Chapter Wise Summary Chapter One Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart begins with an introduction to the protagonist of the novel Okonkwo. The narrator informs the readers that Okonkwo is well known in more than nine villages since he threw Amaziline the Cat in a wrestling match when he was 18. In terms of physical features, Okonkwo is a tall and huge man with bushy eyebrows. An intriguing emotional peculiarity of Okonkwo is the inability to express anger due to stammering, and thus resorting to using the fist. The narrator then begins talking about Okonkwo's father, Unoka. Unoka is an improvident lazy man, and Okonkwo is a stark contrast to his personality. Although, as a young boy, Unoka was good with musical instruments, the grown Unoka was a debtor who owed " few cowries to quite substantial amounts " to all his neighbours. The villagers even decided to not lend Unoka any money, but he always managed to talk his way out with them; " piling up his debts ."