"Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo, a 'strong man' of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo's fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries.

"These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul".     - Citation Provided Below!

In this novel study, students will read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The novel is one of power, passion, history, and more. It is highly engaging in its language, story, character development, symbolism, themes, and more. Through Socratic Seminar discussions, we will work together to deepen our understanding of the novel, its messages, and its significance! Below is a schedule that we will be following but topics may shift week to week as our discussions will dictate our topics of conversation. There will be an emphasis on reading comprehension and analysis with connections to cross-curricular topics such as history and geography!

Week One: Introduction
     - Introduction to the Novel
     - Introduction to the Author
     - Introduction to Setting, Character, and History
     - Colonization, Religious Missionaries, and More
     - Title Inspiration
          - "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats

Week Two:
     - Character Introduction
     - Understanding the Village
     - Position, Power, Family, and Gender
     - Controversies in the Novel
     - Customs and Traditions

Week Three:
     - Understanding the Village
     - Position, Power, Family, and Gender
     - Controversies in the Novel
     - Customs and Traditions
     - Gender, Age, and Class Roles
     - Introduction to Colonization

Week Four
     - Colonization within the Novel
     - Change versus Tradition
     - Religion within the Novel
     - Education and Class within the Novel

Week Five:
     - Colonization within the Novel
     - Change versus Tradition
     - Religion within the Novel
     - Education and Class within the Novel

Week Six:
     - Discussing the Ending 
     - Controversies of the End
     - Messages in the Novel
     - Importance of the Novel Historically and Culturally 
     - Themes and Symbolism
     - Race, Religion, Tradition, Class, and More

Citation:
          Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 50th Anniversaryth ed., New York, Anchor Books, 1959.