WorksheetsThings Fall Apart- Part 1
Total questions: 60
Worksheet time: 30mins
Where is the novel set in?
Nigeria
Congo
Who is the main character in Things Fall Apart?
Nwoye
Unoka
Ikemefuna
Okonkwo
Why was Okonkwo well-known in the village?
He was a musician
He was lazy
He was wealthy
He overthrew Amalinze the Cat
How did the village view Unoka?
He was lazy and a loafer
He was wealthy and a hard worker
What was Okonkwo's weakness?
He was a musician
He had a slight stammer
Describe the relationship between Unoka and Okonkwo.
They were close
Best friends
They were both rich
They had conflict
They did not get along
Unoka was a disgrace
How does Ikemefuna come to live in the village of Umuofia?
His father killed a girl from Umuofia
He was sent by the gods
Describe the mood of the opening scene.
Dark and sad
Feeling of something bad about to happen
Happy and joyful
Why does the author constantly draw a comparison between Okonkwo and Unoka?
To emphasize that Okonkwo was not like his father
He was a hard worker and Unoka was lazy
To emphasize their good relationship
Why was Unoka not given proper burial?
He couldn't afford it
He died of swelling which is an abomination to the Earth
What reason does Chika give Unoka for his miserable harvest?
He was lazy
He used borrowed yams
He offended the gods by not working on his land
Identify and explain the figure of speech
"Fierce fighter"
Alliteration
It emphasizes Okonkwo's strength, determination, drive and passion
Assonance
It emphasizes Okonkwo's strength, determination, drive and passion
Okonkwo's first harvest was a disaster
True
False
How did Okonkwo deal with less successful people?
Okonkwo shows little patience for men who are lazy
He sees them as women for not working hard enough
Okonkwo loves men who do not work hard as his father did
Identify and explain the figure of speech in:
"Heavy hand"
Alliteration
Okonkwo was violent, war-like and ill-tempered
Assonance
Okonkwo was gentle, sweet and caring
Why did Okonkwo become furious with his wives?
They cut some of his banana tree's leaves
They ate his yams
How is Ezinma different from the other girls?
She calls her mother by her name
She acts like a boy
How do we know Ikemefuna is becoming family?
He was adjusting to Okonkwo
He became like Okonkwo's worker
He was calling Okonkwo father
He had a positive influence on Nwoye
Who does Okonkwo nearly shoot?
Ekwefi
Ojiugo
Ikemefuna has a positive influence on Nwoye
True
False
Ikemefuna was like an older brother to Nwoye.
True
False
Why did Okonkwo's behaviour suddenly change?
He did not eat any food for two days
He killed Ikemefuna
He was happy Ikemefuna was dead
Who advises Okonkwo not to have a hand in Ikemefuna's death?
Ezeudu
Obierika
Why does Okonkwo deliver the final blow to kill Ikemefuna?
He did not want to be seen as weak
He was the leader
He was not a man of thought but action
He was instructed to kill Ikemefuna
What is ogbanje?
Evil spirit
Walking around like a mad person
Does Okonkwo make peace with Ikemefuna's death?
Yes,
He eventually falls asleep
No,
He still has nightmares
Why do you think Ezinma suddenly becomes ill?
Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna
The gods are not impressed
Okonkwo did not bury his father properly
Why does Ekwefi's children die before the age of 3?
They were ogbange
She was not well
Why does Evil Forest address Uzowulu saying, “Uzowulu’s body, I salute you”?
It is the way they greet human beings
They greet spiritual bodies this way
What is the law of Umuofia concerning the bride-price of a woman who runs away from her husband?
He is to return the bride price
She is to go home to her husband
Okonkwo is part of the egwugwu
True
His wives notices his springy step
His wives notice he is not sitting among the elders
False
His wives notice he sits with the elders
What is ironic about Okonkwo being egwugwu?
He beats his wife, in the same way Uzowulu beats his wife
He is an elder and does not beat his wife
How are the women in Umoufia treated?
They are treated as secondary to men
They have no say in marriage
They are treated as equals to men
What unfortunate accident takes place in Chapter 13?
Okonkwo shoots Ezeudu's son
Okonkwo beats Ezeudu's son
Why do Okonkwo and his family leave their homestead?
Okonkwo shot Ezeudu's son
Considered a female crime
He beat his wife
Considered a male crime
Okonkwo and his family is banished to Mbanta
True
He kills one of his own village men
False
He kills one of Mbanta's men
Why was Okonkwo famous?
He was a well known, successful wrestler when he was young. As an adult, he was a wealthy farmer and strong warrior.
He was well known for being weak and being lazy
Which of the following best fits the description of Unoka?
He constantly borrowed money that he didn’t repay.
He was lazy and improvident.
He was Okonkwo’s father.
Why had the men of Umuofia called a meeting?
The men of Mbaino, a neighboring village, had murdered a woman of Umuofia, and the men wanted revenge.
