Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Why does
Things Fall Apart end
with the District Commissioner musing about the book that he is
writing on Africa?
2. What is the nature of Okonkwo's relationship
with Ezinma?
3. What does the repetition of the number
seven suggest about the novel?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Think about the role of weather
in the novel. How does it work, symbolically or otherwise, in relation
to important elements of the novel such as religion? Are rain and
draught significant? Explore the ways in which weather affects the emotional
and spiritual realms of the novel as well as the physical world.
2. Women suffer great losses
in this novel but also, in certain circumstances, hold tremendous
power. What role do women play in Okonkwo's life? Is there any difference
between his interaction with specific women and his understanding
of women and femininity in general?
3. Animal imagery abounds in
the folktales and proverbs circulated among the clan members. What
is the significance of some of the animals they discuss? What does
the prominence of animal figures suggest about Igbo culture and about
Achebe's larger goals?
4. In what ways does the idea
of progress shape the novel? If Unoka, Okonkwo, and Nwoye are symbolic
of three successive generations, how does society in Umuofia change over
the course of their lifetimes? Where does Ikemefuna fit into this
picture?
5. Throughout the novel, drums,
music, and the town crier's voice punctuate the narrative at key
moments. When does silence occur and what does it mean? Is there
more than one type of silence? Can silence be characterized as a
positive or negative occurrence? What are the implications of the
fact that Unoka takes his flute with him to the Evil Forest when
he dies?