Dearest friend,
I am very glad that you had reached out to me about Things Fall Apart, it is quite the interesting read. As I started divulging deeper into the character of Okonkwo, I had noticed that the idea of respect shaped the outcome of this character. In addition, I found in my readings that the emergence of the “white man”, in a way, threatened Ibo fundamentals. Many instances in my readings I found that respect played an important part on the outcome of Okonkwo. The priestess of the village warns Okonkwo, “Beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks?” (Achebe.101). In another instance, Okonkwo accidentally kills a boy and“it was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who has …show more content…
When Obreika comes to visit Okonkwo he reports, “Abame had been wiped out”, the “white man had appeared in their clan” and killed everyone “except the old and sick” (Achebe.139). Not only did the white man instill fear, but he introduces a new religion that went against everything the Ibo believed. Mr. Kiaga, a white priest, brings the new religion to Okonkwo’s motherland and said, their “gods are not alive and cannot do you any harm” and “there is only one God”, which went against Ibo’s polytheism (Achebe.146). In addition, the Christians throws Ibo social order out of proportion allowing outcasts called “Osu” to reside with the “free-born” (Achebe.156). The Church “had grown in number and were… self-assured and confident”(Achebe.157), the Ibo “fear for the younger generation” and “a man can now leave his father and his brothers… [and] can curse the gods of his father's” (Achebe.167). By growing more rapidly and with conviction, the white man causes a great turmoil in Okonkwo’s motherland and for Okonkwo since his son too, was converted. And like Okonkwo’s son, the elders of Okonkwo’s motherland fear for the future of their clans by leaving their past ideals behind and adopting the white man’s
I am very glad that you had reached out to me about Things Fall Apart, it is quite the interesting read. As I started divulging deeper into the character of Okonkwo, I had noticed that the idea of respect shaped the outcome of this character. In addition, I found in my readings that the emergence of the “white man”, in a way, threatened Ibo fundamentals. Many instances in my readings I found that respect played an important part on the outcome of Okonkwo. The priestess of the village warns Okonkwo, “Beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks?” (Achebe.101). In another instance, Okonkwo accidentally kills a boy and“it was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who has …show more content…
When Obreika comes to visit Okonkwo he reports, “Abame had been wiped out”, the “white man had appeared in their clan” and killed everyone “except the old and sick” (Achebe.139). Not only did the white man instill fear, but he introduces a new religion that went against everything the Ibo believed. Mr. Kiaga, a white priest, brings the new religion to Okonkwo’s motherland and said, their “gods are not alive and cannot do you any harm” and “there is only one God”, which went against Ibo’s polytheism (Achebe.146). In addition, the Christians throws Ibo social order out of proportion allowing outcasts called “Osu” to reside with the “free-born” (Achebe.156). The Church “had grown in number and were… self-assured and confident”(Achebe.157), the Ibo “fear for the younger generation” and “a man can now leave his father and his brothers… [and] can curse the gods of his father's” (Achebe.167). By growing more rapidly and with conviction, the white man causes a great turmoil in Okonkwo’s motherland and for Okonkwo since his son too, was converted. And like Okonkwo’s son, the elders of Okonkwo’s motherland fear for the future of their clans by leaving their past ideals behind and adopting the white man’s