Things Fall Apart Journals

Luis Acevedo
Date: 14 June 2008
Entry Number: 1
Quote: “Ever nerve and every muscle stood out on their arms, on their backs and their thighs, and one almost heard them stretching to breaking point.” Page 1

There are several reasons why I found this quote to be interesting. The first reason is while the reader peruses over this passage, the imagery is so vivid that one can’t help but to have a clear perspective of what is occurring. Another reason, which was my main reason of finding this quote to be very interesting, is that Okonkwo and “the Cat” are giving it their all to throw each other out of the ring and win the fierce battle. While reading this I wondered what drove those two to actually reach their breaking point. Why would they go so far in some ridiculous sporting event? Could it have been just for self-satisfaction, or to boost their ego? To be able to say that they were the best or the strongest? Or was it simply to be accepted by the village? To be acknowledged for their strength and to be the central point of everybody’s focus. Or could it simply have been the cheering of the crowd that drove them so far? I found this fascinating because it easily connects to our day and age. Many kids do so much to be accepted by their peers. For their skills to be acknowledged and to be able to fit in and be a part of something important, they go so far. What drives a human to their breaking point? I think that’s what was trying to be established in this quote and it is why I found this quote to be interesting.

Luis Acevedo

Date: 14 June 2008

Entry Number: 2

Quote:” The crowd then shouted with thirst for blood.” Page 11

There are several reasons why this particular quote struck me as interesting. One reason is the vivid and gory imagery that is depicted by this one sentence. It really captures the barbaric and tribal ways of the location of the novel. Another reason why this struck me as interesting is that because of one man’s daughter the whole village was united and shared the same feelings the father felt and they weren’t even related. Although this novel is set in the past, and the characters are barbaric, they have created a unity that our modern day and age will never acquire. If a fellow in the community one lives in nowadays were to die, only the family were to grieve and the rest would just say things like “that’s too bad.” We really don’t care much for others and only have concern for things that affect us. The characters truly cared for that man’s lost. And we are supposed to be the ones that are “civilized”. It says that Umuofia is one of the strongest villages and I believe that is so because of the unity they have within their village. Although I don’t approve of going to war with others for whatever reason, the villagers were only willing to go to war because of the strong emotions that the death of that one girl who wasn’t even related to them, was murdered. I was also impressed that they set up a system to give the other village a choice whether to give a virgin and a young boy, or to go to war ; sort of an eye for an eye concept. These are the reasons why I found this quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo

Date: 14 June 2008

Entry Number: 3

Date: 14 June 2008

Quote: “Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi or personal god, and evil fortune followed him to the grave, or rather to his death, for he had no grave.” Page 18

There are several reasons why this particular quote struck me. One of the reasons why it struck me was because its interesting that Okonkwo’s father seems to be an important person, yet he is already dead. It’s interesting how the author made him such a character. It says he was a very lazy man and that he had an ill-fate because of it. He couldn’t grow many crops and couldn’t feed his wives or children. He owed so many debts, yet he didn’t seem unhappy. Okonkwo had to start his life with nothing and he turned out to be so successful. Unoka and Okonkwo are such a big contrast because Unoka was unsuccessful, lazy, owed many debts, yet he was happy. On the other hand, Okonkwo was so strong and successful, had no debts, was a titled man in his village, yet he was unhappy; which of the two is a better fate who knows. I also found it interesting how badly Unoka had it; for one to have a bad personal god must be a torturous life filled with miss happenings. I think that by him being lazy he had bad fortune. By doing this with Unoka, I think he shows that ones fate is somewhat controlled by other beings to a certain point that one can shape their one way to live. Those are the reasons why I found this quote to be interesting.

Luis Acevedo

Date: 14 July2008

Entry Number: 4

Quote: “She walked up to her husband and accepted the horn from him. She then went down on one knee, drank a little and handed back the horn. She rose, called him by his name and went back to her hut. The other wives drank in the same way, in their proper order, and went away.” Page 20

