Things Fall Apart: Draft
Thesis Statement: Okonkwo's life bodes well until 3 unfortunate events occur, each cumulatively brining him slowly to his downfall
Thesis Outline:
OPENING PARAGRAPH
Give Author and Title (Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart)
Explain how his life is aimed high until --
Thesis Statement
SUPPORT PARAGRAPH ONE
Discuss how Ikemefuna's slaying (by his own stepfathers machete) helps weaken Okonkwo emotionally. To Okonkwo, crying is a sign of weakness, so he bottles some up and lets some out in his Obi.
Give examples of how Okonkwo is sad about having to kill Ikemefuna. (pp 57-60)
SUPPORT PARAGRAPH TWO
Discuss how the accidental firing of the rifle at the wrestling match caused his exile, which was not his fault. This helped to remove his high ranking and multiple titles.
SUPPORT PARAGRAPH THREE
Discuss how the missionaries, once Okonkwo returned, caused his clan to slowly dissolve since the white man continually pressed for people to convert.
A spiral stack of copies of the 1994 Anchor Books ...
English: Chinua Achebe speaking at Asbury Hall, Bu...
Onyekachi OkonkwoHis own son betrayed him and converted, so his rage built. Eventually, he recognized that he had lost it all, and once a missionary came to break up a meeting, he brutally decapitated him.
CONCLUSION PARAPGRAPH
1. Discuss how almost all of the 3 unfortunate things in the story are not Okonkwo's fault. He dealt with them until a final act of rudeness by the Missionaries drove him to kill and then commit suicide. He realized that there was nothing he could do to reconstruct the clan, and thus, took it out on a Missionary.
I think...
This is definitely a good outline of the main themes of \"things Fall Apart\", because the author has taught us what we should consider when we read the book, such as Okonkwo\'s fear and those three incidents.
However, in my opinion, Ikemefuna\'s death is just a reveal of Okonkwo\'s rigid character, but not an obvious reason which lead to his eventual downfall.
Also, in the end of the story, it\'s mainly the lack of unity of the tribal people and the decline of the African culture which drives Okonkwo to kill himself. The missionaries are just the cause.
Anyway, a good and clear essay.
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