Name: ____________________________________________ Block: ________

Theme Tracking Sheet

Topic: Respect and Reputation

Questions for consideration:

1. Does a man's reputation in Things Fall Apart accurately show his true value?
2. On what factors are a man's reputation based in TFA? Is it based on merit, or some other qualities?
3. What factors influence a woman's reputation?
4. Is Okonkwo's desire for a strong reputation a good thing? Does it ever get in the way of his obligations,
his family, his religion, etc.?
5. Does Okonkwo's reputation remain the same, or does it change over the course of the book?

Track: Track the places this theme comes up in the book by finding quotes and explaining their relationship to
the topic and/or one of the questions for consideration. It is ok if the theme does not come up in all chapters,
but you should be sure to look for it in all of them!

Quotation about topic (cited) Analysis (How is it related to your theme?)

Now, take the information you have gathered from each chapter to establish a theme statement (life lesson)
for the novel. What message is the author trying to get across about this topic?

THEME FOR ENTIRE NOVEL:

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________
Name: ____________________________________________ Block: ________

Theme Tracking Sheet

Topic: Religion

Questions for consideration:

1. What is the nature of the Igbo gods? What sorts of elements or concepts do they represent? What does this
indicate about Igbo culture?
2. Are the Igbo gods vengeful? When compared to Christianity? What sort of justice do they carry out?
3. Do the people of Umuofia truly believe that the egwugwu are ancestral spirits, or do they realize the truth about
them? Why do the people of Umuofia listen to the egwugwu?
4. How does fear of the unknown and misunderstanding of different cultures affect the Umuofia and the
Christians? Does either side ever really try to understand each other?

Track: Track the places this theme comes up in the book by finding quotes and explaining their relationship to
the topic and/or one of the questions for consideration. It is ok if the theme does not come up in all chapters,
but you should be sure to look for it in all of them!

Quotation about topic (cited) Analysis (How is it related to your theme?)

Name: ____________________________________________ Block: ________

Theme Tracking Sheet

Topic: Masculinity

Questions for consideration:

1. What makes a strong man? What makes a strong Igbo man?

2. Which character best fits the definition of a strong, capable Igbo man? Consider many characters, their strengths
and weaknesses before deciding.
3. What is the purpose of gender-coding almost every aspect of society – right down to the crops and murder?
4. Compare and contrast the notions of "motherland" and "fatherland"
5. Interpret the idea/concept that "mother is supreme", what does it mean for Okonkwo? For other Igbo people?

Track: Track the places this theme comes up in the book by finding quotes and explaining their relationship to
the topic and/or one of the questions for consideration. It is ok if the theme does not come up in all chapters,
but you should be sure to look for it in all of them!

Quotation about topic (cited) Analysis (How is it related to your theme?)

Name: ____________________________________________ Block: ________

Theme Tracking Sheet

Topic: Clash of Cultures

Questions for consideration:

1. How do white men view Igbo people? How do the Igbo view white men?
2. What are some of the misunderstandings that the missionaries and the Igbo people have between
each other?
3. Is the younger generation of Umuofia straying away from long-established customs?
4. What impact does the arrival of the Christians have on the people of Umuofia?
5. Can Umuofia be a unified group of people without shared traditions?

Track: Track the places this theme comes up in the book by finding quotes and explaining their relationship to
the topic and/or one of the questions for consideration. It is ok if the theme does not come up in all chapters,
but you should be sure to look for it in all of them!

Quotation about topic (cited) Analysis (How is it related to your theme?)

Name: ____________________________________________ Block: ________

Theme Tracking Sheet

Topic: Tradition vs. Change

Questions for consideration:

1. Is change important for/beneficial to a society? Should societies resist change or embrace it?
2. What values do the Igbo people in TFA get from their traditions?
3. What are some ways that traditions hurt people in TFA?
4. How do the various people in TFA react to the changes happening around them? Consider different characters
and perspectives.
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of colonial education?

Track: Track the places this theme comes up in the book by finding quotes and explaining their relationship to
the topic and/or one of the questions for consideration. It is ok if the theme does not come up in all chapters,
but you should be sure to look for it in all of them!

Quotation about topic (cited) Analysis (How is it related to your theme?)

Name: ____________________________________________ Block: ________

Theme Tracking Sheet

Topic: Igbo Society Complexity

Questions for consideration:

1. Where in the novel do we see examples of Achebe showing detailed descriptions of Igbo culture?
2. How do his examples show the "complexity" of Igbo society?
3. What makes a society "complex"? Consider your own opinions and what you see from the novel.
4. In such ritualized events as weddings and funerals, what aspects of life do the Igbo people celebrate or
mourn?
5. Much of Igbo culture includes highly stylized speech. What purpose does the formal way of speaking
serve? To another man? To an audience? To a family member? To the gods?

Track: Track the places this theme comes up in the book by finding quotes and explaining their relationship to
the topic and/or one of the questions for consideration. It is ok if the theme does not come up in all chapters,
but you should be sure to look for it in all of them!

Quotation about topic (cited) Analysis (How is it related to your theme?)