Things Fall Apart and a Single Story

I recently watched a terrific video where New York poet Suheir Hammad made the point that Things Fall Apart is one of the first portrayals of Africans not as slaves, but as communities with centuries-long traditions, social hierarchies, and perhaps most importantly, prosperity.


From the opening lines of his novel, Achebe challenges the "single story" of Africa by presenting us with a hero "well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond." (3)  Immediately he shows us how little English-speaking readers know about the Ibo, about Nigeria, and by extension, about Africa, since Okonkwo's reputation has spread far and wide across "twenty years or more" (3).  We should have heard of Okonkwo, but we haven't.

As the opening chapters unfold, we not only learn more about our hero, but about his community, where "the art of conversation is regarded very highly" (7) and "achievement was revered." (8)  This is not Conrad's portrayal of Africa in Heart of Darkness, where Africans are nameless, voiceless for the most part, and "nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation."  Instead, this is a civilized society with deeply-rooted values. 

However, as we also see in the novel, Umuofia is by no means a utopia.  Achebe creates a world not unlike our own where war, violence, pride, and dishonor cause conflicts and weaknesses.

As we continue our reading of the novel, I encourage you to think about what things could "fall apart" over time in Umuofia--what forces erode this once strong and powerful community.