Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories about Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo’s world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing nature’s life, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul.
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My first exposure to the author, Chinua Achebe, was during my first-year lit class in college. Unfortunately, there were far and few books from authors like Chinua available at my high school. I thank the Ethnic Studies Prof for the experience and will always think of Chinua Achebe, as a pioneering African writer, government critic, and advocate for African storytelling. His books, are filled with great imagery of a place I know is a part of my ancestry but will never visit … I may not agree with or like some of the practices of some sub-cultures, but this book gives the reader a better understanding of traditions, trials, and tribulations of the times
Soviet and U.S. negotiators meet in Helsinki to begin the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). The meeting was the climax of years of discussions between the two nations concerning the means to curb the Cold War arms race.
Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Gerard Smith was put in charge of the U.S. delegation. At the same time, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger began negotiations with the Soviet ambassador in America. The negotiations continued for nearly three years, until the signing of the SALT I agreement in May 1972.Talks centered around two main weapon systems: anti-ballistic missiles (ABM) and multiple independent re-entry vehicles (MIRVs- missiles with multiple warheads, each capable of striking different targets).