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Learn about the main characters in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, a classic of African literature. Find out their roles, relationships, and fates in the story of Okonkwo, a clan leader in Nigeria.
- Full Book Summary
Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia...
- Test Your Knowledge Take The Character List Quick Quiz
Historical Context Essay: Things Fall Apart and Nigerian...
- Setting
Things Fall Apart takes place sometime in the final decade...
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Our infographic for Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart...
- Important Quotes Explained
In Things Fall Apart, this revelation refers to the advent...
- What Does The Ending Mean
Things Fall Apart ends with two related tragedies. The first...
- Full Book Analysis
The narrative structure of Things Fall Apart follows a...
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Preeminent philosopher and scholar Kwame Anthony Appiah...
- Full Book Summary
- Okonkwo. The novel's main character and an influential clan leader, Okonkwo fears becoming an unsuccessful, weak man like his father, Unoka. As a result, Okonkwo is hardworking and aggressive, traits that bring him fame and… read analysis of Okonkwo.
- Nwoye. Nwoye is Okonkwo's eldest son. Nwoye resembles his grandfather Unoka, in that he's drawn to gentleness and music, even though he recognizes that his father disapproves.
- Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna is the ill-fated boy the Mbaino sacrifice to Umuofia in order to prevent war. Ikemefuna is unaware that his father had a hand in killing one of the daughters of Umuofia and doesn't understand… read analysis of Ikemefuna.
- Ogbuefi Ezeudo. Ezeudo is oldest man in the village and a great orator. He warns Okonkwo not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna, but Okonkwo pays no heed.
Meet the main characters of the novel, such as Okonkwo, the central leader of Umuofia, and his father Unoka, his friend Obierika, and the white missionaries. Learn about their roles, traits, and relationships in the story.
- Okonkwo
- Unoka
- Obierika
- Nwoye
- Chielo, Priestess of Agbala
- Mr Brown
- Reverend James Smith
- Ekwefi
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Okonkwo is the novel’s main character and its tragic hero. Okonkwo is scarred by the humiliation and shame he suffers as a result of his father’s general failure to live up to the ideals of his society. Having playmates refer to his father as an Agbala or rather a man who is as good as a woman rankled deep within his psyche, setting up an intense f...
Unoka is Okonkwo’s father. His actions and station in life serve to shape the behavior of his son, Okonkwo, for the rest of his life. Within the confines of Umuofia’s value system, Unoka is an unmitigated failure. He is poor, married to only one wife who he can hardly take care of, is too lazy to farm productively, and is effeminate. He is a weakli...
Obiereka is Okonkwo’s peer and best friend. Although he is just as successful and accomplished as Okonkwo, he does not entirely share Okonkwo’s temperament and values. Although committed to the values of the community, Obierika is not as fanatical as Okonkwo about preserving the order of things. He can rue the dissolution of Umuofia culture and ins...
Nwoye is Okonkwo’s first son. He was a gentle and non-confrontational child with a taste for the fun children’s stories his mother told him as opposed to Okonkwo’s more manly and brutal stories. Nwoye resembled his grandfather, Unoka, more than Okonkwo and this greatly distressed Okonkwo. Okonkwo saw what he perceived to be effeminate traits and qu...
Chielo is the widowed priestess of Agbala, one of the central deities in Umuofia. An embodiment of the community’s religious system, Chielo in her capacity as priestess wields enormous power over the community. The contrast between the power she wields and the otherwise generally submissive disposition of women in the book is quite remarkable. In a...
Mr Brown is the pioneering Christian missionary in the communities of Mbanta and Umuofia. Mr Brown is kind and open-minded and seeks to genuinely understand Igbo beliefs. He makes a case for conversion to Christianity on the premise that it would be advantageous to the individual in the new colonial order that is about to supplant the current order...
Reverend Smith is a missionary who replaces Mr Brown as the new head of the Christian church. Reverend Smith is strict and uncompromising, the opposite of Mr Brown, who was kind, compassionate, and accommodating. His firebrand and uncompromising attitude embolden the fanatics among his congregation, leading to an inevitable conflict with the people...
Ekwefi is Okonkwo’s second wife and the recipient of his routine abuses. Her character is defined by her anxious love for her daughter, Ezinma, who Ekwefi fears to be an Ogbanje, as well as her tendency to annoy Okonkwo and provoke him to unreasonable anger. She is a friend to Chielo, the priestess of Agbala. She shows some measure of rebelliousnes...
Learn about the main characters in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, a classic depiction of traditional African society. Find out their personalities, motivations, and roles in the story, as well as their relationships and conflicts.
Things Fall Apart study guide contains a biography of Chinua Achebe, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes.
Learn about the main and minor characters in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, a classic of African literature. Find out their roles, relationships, and fates in the story of Okonkwo, a powerful and tragic Igbo man.
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Complete List of Characters in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Learn everything you need to know about Okonkwo, Unoka, and more in Things Fall Apart.