There are many reasons why this quote was interesting. First of all I was stunned by this quote because of how impersonal and cold the relationship between husband and wife is. In our modern day place and time, the bond and relationship between a husband and wife is treasured--at least it’s supposed to be. However in Okonkwo’s time and place one is able to have multiple wives and their relationship is based only on what the wife can do for the husband. In this quote it describes the relationship between a husband and wife like that of a master and a slave. “In their proper order, and went away,” that sounds very mechanical and seem to have no ties of friendship, trust, or love in their relationship. This description, although very cruel and uncaring, really shows the culture and barbaric ways of Okonkwo and his people. I also found this interesting because the women in the novel don’t really seem to care about how their relationship with their husband is being shared by other women. Now a day if another woman even glances at a married man, it is sure to make a “provoked” wife yell unpleasant things at the woman whom merely glanced at the man on accident. Although barbaric, the people in the novel seem to have a real sense of themselves and are not insecure like men and women now a day. Those are the reasons why I found this particular quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 14 July 2008
Entry Number: 5
Quote: “But the year had gone mad. Rain fell as it had never fallen before. For days and nights together it poured down in violent torrents, and washed away the yam heaps.” Page 24

There are several reasons why this quote stuck me to be interesting. The first reason is that it’s very strange how nature can be. One day it could be perfectly sunny, and then the following day water pours from the heavens like it never had before. Mother Nature can be so unforgiving and unpredictable. I also found interesting how the land, how nature, was the people in the novel’s only form of income and food and that same nature that gave them all of which they had to eat, took it away from them. This particular quote was also interesting because it can relate to modern day time. When one is only reliant on one source of income and is loyal to that income, such as an office, and then suddenly one day the corporation for which they worked for suddenly closes or decides to fire you. Then one is left with nothing, such as the many farmers in the novel because of the sudden rains and lack of sunshine. However, if one is bright he or she will have a back up plan just in case something troubling come around like money in the bank, or in Okonkwo’s case, yams stored away from past reaping. I find that Okonkwo is very knowledgeable in all things that are related to the land. Since this land is most people’s only source of food and nutrition, it is only obvious why Okonkwo is so highly respected. Those are the reasons why these quotes were interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 14 July 2008
Entry Number: 6
Quote: “He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo’s return. And when she returned he beat her very heavily.” Page 29

There are many reasons for this quote to have struck me. First of all it never ceases to amaze me how cruelly the women in this novel are treated. First Okonkwo doesn’t show any love, compassion, or even a single sign of emotion, other than anger, towards his wives, but now he has gone so far as to heavily beat his wife! And most of all during a holy week in which none must show any kind of disrespect to anyone in the village. It is also very interesting how angry Okonkwo is capable of getting. He treasures the land and in the holy week it is said that if anyone does anything bad that the crops will not grow that year and mere chaos will strike their village, and Okonkwo seems to really believe all of the towns traditions and myths. For him to disregard it all just to beat his wife because diner ran a little late show no signs of control over his anger at all. It is possible that Okonkwo gets very angry in order to not look cowardly or weak how he thought his father, whom was a very kind old man, to be. It also surprises me that after all that they have experienced, Okonkwo’s wives do not leave him and take the children and leave Okonkwo to be the miserable angry man that he is. Those are the reasons why this quote was of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 15 July 2008
Entry Number: 7
Quote: “It is a bad custom which these people observe because they lack understanding. They throw away large numbers of men and women without burial. And what is the result? Their clan is full of the evil spirits of these unburied dead, hungry to do harm to the living.” Page 32

There are several reasons for why I found this particular quote to be of interest. The first reason why I found it interesting is because of the strange beliefs all of the people in the book have. Whether it’s Umuofia or their neighboring towns, they all preserve strange beliefs. To throw your people in some strange forest without burial is both disrespectful and cruel. It also shows humor because of the fact that the people of Umuofia call the others’ customs bad because they have a lack of understanding and saying that their ideas are ludicrous, when in fact the people of Umuofia share the same crazy notions. They believe that it is not right for the dead to not be buried and say it’s a strange idea, yet they end their argument with the insane idea that the spirits of the dead will come back to haunt the living! It kind of shares a sense of irony and contradiction. Which of the twos ridiculous ideas are correct is hard to determine, however it is always interesting to see what others believe and why they do the things they do. It is also interesting to see how devoted to their beliefs the characters in the novel are—even though I believe that most of their beliefs are sort of far fetched. For those reasons I found this quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 15 July 2008
Entry Number: 8
Quote: “Unfortunately for her, Okonkwo heard it and ran madly into his room for his loaded fun, ran out again and aimed at her as she clambered over the dwarf wall of the barn. He pressed the trigger and there was a loud report accompanied by the wail of his wives and children.” Page 39

