“In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head” (page 10). This is one of the lines in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart that make the story extremely primitive. The story is set in the 1890’s, where things are very different than they are in today’s world. Throughout the book Okonkwo and his tribe live in huts, he beats not only his wife but his kids, and beheads many people; and kill people. He also has numerous wives, or polygamy. Many of the people of the Umuofia tribe also stick to their customs when the British come in and indirectly rule them. Instead of industrializing the people of this tribe stay true to their customs, and many of them do not stray. All of these acts are not primitive today and would get
…show more content…
One action that takes place in the story that makes it primitive, is the constant beating that takes place. Okonkwo beats his children and his three wives constantly throughout the book. Okonkwo gets very irriated easily and any little thing his children or wife did, he felt as though they should be punished. According to page 11, Okonkwo was not a cruel man but he had a fear for fear and weakness, which made him rule with a steady hand. His children and wives were terrified of him. Okonkwo beat his son for crying when he is told Ikemefuna will be leaving. I understand that in today’s life people use violence as an answer, but today if you are to cause physical harm to someone you face severe consequences. In the story when Okonkwo harms his wife or children, the other members of the tribe look in the other direction and pretend that they have not seen anything. This is just one example of how Okonkwo and his tribe remain primitive through the …show more content…
“In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head. That was the fifth head; and he was not an old man yet. On great occasions such as the funeral of a village celebrity he drank his palm-wine from his first human head” (page 10). Nowadays killing is extremely illegal and you will be sentenced to jail for quite sometime if you commit such a crime. In Okonkwo’s time though, this was looked upon as an act of bravery and courage to your tribe. They saw it as Okonkwo trying to make a name for himself and the Umuofia tribe. Also, Okonkwo chooses to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna even though the boy calls him “father.” This is primitive because Okonkwo is sticking to his customs even though he feels emotion and compassion for the young boy. I also think Okonkwo is primitive because the story talks about how he mourns the thought of his twins that he was forced to leave in the forest due to tribal traditions. This is also an example of how he stuck to his customs and remained
One action that takes place in the story that makes it primitive, is the constant beating that takes place. Okonkwo beats his children and his three wives constantly throughout the book. Okonkwo gets very irriated easily and any little thing his children or wife did, he felt as though they should be punished. According to page 11, Okonkwo was not a cruel man but he had a fear for fear and weakness, which made him rule with a steady hand. His children and wives were terrified of him. Okonkwo beat his son for crying when he is told Ikemefuna will be leaving. I understand that in today’s life people use violence as an answer, but today if you are to cause physical harm to someone you face severe consequences. In the story when Okonkwo harms his wife or children, the other members of the tribe look in the other direction and pretend that they have not seen anything. This is just one example of how Okonkwo and his tribe remain primitive through the …show more content…
“In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head. That was the fifth head; and he was not an old man yet. On great occasions such as the funeral of a village celebrity he drank his palm-wine from his first human head” (page 10). Nowadays killing is extremely illegal and you will be sentenced to jail for quite sometime if you commit such a crime. In Okonkwo’s time though, this was looked upon as an act of bravery and courage to your tribe. They saw it as Okonkwo trying to make a name for himself and the Umuofia tribe. Also, Okonkwo chooses to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna even though the boy calls him “father.” This is primitive because Okonkwo is sticking to his customs even though he feels emotion and compassion for the young boy. I also think Okonkwo is primitive because the story talks about how he mourns the thought of his twins that he was forced to leave in the forest due to tribal traditions. This is also an example of how he stuck to his customs and remained