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Things Fall Apart Motifs

Motifs and symbols tracked across analyzed chapters, with links back to chapter summaries and chapter analysis pages.

Strength and masculinity

17 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Titles and social status

14 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Music and the flute

11 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16

Kola nut ceremony

8 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 2Analysis ch. 2
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 4Analysis ch. 4
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

Exile

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Oracle of Agbala

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 6Analysis ch. 6
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

White man's government/judgment

6 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24
Summary ch. 25Analysis ch. 25

Missionaries/Christianity

5 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Blood and guilt

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Bride-price negotiation

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

Debt and financial failure

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Domestic violence

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 10Analysis ch. 10

Kotma (court messengers)

4 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24
Summary ch. 25Analysis ch. 25

Ancestral spirits (egwugwu)

3 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Interpreter role

3 occurrencesrecurring
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24
Summary ch. 25Analysis ch. 25

Palm‑wine sharing

3 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 8Analysis ch. 8
Summary ch. 12Analysis ch. 12
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

Drought and famine

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 3Analysis ch. 3
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14

Evil Forest

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18

Harmattan season

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1
Summary ch. 7Analysis ch. 7

Maternal supremacy

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 14Analysis ch. 14
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Ogbanje cycle

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Sacred python

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21

Silence

2 occurrencesemerging
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Violence against women (whipping)

2 occurrencespersistent
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18
Summary ch. 24Analysis ch. 24

Bell‑man proclamation

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18

Binary moral view (black/white)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Cannon

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

Chalk lines as debt tally

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 1Analysis ch. 1

Church building (red‑earth and thatch house)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17

Church building (red‑earth)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Colonial narrative / book planning

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 25Analysis ch. 25

Earth goddess justice

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 13Analysis ch. 13

Efulefu

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16

Faith over physical resistance

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

Full moon

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Glasses as fetish

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17

Hunger

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Iron horse

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 16Analysis ch. 16

Iyi-uwa (spirit stone)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 9Analysis ch. 9

Kotma

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 21Analysis ch. 21

Land dispute

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 20Analysis ch. 20

Mask unmasking sacrilege

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22

New Yam Festival

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 5Analysis ch. 5

Osu (outcast caste)

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18

Palm-wine sharing

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 15Analysis ch. 15

Red earth and white chalk ritual

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 18Analysis ch. 18

Seven‑week limit on defying gods

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 17Analysis ch. 17

Shaved heads

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 23Analysis ch. 23

Suicide taboo

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 25Analysis ch. 25

White man’s governmental authority

1 occurrencessingle-hit
Summary ch. 22Analysis ch. 22