This quote was striking to me for several reasons. The first of which is the entire fact that Okonkwo is easily angered and is too hasty on whatever he does. Going to get a gun to shoot at your wife because you heard her utter something about guns that don’t fire is certainly not normal behavior. His anger problems and hasty decisions are bound to get him in a world of problems one day. What I found very interesting is that the novel tries to portray Okonkwo as a very vicious, angry, powerful, and unjust full man, and the women in the novel are not respected at all because the man is supposed to be the stronger sex, I find that the women in the novel are even stronger because they have to live with the beast that is their husbands. For one to live with such a man and not flee right away at the first glimpse of what he is capable of doing, shows true courage-or just plain stupidity. While picking on a woman are just cowardly actions. It is also interesting that Okonkwo is even married at all. The reasons for marriage must be for conformity and to have a regular diet of food everyday. These barbaric people don’t seem to care for any amount of emotion at all, which may just be the reason why they are so strong. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 15 July 2008
Entry Number: 9
Quote: “The fact was that Obiageli had been making inyanga with her pot. She had balanced it on her head, folded her arms in front of her and began to sway her waist like a grown up young lady…She only began to weep when they got near the iroko tree outside their compound.” Page 44

There are several interesting reasons why this quote struck me--the first of which leads to the rest. The first reason I found this interesting is that even though the people in this novel are supposed to be barbaric, they are advanced enough to know how to manipulate others. At the young age that Obiageli is, she is already making her mother believe all of her twisted lies. Also, her ability to cry on the spot is remarkable. It seems as though no matter how far you go back in time, people have always lied in order to twist any situation to their liking and to benefit them. However, I find it very strange that her mother believed her so easily instead of having a little sense of doubt feeling some deception. It is very interesting that her brothers were going to tell their mother the truth of what really happened, yet Obiageli just gave them a stern look and they shut their mouths as if she were the older child. Thus showing that even though the novel tries to depict women as weak, they are actually really deceptive and controlling. However, Obiageli’s mother was too easily convinced that that was the truth that her daughter was speaking and Okonkwo would have sensed that she was lying, so to say which of the sexes come out on top would be too hasty of a move. Those are the reasons why I found this quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 16 July 2008
Entry Number: 10
Quote: “That was the kind of story that Nwoye loved. But he now knew that they were for foolish women and children, and he knew that his father wanted him to be a man. And so he feigned that he no longer cared for women’s stories.” Page 54

There are several reasons for why this quote is interesting. The first of which is that Nwoye longed for something, but to please his father, he acted like he didn’t care for them at all. This is interesting because kids all throughout time, even now, have done things against their will or licking in order to please their guardians. They act like they like something or do things so they can be accepted by their parents otherwise they feel that their parents will not love them-- which in most cases is true. This is very strange because a father’s love is supposed to be unconditional. Now even though this quote may seem that Nwoye’s father is cruel and unjust because he basically forced him to grow up, Okonkwo is really just doing his fatherly duties to make sure that Nwoye grows up to be strong and have enough to feed his family and give regular sacrifices. Whether it was the correct way to raise his son or not is debatable, but in his strange and twisted way Okonkwo loved his son. However, on the surface it seemed that Okonkwo only first started to show compassion towards his son when he started to act like he stopped liking things that were deemed “womanly” because then and only then did Okonkwo stop beating Nwoye for unjust full reasons. Those are the reasons why this quote was of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 16 July 2008
Entry Number: 11
Quote: ‘“Locusts are descending,’ was joyfully chanted everywhere, and men, women and children left their work or their play and ran into the open to see the unfamiliar sight.” Page 55

There are several reasons why this quote struck me as interesting. The first of which is that the locusts only come once in a very great while and I find that interesting. Also the novel describes the locusts’ actions as if it were human. The main reason for why I found this to be interesting is that the description of the locusts’ appearance at first was a very frightening one, yet the people seemed very excited. When they saw the dark cloud of the swarm they even went as far as to pray that they would spend the night in Umuofia. Also, in other villages from other countries it is an ill omen for locusts to be descending for they will terrorize everyone and destroy the crops for which they worked so hard on. However the people of Umuofia seemed very happy that locusts finally came to their village. It is clear that the old saying that one man’s trash is another mans treasure is applied here, but I find it interesting that the locusts did not terrorize and consume all the people of Umuofia’s crops like they would in other villages, and actually became food for a long time for the people in Okonkwo’s village. What changed their course of action and what made Umuofia not be attacked by the swarm is beyond my understanding, so that was very interesting. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 16 July 2008
Entry Number: 12
Quote: “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.” Page 61

