Things+Fall+Apart+Part+I

Things Fall Apart Part I

1. The proverb about a man and his chi comes across to me as an unusual idea in the way it’s spoken. In plain English, I see his description of chi to be a way of explaining subconscious. Beneath the transcendental fluff is the simple concept of deep self-reflection. The chi is just a synonym for what people call the soul. The chi or soul possesses will, emotions, intention, and all other attributes of a human person. In light of this, the proverb starts to make sense. In contrast, I do believe that one’s “chi” controls one’s entire destiny. Like how the algorithms of determining action in one’s brain work, one’s chi adapts and evolves the same way. The chi is simply a cluster of chemicals in your brain without its mystical veneer.

4. For one, the Igbo culture is patriarchal. Anything seen as effeminate is bad. This can be seen when Okonkwo beats his wife for forgetting to cook dinner. That can also apply to his interpretation of his father, Unoka. I wouldn’t take pride in these cultural aspects nor do I think Achebe would. Obierika also offers criticism to the Igbo culture. For instance, when he argued over whether it was right of Okonkwo to partake in Ikemefuna’s death.

5. When I started reading, I was interested in the father-son motif because I saw it as something universal. I could relate to it myself. Nonetheless, I began to lose interest when the story began to get entangled with multiple characters such as Okonkwo’s several wives, children, and Umuofia elders. I would’ve preferred if things were explained with as few characters as possible. I was drowned in confusing African names. What seemed foreign were the Igbo customs. The sacrifice of Ikemefuna and the image of women disgusted me. I didn’t see anything to admire about the Umuofia clan besides those individuals who questioned the traditions like Obierika and Nwoye.