Things Fall Apart

This is a story about life in Africa before the Europeans came and about the destruction of this life by the Europeans. The people in the story lived in a district of Nigeria called Umuofia. The people of Umuofia were farmers. They produced goods such as palm oil that the Europeans wanted. Umuofia was a small district of nine villages. The people of these villages belonged to the same clan. A clan is a group of people who live together and share the same customs. In time of war, all the people of the clan help each other and fought together. The people of Umuofia did not know much about the rest of the world. They grew their own food and made their own things. The clan had its own customs, religion and leaders. The way of life in Umuofia had not changed for a long time, but the people were free. They made their own decisions and they chose their own leaders. In Umuofia, a man could become a leader as a result of his own work and ability. Okonkwo was one of the greatest men in the village of Umuofia. But when the Europeans came they changed Umuofia. They destroyed the old life and Okonkwo too. And he was buried like a dog. This is the Intermediate Level MacMillan Reader about 1600 basic words.