Things Fall Apart Pronunciation Guide

I've found in my reading that I've needed a pronunciation guide for the character names. Okonkwo is pretty easy, but others are more difficult and since I will be discussing the novel with my students next semester, I figured that I needed to say the names correctly. I found this pronunciation guild online, so I cannot claim credit. Enjoy!

Things Fall Apart ch. 1-5

I finished chapter five yesterday and decided that I needed to do a little blog about it. I have been keeping on my schedule for the most part. One day I missed and had to read two chapters, but with this book that isn't too terrible. The chapters are short and read very quickly.

I find myself caught up in the story. The style reminds me of a folk tale in the way it is written. And while I doubt we will spend a ton of time engaging in close readings of passages from this book, it is already bringing up some major ideas/themes in my mind.

The most important piece that I noticed in these first five chapters is that Achebe is setting up a pretty classical tragedy. Okonkow is our tragic figure. He is a perfect example of a traditional Greek tragic hero:

• Tragic hero comes from a noble bloodline
• with Okonkwo and this whole civilization the noble bloodline really comes more from the titles that are held by the men. Okonkwo doesn't have a noble family, in fact his father is far from "noble." But, Okonkwo has made a name for himself in the village and is respected.
• Tragic hero has a tragic flaw or Hamartia
• I think this is pretty obvious with what Achebe is setting us up with in the first five chapters. Okonkwo has a problem with anger and violence, and that is going to come back to bite him in the butt. Achebe is laying some major foreshadowing in these first chapters. Okonkwo is going to fall because he does something violent. I mean we already see him get in trouble because he beat his wife during the week of peace. The elders of the village had to punish him and they usually give harsher punishments, but Okonkwo got off easy. It is going to happen, Okonkwo's violence and anger will be his downfall.
• Makes a major mistake
• Undergoes a major change
• Suffers a downfall

Some of these things remain to be seen, but Achebe has done a great job setting this character up for those who are reader's of classical literature. This is the modern African tragic hero. As you continue reading this novel keep an eye out for these other elements of a classic tragic hero.

Things Fall Apart Reading Schedule

I work through a book much better if I have a reading schedule. So, here is the schedule I am proposing for myself. Shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish. I hate having to rush through a great book to finish it for class. I like to savor what I am reading. Join me in my reading of this wonderful novel.

• June 8th--Ch. 1
• June 9th--Ch. 2
• June 11th--Ch. 3
• June 15th--Ch. 4
• June 16th--Ch. 5
• June 17th--Ch. 6
• June 18th--Ch. 7
• June 19th--Ch. 8
• June 20th--Ch. 9
• June 22nd--Ch. 10
• June 23rd--Ch. 11
• June 25th--Ch. 12
• June 29th--Ch. 13
• June 30th--Ch. 14
• July 2nd--Ch. 15
• July 6th--Ch. 16
• July 7h--Ch. 17
• July 9th--Ch. 18
• July 13th--Ch. 19
• July 14th--Ch. 20
• July 16th--Ch. 21
• July 20th--Ch. 22
• July 21st--Ch. 23
• July 23rd--Ch. 24 & 25

Follow this blog for more blog posts about this novel as I work my way through. Feel free to join the conversation.

Coming Soon