There are many reasons why this quote was of interest to read. This quote actually makes the reader stop because of the sheer horror that the quote’s image portrays. To have been killed by the village that had grown to be like to Ikemefuna is bad enough, but to have Okonkwo, whom he thought of as a father is just horrible. What would drive Okonkwo to do such a mad thing is beyond my comprehension. For he had more fear to be thought of as weak than to have to kill a boy whom lived with him for a long time and made his son the way he thought a man should be, a feat that Okonkwo would have never been able to do for his rage is too intimidating. One can understand that Okonkwo strongly believed in the village and what they had decided. However even the villagers who decided he should be killed thought if it were best if Okonkwo wouldn’t take any part in Ikemefuna’s death. For it is not cowardly to not want to kill his own son-and Ikemefuna had become a son to Okonkwo-but Okonkwo decided to kill him anyway out of fear of being thought of weak. Therefore he truly is weak for doing such a drastic thing that none would judge him for not doing, because he was afraid of being thought weak. A man with fears is a weak man indeed. Those are the reasons why I found this quote to be interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 17 July 2008
Entry Number: 13
Quote: “Then something had given way inside him. It descended on him again, this feeling, when his father walked in, that night after killing Ikemefuna.” Page 62

This particular quote was very interesting for several reasons. The first reason this was interesting was because the quote describes anger, yet Nwoye doesn’t know what’s going on with him. As if he never felt angry towards anyone-possibly because he was always in fear of his father. How oppressive his father’s anger and rage must have been that Nwoye himself had never experienced anger for it would be a sign of resentment towards his father and he was too afraid of him to try to go against him. It is also very interesting because, because of Okonkwo’s hasty and unthought-of actions, of killing Ikemefuna, others suffer in his place. Thus making him killing Ikemefuna an even more selfish action, for he never thought of what Nwoye, Ikemefuna’s closest friend, would feel. What excruciating pain Nwoye would feel after his closest friend--no, his brother had been taken from this world by his own father. Sure Nwoye will never have the same relationship, even though it was never good to begin with, with his father for he will never forget what he did. It is also interesting because of the recklessness and uncontrollable anger that Okonkwo possess, slowly one by one things will fall apart and he will lose his family and friends and be left with nothing but his ego—which in fact may very well be the theme of the novel. Those are the reasons why I found this quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 17 July 2008
Entry Number: 14
Quote: “Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after the death of Ikemefuna. He drank palm-wine from morning till night, and his eyes were red and fierce…He did not sleep at night. He tried not to think about Ikemefuna but the more he tried the more he thought about him.” Page 63

I found this quote to be interesting for one general reason. That reason is that it depicts Okonkwo who was always depicted as a very strong and fearsome man, to a man who is actually hurting from something irrational that he did. When he shot his wife or beat his children, he felt nothing. But now that he went so far as to kill someone who called him father, he finally felt guilty. He was drinking and couldn’t get his mind off of Ikemefuna so this quote depicts Okonkwo as the shell of a man he once was which is very unlike Okonkwo thus making it interesting. Perhaps this tragedy will open Okonkwo’s eyes and make him a more generous and kind hearted man in order to repent for all of the cruel things he has committed. Although when you devote your life to doing cruel things to people in order to preserve the image of being “strong” it is difficult to find redemption. It is also interesting that even though were are supposed to be an advanced civilization compared to Okonkwo’s, when we are hurting for whatever reason we also turn to alcohol like Okonkwo did. Which in fact makes him a cowardly person for not taking responsibility of his actions and staying to take the pain that he has induced on himself and on his family, but instead he turns to alcohol in order to sooth his pain. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 17 July 2008
Entry Number: 15
Quote: “‘Sometimes I wish I had not taken the ozo title,’ said Obierika. ‘It wounds my heart to see these young men killing palm trees in the name of tapping.” Page 69

There are several reasons why this quote was interesting. The first reason why this was interesting to me is that Okonkwo’s tribe’s ways never seize to be of interest to me. This quote reveals another of Okonkwo’s village’s ways which is that a man of title is forbidden to do something as simple as to tap palm trees. This is very strange because a man of title seems to have luxuries that other men don’t yet he is not allowed to do something simple if he wants to do it. Usually a man of luxuries now a day is permitted to do more than normal citizens but never less. If he would want to do something simple he is let, however in Okonkwo’s village Obierika is forbidden from tapping tall palm trees because he has a title and men of title shouldn’t be do something demeaning as to tap palm trees even if he wants to do it for the ones who are currently tapping have no skill and the palm trees are dying. Very strange how the village of Umuofia works, it seems that once you pass a level and become a man of title and can do things that others without a title can, you are not permitted to go back down a level and do things other without a title can unless your title is removed. Although this might seem strange to others, Okonkwo likes that the title is so highly esteemed for it makes him better than other citizens and shuns other villages that let men become of title so easily, even though he is forbidden from doing some things he might want to do. Those are the reasons why I found this quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 18 July 2008
Entry Number: 16
Quote: “After the death of Ekwefi’s second child, Okonkwo had gone to a medicine man…This man told him that the child was an ogbanje, one of those wicked children who, when they died, entered their mothers’ wombs to be born again.” Page 77