The men of Mbaino, a neighboring village, had murdered a man of Umuofia, and the men wanted revenge.
What influence did the oracle have on decisions made in Umuofia?
The men didn’t go to war unless the reason was accepted by the oracle.
The men needed the Oracle to decide with which tribe to fight with.
What was Okonkwo’s greatest fear?
He was afraid that he would resemble his father.
He was afraid of blood.
What was Okonkwo’s greatest passion?
His greatest passion was to hate everything his father loved.
His greatest passion was to love his father eternally.
What upset Okonkwo most about his son, Nwoye?
Nwoye was lazy, not ambitious.
Nwoye was fond of his grandfather- Unoka
What did Okonkwo bring home from his trip to Mbaino?
He brought home a boy from the village. His name was Ikemefuna.
He was Okonkwo's son. He loved Ikemefuna.
How did the people view yams?
Yams stood for manliness, and one who could feed his family on yams all year was a great man.
Yams were a woman's crop and they deserved the respect of the villagers for planting such a root.
Refer to chapter 3: “A proud heart can survive general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone.” What does Unoka tell Okonkwo?
Chapter 3
Unoka tells him that if he survives a general failure such as the harvest, it means that such failures will not prick the ego of a person. Therefore, he should be brave and manly and should not fail personally. It is because when a man fails alone, it becomes painful and bitter for him to survive.
Unoka tells Okonkwo that he will be successful and persevere because he is not like his father.
What is meant in the following quote? "But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error. And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said that his good fortune had gone to his head."
The writer explains Okonkwo’s nature is often misunderstood by the people because he doesn’t speak. He accepts his mistake before the priest, he repents it. However, outwardly, his pride does not allow him to show his true nature to everyone. Therefore, people often talk against him, and according to the priest, Okonkwo may lose his respect in the tribe he doesn’t confess his mistakes in public.
Okonkwo is stubborn and does not allow anyone who speaks down to him. He disrespects the elders and has no patience for weakness. He is obstinate
What does the following quote highlight about Okonkwo? “No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man.” Chapter 7
This is the tradition of the clan of Okonkwo that a man is recognized through his nature he displays at home by being superior. If a person is rich, but he does not rule over his women and children ruthlessly, he is not considered a man. He is somewhat considered a coward.
Okonkwo is wealthy and cannot seem to control his wives. His son Nwoye is a coward and cannot work the way his father wants. Okonkwo beats his wives and does not give them an opportunity to speak.
Refer to the following quote: “When did you become a shivering old woman,’ Okonkwo asked himself, ‘you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed.’” Chapter 8. How does Okonkwo overcome the death of Ikemefuna?
Okonkwo speaks these words feeling guilty after killing his adopted son Ikemefuna. This is his self-reflection that he, as a warrior, has killed five men and has never felt remorse. Now that he is feeling shame and guilt, he chides himself that he is becoming a woman. This is his attempt to reassure himself while he expresses hatred over his weakness.
Okonkwo attempts to reconcile Ikemefuna's death by speaking about the consequences of not participating in the death of Ikemefuna.
What does Okonkwo do even though he is advised not to?
Help kill Ikemefuna
Attack Chielo
Beat Nwoye twice
Marry Ojuigo
In the allegory of Tortoise, what do the birds give to Tortoise?
Bird seed
Feathers
Water
A branch
When Ikemefuna is taken to be killed, Okonkwo
Discuss
Weeps for three days
Participates in Ikemefuna's execution
Goes with the men AND participates in Ikemefuna's execution
Goes with the men
Clan religious authorities believe that Ekwefi is cursed by an ogbanje,
Discuss
A demon who haunts old women
The ghost of a murdered adultress
A cat spirit that steals children
A wicked child who returns to its mother to be reborn so that it can die again
Okonkwo's treatment of his family could best be described as
Loving and tender
Stern and often violent
Stern but often indulgent
Generous and rational
For certain religious festivals, men of the clan become the living vessels for important clan spirits. The rituals involve elaborate costumes and masks. These spirits are called
Ozu
Ogbanje
Egwugwu
Obi
Okonkwo is forced to go into exile for
Seven years
Twenty years
One year
What are some of the names Evil Forest gives himself?
Evil Forest calls himself “Dry-meat-that-fills-the-mouth,” and “Fire-that-burns-without-faggots.”
Obi
Ozu
Why will Uzowulu listen to the decision of the egwugwu?
Uzowulu will listen to the decision of the egwugwu because they represent the ancestral spirits.
Uzowulu will listen because they will kill him, if he does not listen.
Describe the difference in the attire of the married women and that of the girls who greet the in-laws.
The married women wear their best clothes, and the girls wear red and black waist beads and anklets of brass.
The married women wear their worst clothes, and the girls wear borrowed clothes
What do the elders mean when they say “If one finger brought oil it soiled the others”?
Everyone is corrupted by one person
People are dirty if they are osu
