Research Paper on:
Thematic Analysis of Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
it exerts over man and society. It concentrates on the Ibo (or Igbo) speaking tribal village of Umuofia (now modern-day Nigeria) where the chief protagonist, the strong and powerful  Okonkwo, represents the strength of traditional values in this strictly defined patriarchy. It is recommended that the student who is writing on this topic consider that Things Fall Apart,  is, first and foremost, as noted by Ibo native Patrick C. Nnoromele, "a text rooted in the social customs, traditions, and cultural milieu of a people. The characters and  their actions are better understood when they are examined in that light" (146). The tribesmen, like Okonkwo, were bound by cultural customs just as their forefathers were, and for  them, the supreme goal was to become a titled man, so they would have the "authority to participate actively in the governance of the community" (Mkhize 194). Okonkwos sole  motivation was, simply, "to be one of the lords of the clan" (Achebe 28). All of his hopes, fears, and ultimately his downfall, were rooted in the power of  tradition in defining his character and cementing his identity so completely with his village and his people that it could not exist without them.  The power in Umuofia society was deeply steeped in "masculine traditions" (Osei-Nyame 148). The reputation of the father was carried down to the son, whether it was reverence  or disgrace. For Okonkwo, it seemed the deck had been stacked against him from the very beginning. His father, Unoka, had been characterized as effeminate for his passivity  and poor agricultural skills, condemned by a priestess "for the weakness of your machete and your hoe" (Achebe 20). To make matters worse, instead of engaging in macho wrestling