There are many reasons why this quote was interesting to read. The first reason this quote was interesting is that Ekwefi’s children kept on dying and that must have been horrible to continually give birth and then have the child who was not born too long ago to die and the cycle continuing. It is also interesting that when Okonkwo called for medical help, the man told him that the child was evil and it will go into the womb again and again just to be born and die. While we know that it is scientifically impossible for a child to die and come back again by re-entering the mother’s womb, the people really seem to believe that that was the cause of her children’s deaths. As one from our time would probably guess they die from mal nutrition or lingering bacteria that is strong enough only to harm a baby. However, even though his explanation is bizarre it would somewhat explain things for coincidences are hard for people to accept, and it seems to be human nature to try to find an explanation for things that they do not understand. The ways of the people in the village of Umuofia seem far fetched, however, with the resources they had at the time they actually serve pretty good explanations to what happens in their village. For a profession would not be a profession without there being vast knowledge of that field. Because of the strange explanations of the village’s professionals at medicine, this quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 18 July 2008
Entry Number: 17
Quote: “Ezinma went deeper and deeper and the crowd went with her. Then she suddenly turned around and began to walk back to the road…Ezinma led the way back to the road, looked left and right and turned right. And so they arrived home again. Page 82

This quote is very interesting for several reasons. The first of which is that the village of Umuofia actually believed that a little girl like Ezinma was some sort of a demon like creature that would only be born to die again. It is also very interesting, more so humorous, that the people of Umuofia followed Ezinma, who obviously had no idea what she was trying to look for, a long distance only to be back were they had started. It is even more so interesting that when Okonkwo was angry at her for leading them back where they started, the medicine man told him to keep quiet and actually thought that Ezinma knew where she was leading them to. This sort of situation is one where it proves the people of Umuofia’s beliefs wrong; however they kept on believing in their ways as if she knew what she was doing, and if their ways were never proven to be wrong. It is interesting how much they believe in their seemingly insane ways. But again everyone has to believe in something or else the world would be shrouded with mystery, and mystery scares people. It is even more so interesting that even though she had no idea where she was supposed to lead the crowd that followed her every move, she actually pointed them to a location in which held what they were looking for. Whether it is a coincidence or their ways actually proved to be correct, is disputable. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting to read.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 18 July 2008
Entry Number: 18
Quote: “And then the egwugwu appeared. The women and children sent up a great shout and took to their heels. It was instinctive…And when, as on that day, nine of the greatest masked spirits in the clan came out together it was a terrifying spectacle.” Page 89

This quote is interesting for many reasons. First of which is that the people of the village seem to fear the egwugwu even though it is a part of their beliefs that they resolve conflict. The egwugwu seem to posses a grand amount of power and respect, although they are just the villagers in costumes impersonating to be the gods. Which makes it ridiculous to fear them for they are the same as other villagers and they only have power because the villagers worship them, for without the villagers believing in their power and consent from the actual gods they believe in, they are nothing but villagers playing make believe. For the reason why the villagers dress up as the gods is vague. Could it be to fuel their beliefs with “actual” proof that the gods they believe in exist? Or could it be their way of producing results of a scenario where there is conflict in a justified manner, such as our modern day court system. In which the judge is the villagers dressed as the egwugwu so they will have a presence of power and their word will not be undermined or questioned and the villagers present their case with evidence and discuss their stand point of the situation. Although their village has many differences superficially, this in fact would make their supposed “barbaric” civilization very close to the way we run our “advanced” civilization. Because of the way they run their village, this quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 19 July 2008
Entry Number: 19
Quote: ‘“And then like the sound of his cannon he crashed on the compound…His shell broke into pieces. But there was a great medicine man in the neighborhood…he gathered all the bits of shell and stuck them together. That is why Tortoise’s shell is not smooth.”’ Page 99
This was interesting to read for several reasons. The first of which is that, although it was nice of that the family of Okonkwo was together having fun sharing stories, it was also very strange. Usually the family would only get together to eat or to do some work, but in this particular scenario, they all seemed happy and together like a typical modern family, meaning that maybe their ways aren’t so different than ours. On the most basic level, their family units are the same as a typical one from our time. The husband is in charge of bringing in the main income, while the mother works around the house, cooks, raises the children, and handles everything and anything else that needs to be done. I also found it very peculiar how when there is some sort of a problem, in this case it was the night as “black as charcoal”, families seem to come closer together. Such as when a member of that family dies, the entire family mourns over their death together. Cousins that haven’t seen each other are reunited, brothers and sisters that haven’t spoken are once again family, and the separation of that one member unites the rest of that family. Such as a when tying a bow, the end of the string that you pull goes further away from the loop, however the loop become stronger and more united. What was also interesting was that they also created stories to attempt to explain things such as many other people have. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting to read

