Things Fall Apart: Characters (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature): Revision Note
Exam code: 4ET1
In your answer to the Things Fall Apart question, remember that characters represent a group of people or an idea about society. Achebe’s characters, for example, illustrate differences between social groups and reflect contemporary debates.
Characterisation is a writer’s method and it’s good to use this word in your responses. Characterisation can include:
How characters are established
How characters are presented:
Their physical appearance
Their actions and motives
What they say and think
How they interact with others
What others say and think about them
How far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes
Their relationships to other characters
Below you will find character profiles of:
Main characters
Okonkwo
Nwoye
Ikemefuna
Ekwefi
Other characters
Unoka
Ezinma
District Commissioner
Obierika
Okonkwo
Okonkwo’s complex characterisation raises issues about tradition:
He abides by traditional and patriarchal views on masculinity
He is hardworking and driven, but rejects discussion and compassion
He is a tragic hero: initially he is respected as a farmer and family man
His fatal flaw, his aggressive rigidity, isolates him from his son and peers:
He is a responsible father and loving husband, but is unable to express his feelings or show mercy
His love for his culture is presented as worthy, but his aggression leads to his inevitable downfall
His suicide is portrayed with the complexity of his characterisation throughout:
He is a victim of the colonialists’ cruelty, and alienated from his clan
Nwoye
Nwoye’s character functions as a foil to Okonkwo:
Okonkwo’s teenage eldest son, Nwoye does not take after his father and is more like his peaceful grandfather (who Okonkwo describes as lazy)
Nwoye’s relationship with Okonkwo is presented as conflicted to highlight Okonkwo’s inability to understand or deal with differences peacefully
The tense relationship worsens when Ikemefuna, Nwoye’s close friend, is killed by Okonkwo
Nwoye eventually converts to Christianity to escape his father
Ikemefuna
Ekwefi, Okonkwo's second wife, allows Achebe to present another side to Okonkwo in order to portray him more sympathetically
Ekwefi’s marriage to Okonkwo is portrayed as being more tender than Okonkwo’s other relationships with his wives
Their shared concern for their sick daughter, Ezinma, presents Okonkwo as a loving and responsible father:
He helps her take Ezinma to the Oracle and they reminisce about his kindness towards her when they first met
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Writers use characters to convey ideas, often opposing ideas, and to raise debates. For example, Okonkwo’s differences with his father and his own son are central to his emotional turmoil.
Other ideas are conveyed by the character’s progression (or “journey”) in the novel. For example, Okonkwo’s consistently stubborn rigidity and refusal to understand his son (despite advice to change) leads to his isolation.
Other Characters
Unoka
Unoka is Okonkwo’s deceased father
He provides readers with context regarding Okonkwo’s character
He works as a foil to Okonkwo to raise issues about masculinity and tradition:
Unoka was a peaceful musician who preferred talking and drinking to working, which led to debt and poverty
Okonkwo’s rigid objective is to be the opposite of his father, which proves to be his downfall
Ezinma
Ezinma is the eldest, favoured child of Okonkwo and his second wife, Ekwefi
Achebe presents Igbo traditions via her journey to the Oracle and her encounters with a medicine man
Ezinma’s character highlights gender issues, as Okonkwo clearly favours her over his other children:
Achebe critiques his patriarchal values through Okonkwo’s regretful wish that she had been born a boy
District Commissioner
The District Commissioner is a British governor placed in charge of local villages
His character functions to show the disastrous impact of the British colonists:
As judge and governor, he uses British laws to rule the Igbo community and instil British culture on what he believes is a savage society
He arrests Okonkwo and the village men when they act out revenge on a Christian convert who has disrespected their culture
His character also highlights the tragic circumstances of Okonkwo’s death:
In the resolution, Achebe draws attention to Okonkwo’s suicide and suggests the colonialist settlers are to blame
The District Commissioner passes comment on the suicide as reasonably good research for his book
The title of his book ends Achebe’s novel poignantly: “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger”
Obierika
Obierika, Okonkwo’s friend, serves as a voice of conscience to Okonkwo:
He offers advice when Okonkwo complains about his children and the missionaries
He is critical of Okonkwo’s aggression towards Ikemefuna
He represents loyalty, respect, patience and compassion:
In the final chapter, Obierika mourns Okonkwo’s death and expresses anger at how colonial rule has robbed his friend of dignity
Sources
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