“As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his machete, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand. He heard Ikemefuna cry, “My father, they have killed me!” as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 7).
My favorite part of the book, Things Fall Apart was Ikemefuna because he reminded me of ‘Poor old Edgar Derby’ from Kurt Vonnegut’s, Slaughterhouse Five. In the book when Edgar Derby’s name is said, he is always referred to as Poor Old Edgar Derby and when he was first introduced the author outlined his death even before it ever happened. Chinua Achebe kind of does this but still never reveals the true details and cause until it actually happens. It is nice to foreshadow a death to keep the reader engaged in the story. The other thing that is really important about this quote is how Okonkwo is so afraid of appearing weak that he will kill the son that will most likely be his ‘perfect child’ and be just like him. Ikemefuna is a hard-working young man and seems even more manly than Nwoye, Okonkwo’s true son. Nwoye is lazy and doesn’t work very hard, but it might not be his fault. Some people believe that we all are damaged goods which means that all/some of us have had parents or other things that messed us up mentally or socially. A good example of this is the relationship between all of the characters, father to son. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, is a very talented but lazy person. Ikemefuna is damaged when he was separated from his family and dragged into an unknown situation when he could die any day. This situation early in his childhood would allow him to achieve greatness because he knows what despair is. At a very young age, Okonkwo vows to never become weak like his father and this shapes his personality and his actions for the rest of the story. In the end he becomes weak because he never wants to appear weak. When he kills Ikemefuna he doesn’t want to appear weak, but in reality he is weak for not standing up, or at least speaking out, against the Oracle. Okonkwo always strives for achievements but he loses out on the biggest achievement he could’ve ever gotten. Seeing his adopted son be the heir to his honor in Umuofia and the villages beyond. A big connection I saw in this book is the connection between Unoka and Nwoye. They both don’t work very hard, but they aren’t bad people. I think that being like damaged goods is like having an Achilles Heel. This is an ancient greek story about how as a little baby Achilles was dipped in the river Styx by his mother, Thetis, and the river changed him and granted him strength and other cool things. But it also magnified his weaknesses and gave him a spot on his Achilles where he was vulnerable. This relates to this story because Okonkwo’s vow to never become like his father grew his strengths tenfold but it also made him weaker than he could have ever imagined.
My favorite part of the book, Things Fall Apart was Ikemefuna because he reminded me of ‘Poor old Edgar Derby’ from Kurt Vonnegut’s, Slaughterhouse Five. In the book when Edgar Derby’s name is said, he is always referred to as Poor Old Edgar Derby and when he was first introduced the author outlined his death even before it ever happened. Chinua Achebe kind of does this but still never reveals the true details and cause until it actually happens. It is nice to foreshadow a death to keep the reader engaged in the story. The other thing that is really important about this quote is how Okonkwo is so afraid of appearing weak that he will kill the son that will most likely be his ‘perfect child’ and be just like him. Ikemefuna is a hard-working young man and seems even more manly than Nwoye, Okonkwo’s true son. Nwoye is lazy and doesn’t work very hard, but it might not be his fault. Some people believe that we all are damaged goods which means that all/some of us have had parents or other things that messed us up mentally or socially. A good example of this is the relationship between all of the characters, father to son. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, is a very talented but lazy person. Ikemefuna is damaged when he was separated from his family and dragged into an unknown situation when he could die any day. This situation early in his childhood would allow him to achieve greatness because he knows what despair is. At a very young age, Okonkwo vows to never become weak like his father and this shapes his personality and his actions for the rest of the story. In the end he becomes weak because he never wants to appear weak. When he kills Ikemefuna he doesn’t want to appear weak, but in reality he is weak for not standing up, or at least speaking out, against the Oracle. Okonkwo always strives for achievements but he loses out on the biggest achievement he could’ve ever gotten. Seeing his adopted son be the heir to his honor in Umuofia and the villages beyond. A big connection I saw in this book is the connection between Unoka and Nwoye. They both don’t work very hard, but they aren’t bad people. I think that being like damaged goods is like having an Achilles Heel. This is an ancient greek story about how as a little baby Achilles was dipped in the river Styx by his mother, Thetis, and the river changed him and granted him strength and other cool things. But it also magnified his weaknesses and gave him a spot on his Achilles where he was vulnerable. This relates to this story because Okonkwo’s vow to never become like his father grew his strengths tenfold but it also made him weaker than he could have ever imagined.
A very interesting part of this story is how gender roles and masculinity affects decisions and create power in the village. It is very unlikely for a woman to have power in this clan because most positions of power are filled by men, but the most important spots are the Oracle, which is a woman, and Chielo, the priestess of Agbala. Many women in this story grow up knowing nothing other than doing housework and getting beating and always think they are inferior. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (Achebe 2).
At the beginning of this story I was told not to judge the culture. Observe and don’t judge because you might judge them badly for not knowing any better. I think that it is interesting to think about the ethics of drastically changing a culture liked the Christians tried to do to the village. Is it good to try to change a culture? What if changing a culture is for the better? In my opinion it is best to observe and gain knowledge to improve yourself and leave cultures alone so they can grow and develop on their own.
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