Introduction

Achebe: Things Fall Apart

In this course, Professor Stephen Morton (University of Southampton) discusses Chinua Achebe's 1958 novel Things Fall Apart. The course begins by introducing the author himself and the publication on the novel, before moving on in the second module to think about narrative techniques in the novel. In the third module, we focus on the historical and geographical setting of the novel in Pre-colonial Nigeria, before moving on in the fourth module to think about the colonial encounter itself – particularly the presentation of the Christian missionaries. In the fifth module, we think about the use of proverbs in the novel, before turning in the sixth and final module to the genre (or genres) of the novel.

Introduction

In this module, we provide a brief introduction to the life and times of Chinua Achebe, the publication of Things Fall Apart, and his support and patronage of African literature more generally.