Perfect!
Here's a complete set of answers to the 30 revision questions on Things Fall Apart by Chinua
Achebe:
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1. Who is the protagonist of Things Fall Apart?
Okonkwo is the protagonist. He is a respected leader and wrestler in the Umuofia clan.
2. What is Okonkwo’s primary motivation in life?
His primary motivation is to become successful and avoid being like his father, Unoka, whom he sees as
weak and a failure.
3. Why does Okonkwo despise his father, Unoka?
Unoka was poor, indebted, and lacked ambition. Okonkwo views him as effeminate and shameful.
4. What is the significance of yams in the Igbo culture?
Yams are a symbol of masculinity, wealth, and prosperity in Igbo society.
5. How does Okonkwo gain fame in his village?
He becomes famous through his wrestling victory against Amalinze the Cat and his success as a
hardworking farmer and warrior.
6. What is the Week of Peace, and how does Okonkwo violate it?
It’s a sacred week to honor the earth goddess. Okonkwo violates it by beating his wife Ojiugo.
7. Who is Ikemefuna, and why is he taken into Okonkwo’s household?
He is a boy given to Umuofia as a peace offering from another village. He stays with Okonkwo’s family
for three years.
8. How does Okonkwo react to the Oracle’s decision regarding Ikemefuna?
Though advised not to take part, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna to avoid being seen as weak.
9. What is the outcome of the killing of Ikemefuna?
It deeply affects Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, creating emotional distance between them and setting Nwoye
on the path to Christianity.
10. How does Nwoye respond to Ikemefuna’s death?
He is devastated and confused, sensing that something deeply wrong has happened.
11. What crime causes Okonkwo to be exiled from Umuofia?
He accidentally kills a clansman’s son during a funeral, an act considered a “female” crime.
12. Where does Okonkwo go during his exile?
He goes to his mother’s homeland, Mbanta.
13. What role does the egwugwu play in the Igbo community?
The egwugwu are ancestral spirits (men in disguise) who settle disputes and maintain law and order.
14. How does the arrival of Christian missionaries affect the Igbo villages?
It causes division within families and the community, leading to cultural and religious conflict.
15. Why does Nwoye convert to Christianity?
He is drawn to its message of compassion and rejects the violence and rigidity of his father’s world.
16. What is Okonkwo’s reaction to Nwoye’s conversion?
He is furious, disowns Nwoye, and considers him a disgrace.
17. Who is Mr. Brown, and how does he differ from Reverend Smith?
Mr. Brown is a tolerant and respectful missionary, while Reverend Smith is harsh, uncompromising, and
disrespectful toward Igbo traditions.
18. How do the villagers respond to the missionaries’ establishment of a church?
Initially with curiosity and amusement, but over time, tensions rise as converts challenge traditional
beliefs.
19. What is the significance of the “evil forest” in the novel?
It is considered cursed by the Igbo, but the missionaries build a church there, and nothing happens,
challenging traditional beliefs.
20. How do the missionaries use education to influence the community?
They offer literacy and Western education, drawing many, especially the youth and marginalized, to
Christianity.
21. What is the District Commissioner’s role in the story?
He represents British colonial rule and imposes authority, including arresting and humiliating Igbo
leaders.
22. What happens at the town meeting that Okonkwo attends after his return?
He kills a colonial messenger to spark resistance but realizes the villagers won’t support him.
23. What does Okonkwo die?
He commits suicide, unable to adapt to the changes brought by colonialism and shamed by the lack of
support from his people.
24. Why is Okonkwo’s death considered disgraceful in Igbo culture?
Suicide is an abomination, and his clansmen cannot bury him themselves. Outsiders must do it.
25. What does the District Commissioner plan to do with Okonkwo’s story?
He plans to write about it in his book, reducing Okonkwo’s complex life to a mere paragraph.
26. What are some ways Achebe presents traditional Igbo customs and beliefs?
Through storytelling, ceremonies, proverbs, and depictions of daily life, justice systems, religion, and
family.
27. How does the novel depict the clash between traditional Igbo society and colonialism?
It shows how colonial rule undermines traditional structures, causing loss of identity, culture, and
authority.
28. What is the role of women in Umuofia society?
Women are caretakers, farmers, and hold spiritual roles but are largely subservient to men; however,
their influence is also significant in family and religious matters.
29. How does the proverb “When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk” reflect
Igbo values?
It shows the Igbo appreciation for storytelling, nature, and the idea that joy and community can inspire
even the most downtrodden.
30. What is the meaning behind the novel’s title, Things Fall Apart?
It reflects the disintegration of traditional Igbo society under colonial pressure and the personal downfall
of Okonkwo.
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