THINGS FALL APART BY CHINUA ACHEBE

SETTING
PERIOD : period where men are living in strong cultural bondage and were close to their clan.
- Killing of Ikemefuna
~they kill Ikemefuna as he came from other clan.
~therefore, he cannot live with Okonkwo who is the leader of the clan.
~they afraid that Ikemefuna will become a leader one day.
- Okonkwo did not allow his daughters to get marry with men from other clan. (intermarriage)
~when Okonkwo was being in exile, he did not allow his daughters to marry any Mbanta
men.
~this is because he feels that his daughters should marry men from their own clan.
- Period of time when people were nave and ignorant.
~the igbo people did not know why the white man came to their place.
~they gave the white man a place to build a church.
~they did not know that the white man have hidden agenda.
PLACE
Themes (Oppression towards women)
- Women cannot voice out their opinions and thoughts. (they dont have the right)
- Women have to follow all the mens says as they are more superior.
- Minor role (only acts as wives)
- Cannot express feelings
- Often looked down by men
Example
- During week of peace.
*Okonkwo beats his third wife, Ojiugo ecause she went to plait her hair and did not prepare
the food on the day she was supposed to do so. Okonkwo beats her without mercy and very
heavily.
- Before feast whereby Okonkwo wanted to return to his fatherland after 7 years of exiles.
*Okonkwo decided to organised a feast to show his gratitude to the people in Mbanta.
*Before the feast, Ekwefi gave suggestion and said that 2 goats were sufficient for the feast.
*Okonkwo told her that it was none of her business and she should not interfere.
- Wedding of Uchendus son
How it is relevant today?
- Female infanticide
~ it is still rampant
~in india.. poor country..most citizens live in poverty..
~many of them killed their female babies
~Reduce burden to pay for dowries
~boys will help to reduce burden as they become breadwinner.
- Wife battering happening today
~ news on wife battering always come out in newspaper.
~not only occur in rural area but also in urban area.
~educated people also doing this.
- Profession career
~glass ceiling
~glass escalator.










Theme (No one is above the law. )
- Law in its context is referred to the culture itself where everybody in Umuofia should adhere
to it and no one has the privileged to be above it.
- Gods saying also considered as the law.
Example
- Okonkwo accidently killed Ezuedus 16 years old son during the funeral.
- The gun suddenly exploded and a piece of iron has pierced into the boys heart.
- Although it is just accidental, Okonkwo still have to be exiled from Umuofia for 7 years.
- As soon as he leaved, the people set up fire and burned his huts, animals and barns.
- Everyone has to be punished if they had committed a crime even they hold high position.
How it is relevant today?
- In Japan
- The law is applicable not only to the citizens but also to the people of higher authority.
Example
- The Emperor, or the reagent as well as the minister of state, judges and public officials need
to respect and uphold the countrys law.














Significant event (The killing of Ikemefuna)
Killing of ikemefuna..
-Change plot.. (okonkwos life)
-revel the true character of okonkwo..

~Has changed Okonkwos life
- After the killing, Okonkwo becomes quite miserable as he cannot sleep and barely taste any
food for two days.
- He keeps thinking about Ikemefuna.
- Then his life changed when he was send to exile with his family as punishment.
- He has send to an exile because he accidently killed Ezuedus son .
- Just like the proverb says what goes around comes around .
- It seems like he was being punished for what he has done to Ikemefuna.
- Okonkwo lost almost everything ( his huts, animals, barns, fame and title)
~Reveals the characteristics of Obierika and Okonkwo
~Okonkwo
- Egoism(egoistic)
- Someone who really cares about his prid.
- Ezuedu has warned him not to get involved with the killing of ikemefuna as the boy call him
father.
- However, he did not listen to the advice and went with the men into the forest.
- He also killed ikemefuna with his hand.
- He does not want to be thought as week.
- That shows how he really care about his pride.









Comparison of characters
Brief summary
Okonkwo : Details
- One of the main characters.
- This novel centred and revolved around okonkwo.
- He is a very strong man and respected by the society.
- Since childhood, he embarrassed of his father who is a failure, lazy and improvident. That
has driven him to success.
- Okonkwos hardworking and prowess in war have earned him a high status in clan and he
attained wealth which is sufficient to support his 3 wives and his children.
irrational and hot tempered.
~Killing of ikemefuna..
~Week of peace
Obierika :
- Is also one of the important man in the clan.
- Okonkwos close friend, whose daughters wedding provides cause for festivity early in the
novel.
- Obirieka always looks out for his friend when Okonkwo is depressed.
- This character actually complement each oth
rational and level-headed
~dont follow the killing of ikemefuna










KING LEAR BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR
Themes (Betrayal )
- Comes out very strongly in the drama.
- Betrayal happened due to the greediness of the characters
- Even among family members
- Through the characters, we can see that this theme is portrayed
~goneril and regan
- They treated their father, king lear badly after they received the properties.
- During the division of the kingdom, they really praised their father saying that they loved
him so much.
- Lear divided the kingdom to both of them and he disowned cordelia.
~edmund
- Edmund betrayed his father and brother.
- because of greediness and revenge
~eg
- through his soliloquy in scene 2, we can know that he was actually trying to plot a plan
against his father.
THEME (Love )
-love of a daughter
-shown through the character.
~cordelia
- cordelia really loved king lear
- during the division of the kingdom, cordelia disbelief the saying by regan and goneril.
- Cordelia said:
unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
- This shows that she truly loved lear.
- It shows a true love of a daughter.
- This made her to be disowned but she still cares for her father.
- When cordelia received news that king lear was treated badly by her sisters, she quickly
came to seek for him.
- Until she was caught and murdered.
- Through her actions, we can actually see the theme of love being conveyed.


Significant event
- The division of kingdom
Why?
1. Shows the true characteristics of different characters.
~Goneril and Regan
- Person who are materialistic and greedy.
- Does not really care about King Lear.
- Betrayed their own father.
~during the division, they told King Lear that they really loved him. They praised him so much.
~however, after the division, they actually showed their true characters.
~they dont really seem to love their father as what they said earlier.
~they actually betrayed him after that.
~for instance, when King Lear came to Gonerils place, she wanted to reduce the number of King
Lears army. Lear was very mad as he felt that his power had gone.
~he then went to stay with regan but
~Cordelia
= loves Lear very much
~Kent
= loyal servant. He was always there to serve for the king.

2. Reveals the fact that once man has got nothing, respect is no longer there.
- Happened to King Lear.
- Treated badly by his daughters.
- Reduced army.
- Abandoned.
- Children, even in-laws have no respect for him just like before.

3. Change Lears life.
- Lears life became miserable at the end, crazy.
- Betrayed y his daughters
- Loss of power and respect
- No one seems to care about him
- When he divided the kingdom, he lost his only daughter, Cordelia, who truly loves him and
also Kent, who was loyal to him until the end.












1) Characteristics of Okonkwo and Okonkwos relationship with others.
- Hot tempered.
Wives battering
- Irrational
Killing of ikemefuna and missionaries

- Relationship with family
Handle his family with heavy handed.
-always beat his wives. Always beat Nwoye as he did not want Nwoye to follow his fathers
characteristics.
-Barely show his love towards his family
He is a irrational person, we can see this characteristic in the relationship between him and
ikemefuna.

2) Why the story is a tragedy?
- Many tragedy occurs.
~lear being betrayed by his daughters.
- If tragedy, it usually have sad ending.
~lots of people dead at the end of the story including the main character.
- Tells about the downfall of the main character (king lear or Gloucester)
~King Lear had lost everything (power, daughter, respect)








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