Thesis Statement and Outline

Prompt: The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence in Things Fall Apart.

Thesis Statement:

 In Things Fall Apart, Achebe's historical background significantly influences the construction of his writing as he uses secondary foil characters, his personal experience and the depiction of Christian missionaries arriving to the Igbo community to ultimately drive his purpose of renegotiating a relationship to traditional Igbo Society

Topic Sentence 1: Achebe's aim of reconnecting to his roots enables Achebe to use secondary foil characters like Mr. Brown and Smith in order to reinforce how the cultural values of the Igbo people coincides with the British missionaries.

Topic Sentence 2:  Furthermore, Achebe's background as a devout Christian influences the way he represents the arrival of missionaries of which, is manifested through an unbiased perspective in order to develop his purpose.

Topic Sentence 3: Throughout the novel, Achebe is able to critically take advantage of being an African author at that time in order to re-negotiate a relationship to traditional igbo society as he looks back to reciprocate and be critical of colonisation.

TFA Gender Thesis Statement & Outline

Create a thesis in response to this question, as well as an outline with effective topic sentences that would develop your argument. Post on your blog.

With reference to Things Fall Apart, discuss how an understanding of gender influences how the text may be understood.

Thesis Statement: 

Throughout Things Fall Apart, Achebe reveals how the complexity and role of women is suppressed through the use of secondary characters like Ojiougo, Obiereika and Ekwifi of which indirectly characterises Okonkwo's hyper masculinity in order for Westerners to comprehend Okonkwo's development as a tragic hero archetype that conforms to and deviates from his cultural values and Igbo traditions.

Topic Sentence 1: In the beginning of the novel, Achebe reinforces the theme of gender through the use of Okonkwo's   fearless nature where his charisma is driven by his harmatia that prevents him from conforming to his cultural values.

Topic Sentence 2: Furthermore, Achebe establishes power dynamics where men are inherently more privileged than women in order to drive Okonkwo's journey as a tragic hero archetype. 

Topic Sentence 3: Subsequently, Achebe manifests certain cultural adaptations in order to characterise Okonkwo's hyper-masculinity that develops his journey as a tragic hero archetype.

Thesis Statement

Prompt: With reference to Things Fall Apart, show how sub-plots or secondary characters contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole.

Thesis Statement:

Through a culturally authentic perspective, Achebe is able to use secondary characters like Unoka, Nwyoe and Ekwifi in order to intensify the appreciation of the context, conflict and themes.