Things Fall Apart Discussion Guide
Section Five – Chapters Twenty – Twenty Five
Reading Check
1. What does Okonkwo want his daughters to wait to do?
2. How does Enoch spark a conflict in Umuofia?
3. What is Nwoye’s new Christian name?
4. How does Okonkwo die?
5. Why cannot the Umuofian’s bury Okonkwo?
Discussion Questions
6. How is Mr. Smith different from Mr. Brown? How are they similar?
7. Okonkwo thinks that the clan is like a lizard: if it loses its tail, another one grows in its place. What does he mean by this simile? Based on what you have read, do you think he is right? Why or why not?
8. Why do you think the guards and messengers treat the men of Umuofia so badly?
9. At the end of Chapter 24, Okonkwo hears his clansmen asking, “Why did he do it?” What are they referring to, and why do you think he did it?
10. In the last paragraph of the novel, the point of view shifts although the narrative is still third person. Whose point of view is shown in the paragraph? Why do you think Achebe makes this shift? What tone or attitude, does Achebe adopt in this paragraph?
Applying Meanings
11. Imagine that you are a European missionary entering an African village. What would you do to create the best possible relationship with the villagers? How would you react to the arrival of the missionaries if you were one of the villagers?
Writing Assignment
Okonkwo overcomes adverse beginnings to achieve stature and wealth according to the norms of his Ibo culture. At the scene of Okonkwo’s death, his friend Obierika says, “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia.” Obierika knew Okonkwo better than anyone else did. Prepare a one-to-two page eulogy that Obierika would write for Okonkwo, summarizing the vents of his life and his character.