Things Fall Apart at a glance

Author

Chinua Achebe

First published

1958

Form

Novel

Length

25 chapters

Studied for

IB English A: Literature, AP English Literature, US High School English, World Classics

Quizzes

20 (75 questions)

Things Fall Apart quizzes chapter by chapter

Spoiler-safe reading checks: each quiz only covers its own chapters, with answers and explanations.

Things Fall Apart skill quizzes: characters, themes & more

Revision quizzes that pull questions from across the whole novel (spoilers).

Make your own Things Fall Apart test

Pick the chapters you have read, the question types and difficulty — then play online or print a Things Fall Apart test with an answer key.

Things Fall Apart summary

Show the Things Fall Apart plot summary (contains spoilers)

Okonkwo, a proud warrior of Umuofia, rises to greatness through hard work and fear of weakness. Exiled after an accident, he returns to find his clan changed by Christian missionaries and colonial rule, and his resistance ends in tragedy.

Things Fall Apart characters

Okonkwo

A respected warrior driven by fear of seeming weak.

Nwoye

Okonkwo's sensitive son, who converts to Christianity.

Ikemefuna

A boy given to Umuofia, raised in Okonkwo's household.

Ezinma

Okonkwo's beloved daughter.

Obierika

Okonkwo's thoughtful friend.

Mr Brown and Mr Smith

Two contrasting missionaries.

Things Fall Apart themes

Tradition and changeMasculinityColonialismReligion and beliefFathers and sonsCommunityHonour and shameFate and free will

Things Fall Apart is still in copyright, so this page paraphrases rather than quotes it. Use your class edition for exact wording.

Things Fall Apart essay questions

Exam-style essay and discussion prompts for IB, AP Lit, High school, World.

1. How does Achebe present tradition and change in Things Fall Apart? Refer closely to at least two moments in the novel.
2. How does Okonkwo change over the course of the novel, and why does that change matter?
3. “Things Fall Apart is a novel about masculinity.” How far do you agree?
4. Explore the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye. What does it reveal about colonialism?
5. How does the narrative voice shape what we think of the events in Things Fall Apart?
6. Compare how Things Fall Apart explores religion and belief with another text you have studied.

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