Luis Acevedo
Date: 19 July 2008
Entry Number: 20
Quote: ‘“She will bring her back soon,’ Nwoye’s mother said. But Ekwefi did not here these consolations. She stood for a while, and then, all of a sudden, made up her mind. She hurried through Okonkwo’s hut and went outside… ‘I am following Chielo,’ she replied and disappeared in the darkness.” Page 103

There are many reasons why this particular quote was of interest to read. The first reason it was interesting is that this quote really shows the true bond between a mother and daughter. Even in this “barbaric” and “tribal” community there are bonds between people that cause them to do inexplicable, and sometimes insane, things for the ones they hold very dear and cherish. Throughout the entire novel the statement that the religion of the people and their beliefs was priority above everything else and that nothing opposed it held very firmly and nothing was ever more important. However because the one thing that was truly precious to Ekwefi was taken from her without further explanation other than Agbala, a god they believe in, requested her presence, she thought that this explanation did not suffice and was truly worried about her daughter so she went after her. Even though the night outside was pitch black, which the villagers were very afraid of, and it would be an ill omen to chase after her, she did because she was worried about her daughter. Against everything she feared, she still feared what would happen to her daughter more. Bonds between people do cause them to do things which one is incapable of explaining, even in this “barbaric” village that throughout the entire novel seemed to have no human affection for one another inside their family, and families only existed for conformity and survival. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting to read.


Luis Acevedo
Date: 19 July 2008
Entry Number: 21
Quote: “As they stood there together, Ekwefi’s mind went back to the days when they were young. She had married Anene because Okonkwo was too poor then to marry. Two years after her marriage to Anene she could bear it no longer and she ran away to Okonkwo.” Page 109

There are several reasons for this quote to be striking. The first of which is that Okonkwo chased after Ekwefi who was chasing after Ezinma even though that would go against their beliefs and would put them in danger. After all of the cruel and unforgivable things he has done throughout the novel, the reader would have never expected for him to go after Ekwefi because of all the dangers that were included in following her. It is very strange indeed that Okonkwo would go after her, meaning that he truly cared for his daughter and wife, which is so unlike Okonkwo’s character, thus making it interesting to read. It is also interesting that Ekwefi would marry someone because they were financially secure, a scam that some women do now a day. Making it seem as thought the thought of marriage in the village is purely for conformity and nothing more. However this is somewhat disproved because even though she married Anene, she went back to Okonkwo because “she could bear it no longer”, meaning that maybe there are marriages that transcend conformity in the village of Umuofia; which makes it an interesting quote to read because one would be baffled to read that Okonkwo would truly care for one of his wives after all that he has done to them. Perhaps only one of the many marriages one has in the village is cause of emotion and the others are for comfort and stability. Those are the reasons why this quote was striking to read.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 20 July 2008
Entry Number: 22
Quote: “It was the day on which her suitor (having already paid the greater part of her bride-price) would bring palm-wine not only to her parents and immediate relatives but to the wide and extensive group of kinsmen called umunna.” Page 110

This quote was very interesting for one main reason which is once more once circulated on the very peculiar ways of the people of the village of Umuofia. In our modern day time and place, a bride is allowed to choose the person she is going to spend the rest of her life with, but here in tribal Umuofia, the brides are bought from the father of the bride by paying her “pride-price” and then customarily he brings palm-oil to celebrate then he takes the bride away to his father land; whether it is a better custom the way of the Umuofia, or the way that people are married now a day is disputable. On one hand, there will never be under population because there are more married couples that spawn children because once girls reach a certain age, they are married. Also, men wouldn’t have to try to impress the women and have to go on ridiculous activities to try to woo them. However, if they are not rich, they will probably die single, but now a day the financial income is only thing that is of importance when marrying, unless the marriage is false and the bride only wishes to mooch off of the husband figure. However, in the way of the Umuofia, the bride has no say in whether she would want to be married to the man that chooses her, so long as he pays her bride price. In the modern day and time, it is solely up to the women if she would want to marry the man that chooses her to be the one; both ways have their positives and negatives such as many things in life. Those are the reasons why this particular quote was interesting to read.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 20 July 2008
Entry Number: 23
Quote: “The first cock had not crowed, and Umuofia was still swallowed up in sleep and silence when the ekwe began to talk, and the cannon shattered the silence. Men stirred on their bamboo beds and listened anxiously. Somebody was dead.” Page 120

