Controlling Fate
Fate and free will are opposites; fate controls one’s future beyond one’s control, while free will is built upon the individual’s choice. Between fate and free will, lies the idea that the individual still possesses control over his or her future subconsciously; that an individual’s subconscious affects the individual’s future. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe tells the tale of a Nigerian man named Okonkwo, as he transforms from a person of high respect in the village of Umuofia to an abomination to his people. The fate of an individual is decided by the individual’s regard for his or her self, demonstrated through Okonkwo’s gradual fall from being respected, coupled with his crumbling self-image. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s initial success, fueled by ambition, to display how …show more content…
When Okonkwo is exiled from his fatherland, he goes to Mbanta, his motherland. Feeling out of place, Okonkwo feels that “he had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach” (Achebe 131). In Okonkwo’s analogy, the sandy beach represents Mbanta. Just like fish do not belong on land, Okonkwo feels that he does not belong in Mbanta. Moreover, much like a fish cannot survive on dry land, Okonkwo feels that he cannot prosper in Mbanta. Thus, people doubt their own abilities. After Okonkwo accepts his banishment, he attempts to take a more active role in Mbanta politics. When the sacred python is killed, Okonkwo suspects the Christian converts, and urges the Mbantians to act. One man responds “‘We should do something. But let us ostracize these men’” (Achebe 159). By using the word “but”, the man expresses his disagreement with Okonkwo’s idea. As no others openly agree with Okonkwo, he is alone, and his idea is rejected. Thus, Okonkwo is alienated in Mbantian politics. Thus, doubting one’s abilities leads to
Fate and free will are opposites; fate controls one’s future beyond one’s control, while free will is built upon the individual’s choice. Between fate and free will, lies the idea that the individual still possesses control over his or her future subconsciously; that an individual’s subconscious affects the individual’s future. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe tells the tale of a Nigerian man named Okonkwo, as he transforms from a person of high respect in the village of Umuofia to an abomination to his people. The fate of an individual is decided by the individual’s regard for his or her self, demonstrated through Okonkwo’s gradual fall from being respected, coupled with his crumbling self-image. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s initial success, fueled by ambition, to display how …show more content…
When Okonkwo is exiled from his fatherland, he goes to Mbanta, his motherland. Feeling out of place, Okonkwo feels that “he had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach” (Achebe 131). In Okonkwo’s analogy, the sandy beach represents Mbanta. Just like fish do not belong on land, Okonkwo feels that he does not belong in Mbanta. Moreover, much like a fish cannot survive on dry land, Okonkwo feels that he cannot prosper in Mbanta. Thus, people doubt their own abilities. After Okonkwo accepts his banishment, he attempts to take a more active role in Mbanta politics. When the sacred python is killed, Okonkwo suspects the Christian converts, and urges the Mbantians to act. One man responds “‘We should do something. But let us ostracize these men’” (Achebe 159). By using the word “but”, the man expresses his disagreement with Okonkwo’s idea. As no others openly agree with Okonkwo, he is alone, and his idea is rejected. Thus, Okonkwo is alienated in Mbantian politics. Thus, doubting one’s abilities leads to