks himself: “When did you become a shivering old woman?” (935). What do you make of Okonkwo’s understanding of manliness and womanliness? What do you think of Okonkwo’s attitude towards “women’s stories”? Can Okonkwo find comfort in “masculine stories of violence and bloodshed”? Or, can Okonkwo feel strong by recalling masculine stories at this point? Later, when his favorite daughter Ezinma gets sick, Okonkwo makes a medicine pot for her. What does it say about Okonkwo? Why do you think Achebe created a scene of Okonkwo taking care of Ezinma?
3. After Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, he did not eat or sleep Do you think Okonkwo feels guilty about killing Ikemefuna? Okonkwo becomes emotionally shaken after he killed Ikemefuna, and he asks himself: “When did you become a shivering old woman?” (935). What do you make of Okonkwo’s understanding of manliness and womanliness? What do you think of Okonkwo’s attitude towards “women’s stories”? Can Okonkwo find comfort in “masculine stories of violence and bloodshed”? Or, can Okonkwo feel strong by recalling masculine stories at this point? Later, when his favorite daughter Ezinma gets sick, Okonkwo makes a medicine pot for her. What does it say about Okonkwo? Why do you think Achebe created a scene of Okonkwo taking care of Ezinma?