This quote struck me for several reasons. One of which was that the death of every man was declared in the village of Umuofia with a loud drum and the whole village knows of his death. Now a day the world is much less sympathetic and hardly anyone, if no one, besides the blood relatives, cares if a person has died. In this “barbaric” village, the people seem a lot more personable with their neighbors, while in modern day times, one is lucky to know their neighbors faces. What was truly interesting is that although these people don’t have technology as complex as we do now a day, the word of everything gets around relatively quickly. This drum was not merely a piece of instrument to pass the time; it was their broadcast of current events. If something had happened in the village that was of importance, the entire village was informed by the sound of a single drum, somewhat like our television sets and news programming, although that shrouds the truth sometimes. What was also interesting is that the men knew what each sound of the drum meant. To be able to remember such things one must retain a fairly big amount of sound and that would take quite the memory, although their minds are not tainted with modern television programming that televise unneeded broadcastings such as cartoons that only serve to distract the mind of necessary things. So undoubtedly the people of Umuofia are much more focused, which in a sense would make them more advanced. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 30 July 2008
Entry Number: 24
Quote: “The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan. It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who committed it must flee from the land.” Page 124

There are various reasons why this quote was striking. The first reason is that accidents happen so unexpectedly and so quickly, but in that one instant can cause great tumult and completely change everything. It was interesting that after all the hard work that Okonkwo had put in, all the people he crushed on the way to getting his title and much respect from the entire village, he had to be cast away for seven years, because of tradition. It sometimes seems ridiculous what tradition makes people do, but without tradition, those people would be nothing. All their insane ways would be gone and they would be lost in confusion of not knowing, for it is in human nature to try to explain the inexplicable. It seemed so easy how Okonkwo had lost his title and was banished from the village that it almost seemed unreal. Mishaps had occurred in Okonkwo’s life, but nothing as severe as being banished from the village that he so greatly treasured. Although, it seemed as though it hardly had affected Okonkwo that all his hard work had been for naught. It also seemed ridiculous that Okonkwo’s house had to be destroyed, because he was going to come back after seven years, they weren’t going to kill him. I found it very humane that the family had to go with Okonkwo and that way they can remain a family, although his children and wives seemed reluctant to go with him. Those are the particular reasons why I found this quote to be interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 30 July 2008
Entry Number: 25
Quote: “Okonkwo was only a boy then and Uchendu still remembered him crying the traditional farewell: ‘Mother, mother, mother is going.’” Page 129

There are several reasons for why this quote was striking. The first reason is that it was interesting to learn more about Okonkwo’s past. It was also strange for the novel to depict him as a young boy, when throughout the entire novel he had been depicted as a strong and big man who hardly cared for others. Although this small portion of his past life explains a great ordeal about what he was in the present. It is reasonable that Okonkwo would be so harsh on everybody around him for his mother died when he was still young, and his father had to work a lot so he mainly had to teach himself everything and was never given any love. However, at such a young age Okonkwo was already very mature. He understood that his mother was gone but was not completely saddened; he knew that she had to leave sometime. He was also already bombarded by traditions and perhaps that also made him more mature for he understood life more, well according to their traditions he did, and knew how things worked. It is also interesting that at such a young age the people of the village are introduced to the traditions of the village. Perhaps his tumultuous childhood explained his later success; for he had nothing else but himself and his father, but he would always owed everyone money and was no success at all, so he was forced to grow up and do everything on his own thus enriching his life skills. Whether it’s worth having a rocky childhood like the one Okonkwo had in order to be successful is debatable. Because of his rough childhood, this particular quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 30 July 2008
Entry Number: 26
Quote: “‘You think you are the greatest sufferer in the world? Do you know that men are sometimes banished for life? Do you know that men sometimes lose all their yams and even their children? I had six wives once. I have none now except for that young girl who knows not her right from her left.’” Page 135

