Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, was interesting to read because there was a lot going on in Okonkwo’s hectic life. Okonkwo’s father Unoka, I believe had a lot to do with Okonkwo’s decisions throughout the book. Achebe states, “His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness…It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father”(13). Okonkwo shows himself as being tough, strong, prideful, and shows no remorse in front of people, even by doing things such as killing a young boy who was like a son to him. It seems as though Okonkwo is heartless, but really feels guilty about the murder inside. Okonkwo is exiled from his tribe and leaves for his mother land, and has judgment towards missionaries that come into the village, the missionaries bring on their faith to the tribe and even Okonkwos son Nwoye takes part in this new faith, which infuriates Okonkwo. Okonkwo ends up having many problems with the “white man,” which adds on to Okonkwos situation.

That was just a little summary of Things Fall Apart, I read the book before this class, and saw it in a different light. I looked at it more about Okonkwo’s life and how his fathers unsuccessful life, drove him to become someone completely different. But because I just read Walter J. Ongs Orality and Literacy, I started noticing the book from a different view. I noticed the way the characters would speak to each other, with every action someone did, they would always come back to proverbs and teachings of why the action was wrong or right.

Within Things Fall Apart there was history, sayings, traditions and customs that the characters would refer back to in many situations. An example of literacy that popped out to me was presented in this book. When Okonkwos father Unoka who was a big debtor in the village was confronted by a man about a debt he owed. Unoka showed the man his writings on the wall of all the debts he owed, they were lines of chalk, and each line represented a debt that was owed. An example of orality came into play shortly after when Unoka states, “Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them. I shall pay my big debts first”(8). Unoka speaks of what he has heard his elders say, and I notice similar statements throughout the book. Many of the people reflect off of what they have heard and repeat it for others to learn from as well, and also to make their own point like Unoka.

Another similar situation was in chapter fourteen when Okonkwo was exiled for seven years to live in a “strange land”(133). Okonkwo leaves and lives in his mothers village for seven years, and tries to make a life there. Days after moving their Okonkwo and many others are talked to by a wiser, older man, who was very respected in his village named Uchendu. Uchendu is mainly talking to Okonkwo, and begins by explaining to him and the group the reasoning behind why a child lives with the father, and the fathers family, not the woman and her family. Uchendu asks the group what the reason was for Okonkwos mother to be buried in his village and not Okonkwos father’s village. But no one knew the answer. Uchendu being wiser, and older explains to the group the reasoning. Again orality has taken place in this scene and Uchendu speaks of what he has learned from the past, and passes it on for the future generations. We see this lot throughout the book, we see words of advice, knowledge, and stories of the past being passed on from character to character.

While reading these two examples and more in Things Fall Apart, I couldn’t help but refer back to Walter J. Ong’s Orality and Literacy. When Ong stated, “Before the use of documents, collective oral testimony was commonly used to establish, for example, the age of feudal heirs”(95). I see oral testimony being used with many of the characters of Things Fall Apart. They all have Oral Testimony to back up their teachings, traditions and customs. I really enjoyed reading this book again and having Ong’s book to drawback on…. : )