From the inside we glimpse the world of the Ibo people: their customs, rituals, festivals, beliefs and worship. The richness of the tale lies in many things, including its language and its local flavor. As Okonkwo's story unfolds, Things Fall Apart moves steadily toward an inevitable collision between African and European culture ‹ and toward its central character's tragic demise. With the arrival of Christian missionaries and colonial administrators in his home of Umuofia, however, he fears the loss of everything that is most important to him. Proud, wealthy and respected by the members of his community, Okonkwo values above all his position in traditional Ibo society. Set in a Nigerian village at the outset of the 20th century, it is the story of Okonkwo, an Ibo warrior and clan leader struggling to come to terms with the upheaval of his cherished way of life. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is a very rich novel. He came to SPU as an associate professor of Spanish in 1995. Later, needing a second language while attending the University of Ghana, Baah decided on Spanish and, he says, "It turned out to be my strength." He's made an intense study of it ever since, but also speaks five other languages, including three African languages.īaah earned a master's degree in Hispanic literature from the University of Alberta, and a doctorate in Spanish literature from USC. In high school, he "fell in love" with the language and planned to make it part of his future career. "Ghana is surrounded by French-speaking countries," he explains. "I've read it many times since then and every time I see something new."Īs a youth, Baah gravitated toward the study of the French language.
"The first time I read Things Fall Apart, I knew it was a good book," recalls Robert Baah, who was born and raised in Ghana. Fall 1999 Online Response: Things Fall ApartĮssay by Robert Baah, Associate Professor of Spanish
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