Literary+Elements-Anna+N.

Literary Elements in //Things Fall Apart://

Themes 1. Individuals derive strength from the societies they belong to, and societies derive strength from the individuals who belong to them. 2. In contacts between other cultures, beliefs about superiority or inferiority are invariably wrong-headed and destructive. 3. Each culture’s world view is limited and partial, and each can benefit from understanding the world views of other cultures. 4. In spite of innumerable opportunities for understanding, people must strive to communicate. 5. A social value—such as individual ambition—which is constructive when balanced by other values, can become destructive when overemphasized at the expense of other values. 6. There is no such thing as a static culture; change is continual, and flexibility is necessary for successful adaptation. 7. A rigid individual, unable to change with the times or to criticize his or her own beliefs, is liable to be tragically swept aside by history.

Achebe named TFA from a line in William Butler Yeats's"The Second Coming," thus tying in the meaning of the poem itself. When the missionaries start affecting the Igbo culture, the innocence of the Igbo tribe is effectively taken, which begins the downfall of the Igbo society. This downfall effectively destroys the Igbo way of life, eventually leading to the death of Okonkwo, who was once a hero of the tribe.

Symbols and Motifs Sweet Potato-symbol of manhood Chi-Personal god Locusts-symbolize the future colonization of Nigeria by European colonists

//Things Fall Apart// as Greek Tragedy

//Things Fall Apart// has been called a modern Greek tragedy. It has the same plot elements as a Greek tragedy, including the use of a tragic hero, the following of the string model, etc. Okonkwo is a classic tragic hero, even if the story is set in more modern times. He shows multiple hamartia, including hubris (pride) and ate (rashness), and these character traits do lead to his peripeteia, or reversal of fortune, and his downfall at the end of the novel. Okonkwo truly has good intentions, but his need to feel in control and his fear that other men will sense weakness in him drive him to make decisions, whether consciously or subconsciously, that he regrets as he progresses through his life.