Characters & Relationships
Why does Okonkwo constantly fear becoming like his father, Unoka?
Because his father was weak, poor, and lazy.
What tradition does Okonkwo break during the Week of Peace?
He beats one of his wives, violating the rule of no violence.
What are the two specific items of hospitality used in Igbo society? (Food & Drink)
Kola nut and Palm wine
What do the villagers think of Mr. Brown, the first white missionary in the village?
They think he is a fool, but they like and respect him. He is kind and helps to keep the peace between the two religions.
What is an Independent Clause? Give an example
A sentence with a subject and a verb that can stand on its own.
What event causes Nwoye to turn away from his father?
The killing of Ikemefuna
What do the egwugwu represent during village ceremonies?
The ancestral spirits who deliver justice and guide the community
Why do some villagers decide to convert to Christianity?
Education benefits and escape from traditional obligations (like outcasts)
What is a Dependent Clause? Give an example.
A sentence with a subject and a verb that cannot stand on its own because it has a subordinating conjunction
What does Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, do that terrifies Ekwefi and tests her courage?
She takes her daughter Ezinma to the cave on the Oracle’s orders.
What happens to the village of Abame after they kill a white man and tie up his "iron horse"?
The village is destroyed by colonizers in revenge.
What measures a man's success in Igbo culture? (name at least two things)
His wives, property, success as a farmer, wisdom, age, and titles
When Umuofia leaders are called to the District Commissioners to discuss the conflicts involving the new Christians, what happens to them?
They are arrested, beaten, and starved. They are only released by the payment of a fine.
Independent Clause + Dependent Clause. Comma or no comma?
No Comma
What role does Obierika play when Okonkwo is exiled?
He helps sell Okonkwo’s yams and manages his affairs, showing loyalty and friendship
What completely severs the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye?
Nwoye converts to Christianity
Where does much of the decision making in the community come from, especially surrounding unanswerable questions?
The Oracle
As the village gathers at the novel's end to discuss what to do with the white colonizers, what does Okonkwo end up doing? How does the village react?
He kills a colonial messenger. The village does not support him in this action
Dependent Clause + Independent Clause. Comma or no comma?
Comma
How does Ikemefuna’s presence in Okonkwo’s household influence Nwoye’s behavior? Why is Okonkwo pleased by this?
Nwoye admires Ikemefuna and starts to adopt more traditionally “masculine” behaviors
What is the significance of the arrival of the locusts in the novel?
They foreshadow the arrival of the missionaries and symbolize the impending change that will result.
How do the Igbo deal with a suspected ogbanje (a child who dies and is repeatedly born to the same mother)
They mutilate it to make it recognizable if it returns and, if its confirmed, they seek to find the iyi-uwa, a small object that links the child to the spiritual world, and destroy it
FINAL JEOPARDY:
Where does the title "Things Fall Apart" come from?
A poem. "Second Coming" by WB Yeats
What is it called when you separate two independent clauses with a comma?
A Comma Splice!!