Invitation to World Literature

Classroom Resources > Invitation to World Literature > 10. Things Fall Apart > 10.4 Things Fall Apart – Map & Timeline

Things Fall Apart – Map & Timeline

The pink area shows the Igbo lands, where the action of the novel takes place.
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Every border you see on this map was drawn by a European power; Nigeria, which contains the Igbo lands of the novel, was created by the British. The map of Africa looked very different before the 1800s, before the arrival of colonizing European powers. The Igbo lands in the heartland of the Niger River valley (now southeastern Nigeria) were not expansive, but they created and nurtured a distinct culture for many centuries. Despite the artificial divisions and boundaries created by empire, the traditional cultures of Africa live on.

1400-1600

Oligarchies and large commercial states dominate Igbo lands on Africa’s Gulf of Guinea.

The Onitsha Kingdom is founded in the 1500s.

1500-1600

The kingdom of Borno in today’s western Nigeria reaches its height.

1600s

Western Igbo kingdoms dominate trade in the lower Niger region.

1720

The Arochukwu kingdom oversees creation of the Aro Confederacy, which ruled what are today’s mid-western and eastern Nigeria and parts of modern-day Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.

1815

Following the end of the Napoleonic wars between France and Great Britain, Britain begins to trade with the interior, calling the region “Nigeria” based on the path the Niger River takes through the area.

1885

Britain charters the Royal Niger Company to claim a sphere of influence in Nigeria.

1901

Nigeria becomes a British protectorate ruled by Great Britain.

1914

Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa areas are officially united under Britain as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.

1930

Chinua Achebe is born in the Igbo village of Ogidi.

1940s-50s

Nigerians demand independence.

1958

Things Fall Apart is published in England.

1960

Nigeria gains independence, as a parliamentary democracy.

1963-66

The First Republic is created.

1966

The government is overthrown by a group of army officers, mostly Igbos; another coup follows in which thousands of Igbos are massacred.

1967

Igbos in the southeast declare independence from Nigeria, establishing the Republic of Biafra; the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War) begins. Achebe’s house is bombed after he protests the war.

1969

Achebe chairs the National Guidance Committee, which publishes The Ahiara Declaration, a statement of principles and ideals for post-war Nigeria.

1970

The Nigerian Civil War, or Biafran War, ends with the defeat of the Igbos.

1979-83

The period of the Second Republic, marked by much political unrest and overturned election results.

1993-99

The period of the Third Republic, during which the country is ruled by a dictator, Sani Abacha.

1999-present

The period of the Fourth Republic, democratically voted in.

2010

President Goodluck Jonathan takes office after Umaru Yar’Adua dies suddenly in office.

Sections

10.1 Things Fall Apart – Getting Started

10.2 Things Fall Apart – Read the Text

Read the Excerpt

10.3 Things Fall Apart – Expert’s View

Experts' View: Juxtapositions

10.4 Things Fall Apart – Map & Timeline

10.5 Things Fall Apart – Connections

10.6 Things Fall Apart – Key Points

Key Teaching Points and Discussion Prompts

Slideshow: Things Fall Apart

Images

Transcript: Things Fall Apart Video Transcript

Transcript

Units

Unit 1 The Epic of Gilgamesh

The first known human story is that of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Images of artifacts from ancient Iraq mix with beautiful illustrations, dance, and costume to tell of the relations between gods and mortals, the search for friendship, love, and immortality. Featured cast members include Assyriologist Ben Foster, comic book illustrator Jim Starlin, and poet and playwright Yusef Komunyakaa.

Unit 2 My Name Is Red

Both an historical novel and a graphic murder mystery set among the miniaturists of the Ottoman court. With its focus on Istambul, a major crossroads of the world, it tells of the artistic/cultural contest between Europe and the East. Cast members include the book's Nobel-prize winning author, Orhan Pamuk, and its English translator, Erdağ Göknar.

Unit 3 The Odyssey

Odysseus must travel the known and unknown world before he can return home to his beloved island kingdom of Ithaca. What does this ancient story say to readers today? In this program, Odysseus's story is given ancient and modern historical and philosophical context, and illustrated with centuries of art. Featured are theater director Mary Zimmerman, actor-director Tim Blake-Nelson, and psychologist/author Jonathan Shay.

