By Chinua AchebeThings Fall Apart

Driving Questions What would our world be if

Industrialized European countries never colonized Africa?

Why do we have misconceptions of Africa as being poor, desperate, and dangerous?

Essential Skills I can describe and analyze complex characters and

explain how they enhance the plot and themes of the text: a) characterization b) character motivation c) character conflicts (man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. machine)

  I can come to a discussion or presentation prepared,

having read and researched material and explicitly draw upon that preparation to defend my opinion.

  I can determine an author’s point of view or purpose

in a text and analyze how the author uses rhetorical devices

Background of Time Period

By the mid-1800's, most of the European countries had industrialized.

This means that they had gone through the Industrial Revolution.

Industrialized nations had cities, factories and advanced technology.

Background of Time Period

At the same time, many Europeans started to believe that they were better than other nations because they had technology that the rest of the world didn’t.

This feeling of strength led European nations to believe that because they can take over other parts of the world, they should. This idea is called Social Darwinisn.

Background of Time Period Social Darwinism is based on

scientist Charles Darwin’s idea “survival of the fittest”, which means that only the strongest will survive.

Europeans used this idea of Social Darwinism to justify or defend their taking over other nations by force

Background of Time Period

The need for natural resources and the idea of Social Darwinism led to the Scramble for Africa.

Many European countries took over lots of land in Africa. When one country takes over another country by force, it is called imperialism

Negative Outcomes of European Colonization of Africa: 1. Loss of independence: Africans lost

control over the large majority of their land and in many cases lost control of all political, social and economic decisions.

2. Loss in population_: Death- the African population was seriously decreased by resistance wars and new diseases such as smallpox that arose in Africa because of Colonization.

Negative Outcomes of European Colonization of Africa: 3. Loss in Culture: European countries

did not only take over African Land—they took over African life completely. These changes affected African culture, spiritual beliefs, practice and customs. Europeans did not believe the culture of Africa was “civilized” so they attempted to change that during colonization.

Negative Outcomes of European Colonization of Africa: 4. War: Dividing that African

continent. Europeans created their own new boundaries that sometimes split African tribes or forced two warring tribes to be a part of the same nation.

Positive Outcomes of European Colonization of Africa:

1. Humanitarian efforts improved sanitation and brought schools and hospitals to Africa.

  2. Economic Expansion- European

colonization brought African natural resources and products to the international market where they were highly valued.

Positive Outcomes of European Colonization of Africa: 3. Increase in Technology- European

industrial revolution inventions such as railroads, dams, telephone/telegraph lines were brought to Africa during the age of imperialism.

Nigeria

Nigeria Things Fall Apart is set in the 1890's

and portrays the clash between Nigeria's white colonial government and the traditional culture of the indigenous Igbo people.

Achebe's novel shatters the stereotypical European portraits of native Africans.

Nigeria He is careful to portray the complex,

advanced social institutions and artistic traditions of Igbo culture prior to its contact with Europeans.

Yet he is just as careful not to stereotype the Europeans; he offers varying depictions of the white man, such as the mostly benevolent Mr. Brown, the zealous Reverend Smith, and the ruthlessly calculating District Commissioner.