The symbolic reference to ill-fated fortune in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe can be seen from the word choice and foreshadowing of events to come.
In the first place, Okonkwo is associated with a roaring fire throughout the story, giving his emotions no jest, but pure anger. “He sighed heavily, and as if in sympathy the smoldering log also sighed. And immediately Okonkwo’s eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. Living Fire begets cold, impotent ash. He sighed again, deeply” (Achebe 153). The smoldering log signifies Okonkwo’s feelings at the time and the personification of how the log seems to sigh with him is an example of how his inner fire is weary, just as his physical body is. Conversely, he is also alluding to his family, he believes that they are “impotent ash” compared to him being referred to as “…the ‘Roaring Flame.’” (Achebe 153). Okonkwo eventually burns himself out by overburdening himself with all the problems of …show more content…
The fire in which Okonkwo’s anger was theoretically justified, is fought by the earth’s goddess’s …show more content…
“But the war that now threatened was a just war. Even the enemy clan knew that. And so when Okonkwo of Umuofia arrived at Mbaino as the proud and imperious emissary of war, he was treated with great honor and respect, two days later he returned home with a lad of fifteen and a young virgin. The lad’s name was Ikemefuna, whose sad story is still told in Umuofia unto this day” (Achebe 12). Ikemefuna was referred to as ‘ill-fated’ due to the nature of the situation, whereas he was given as a symbol of peace to quench the blood thirst in the Umuofia
In the first place, Okonkwo is associated with a roaring fire throughout the story, giving his emotions no jest, but pure anger. “He sighed heavily, and as if in sympathy the smoldering log also sighed. And immediately Okonkwo’s eyes were opened and he saw the whole matter clearly. Living Fire begets cold, impotent ash. He sighed again, deeply” (Achebe 153). The smoldering log signifies Okonkwo’s feelings at the time and the personification of how the log seems to sigh with him is an example of how his inner fire is weary, just as his physical body is. Conversely, he is also alluding to his family, he believes that they are “impotent ash” compared to him being referred to as “…the ‘Roaring Flame.’” (Achebe 153). Okonkwo eventually burns himself out by overburdening himself with all the problems of …show more content…
The fire in which Okonkwo’s anger was theoretically justified, is fought by the earth’s goddess’s …show more content…
“But the war that now threatened was a just war. Even the enemy clan knew that. And so when Okonkwo of Umuofia arrived at Mbaino as the proud and imperious emissary of war, he was treated with great honor and respect, two days later he returned home with a lad of fifteen and a young virgin. The lad’s name was Ikemefuna, whose sad story is still told in Umuofia unto this day” (Achebe 12). Ikemefuna was referred to as ‘ill-fated’ due to the nature of the situation, whereas he was given as a symbol of peace to quench the blood thirst in the Umuofia