Unit 4 The Bacchae

The city of Thebes is torn apart by the conflicting demands of reason and religion, as the disguised god Dionysus returns to his home town demanding to be worshipped. Opposing him is the young king Pentheus, who is doomed to suffer the ultimate punishment for his disbelief. Featured speakers include world-renowned playwright/author Wole Soyinka, actor Alan Cumming, and Daniel Mendelsohn of Bard College.

Unit 5 The Bhagavad Gita

This epic tale of the warrior-prince Arjuna confronting a life-or-death dilemma during civil war presents a unique and powerful philosophy of duty, discipline, and serving a higher purpose. Beautiful illustrations connect the story with its rich history and culture. Featured speakers include Sheldon Pollock, Professor of Sanskrit Studies and acclaimed composer Philip Glass.

Unit 6 The Tale of Genji

This portrait of court life in medieval Japan follows the life and exploits of the great Genji. Written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady of the Japanese court, it provides an insider's view of Japanese court life, the official and behind the screen. Art, clothing, music from the time of the novel illustrate the obserations of authors Jane Smiley and Chiori Miyagawa, among others.

Unit 7 Journey to the West

The powerful and mischievous Stone Monkey King brings chaos to heaven and earth. Freed from a mountain prison in order to guard a Chinese monk on his journey to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures from India, Monkey seeks his own spiritual transformation. Modern performance, contemporary art, and Buddhist philosophers provide a rich context to the ancient tale. Featured cast members include playwright David Henry Huang, storyteller Diane Wolkstein, and translator Professor Anthony Yu.

Unit 8 Popol Vuh

The Mayan book of creation, the dawn of life, and the glories of gods and kings. This magnificent epic was saved from destruction at the hands of the Spanish by Quiché chroniclers. Once repressed, the story is now interwoven with the history of today's Mayan people. Featured speakers include archaeologist Richard Hanson, humorist Mo Rocca, and Guatemalan artist Shuni Giron.

Unit 9 Candide

A satirical novel following the travails of Candide, a hopeless optimist whose faith in his tutor's mantra that his is "the best of all possible worlds" is tested beyond all limits. Voltaire's challenge to the aristocracy of his day proves refreshingly amusing and biting today. Original illustrations, songs, and comic book figures plumb the depths of this satire. Featured speakers include director Harold Ramis, actress Kristin Chenoweth, and cartoonist Chris Ware.

Unit 10 Things Fall Apart

In this foundational modern African novel, Chinua Achebe's story follows the lives of people trying to understand which belief systems deserve their loyalty. The protagonist, Okonkwo is a tribal leader who battles neighboring villages, the English, and his own demons in early colonial Nigeria. The perspectives of readers from around the world reveal the novel's universal themes. Cast members include playwright and professor Tess Onwueme and theater director Chuck Mike.

Unit 11 One Hundred Years of Solitude

Gabriel García Márquez's multigenerational saga of the Buendía family in the isolated town of Macondo inaugurated the boom in Latin American literature in the 1970s and marked the beginning of magical realism. Writer Sandra Cisneros and scholar of Latin American literature, Ilan Stavans lend their thoughts and voices to the discussion of this epic novel.

Unit 12 The God of Small Things

Fraternal twins Rahel and Estha struggle to reclaim their lives after their childhood is destroyed by tragic circumstances. As past and present merge in this narrative of Indian society and politics, the many layers of the caste system are mirrored in the poetic and inventive language of the author. Featured speakers include Simon Gikandi of Princeton University, author Evelyn Ch'ien.

Unit 13 The Thousand and One Nights

Shahrazad must hold the interest of her despotic husband the sultan with nightly tales, lest she lose her life in the morning. This wellspring of storytelling, circulating from medieval Persia to Egypt to Iraq, like its wily raconteur lives on in many modern adaptations. Art, performance, and film images are employed to show the collection's broad span of influence. Featured speakers include Marin Alsop, musical director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Aly Jetha and Shabnam Rezai, co-producers of the 1001 Nights animated series.