This particular quote was interesting for several reasons. The first of which is that this quote depicts that Okonkwo was really hurting that he was banished from his village. Of course he had every right to be angry and depressed for he spent his entire life to get recognition from that village and he lost it all in an instant. It is always interesting to see Okonkwo, the fearsome beast who has gone to war and killed, as a human. It is also interesting that this quote depicted all the pain that the world goes through, that makes ones own troubles seem insignificant and nothing to worry about. Seeing the grand scheme of things also makes ones self seem insignificant and ones accomplishments not even worthwhile. It was quite humorous when the man said “sometimes lose all their yams and even their children” as if the yams are so much more important that they had to be mentioned first, although if one lives in a place such as theirs, food would be more important than children, for food replenishes ones strength and children are just more mouths to feed. It was also interesting that Uchendu would say such a thing that he lost everything he had, for that shows the hardships that one has to go through in life. Lastly, it was interesting that even though Uchendu was complaining that he only had that one wife that wasn’t very bright, but he still married her! Perhaps he married her for sheer pleasure, but it was interesting that even though she’s not very bright, she survived longer than the rest. Those are the reasons why this particular quote was interesting

Luis Acevedo
Date: 30 July 2008
Entry Number: 27
Quote: “‘Their clan is now completely empty. Even the sacred fish in their mysterious lake have fled and the lake has turned the color of blood. A great evil has come upon their land as the Oracle had warned.’” Page 140
There are many reasons for why this quote was striking. The first of which is that Okonkwo, Obierika, and Uchendu were talking about this unfortunate mishap as if it were nothing at all. An entire clan was wiped out and they can still sit there eating their kola nut nonchalantly. Whether that makes them strong men or just plain uncaring is debatable. It was also interesting that Obierika had visited Okonkwo in his time of exile, meaning that although Okonkwo was feared by many, he had one true friend that helped him in his time of need, and that shows that human relationships transcend time. It was surprising that an entire village was destroyed over night. A massive sheer force would have been needed for that to be accomplished, but somehow it was done. Although Okonkwo, Obierika, and Uchendu thought that it was the village’s fault because they had killed the white man that their village was killed, it is also reasonable that they killed him, for he was someone no one knew, so they were scared because it was something new, and quite possibly a threat. Finally it this quote was interesting because the Oracle had warned them that that would happen, meaning that their ways were true and that their beliefs were the actual way things work, or it could have been a huge coincidence; although one like the destruction of an entire village is too big to be a mere coincidence and one would lean to the ways of the villagers after witnessing the power of the Oracle. Those are the reasons why I found this particular quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 31 July 2008
Entry Number: 28
Quote: “Okonkwo’s first wife soon finished her cooking and set before their guests a big mean of pounded yams and bitter-leaf soup. Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, brought in a pot of sweet wine tapped from the raffia palm.” Page 141
This particular quote struck me for several reasons. The first reason it struck me is because of the ways of the people in that time. There, the entire family, excluding the father, had to help set up the table and dinner. The people in this time are the ones supposed to be barbaric yet the family all contributes to daily tasks. Nowadays, all the children in a family are either forced to help and reluctantly do it, or the mother has to do all the work. This generation is so pampered that we even complain when doing common tasks such as take out our own garbage or clean our own room. Although they are supposed to be barbaric, the people from Okonkwo’s time seem more orderly and know their place. Their children aren’t told to do something, or complain whilst they do it, but they do something because they know they have to do it, and are neither reluctant, nor angry whilst doing it. Their system of getting things done is so much more advanced than our modern family units, for the most part. Also although they got everything done in an orderly and timely manner, their end products don’t seem so replenishing and satisfactory to a modern day man. However, although they don’t have very tasteful food, they do get through every day in such a desolate place. For the amount of resources the people of that time have, a bitter-leaf soup, some wine, and pounded yams are the caviar of modern day time. Because of the family ways of the people of that time, this quote was made interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 31 July 2008
Entry Number: 29
Quote: “The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages. That was a source of great sorrow to the leaders of the clan.” Page 143

This quote was very striking for several reasons. The first of which is that it is interesting that Obierika, Uchendu, and Okonkwo were first speeking of the village that had been destroyed by the missionaries nonchalantly and really didn’t care about the destruction of that village, and even called them fools. However, now that the conflict had finally slung itself upon them, they care. It seems that all throughout time, people never really care for the problems of others until it becomes their own. Whether it serves Okonkwo and Umuofia’s people right, because of their cruel words about the destruction of the other village, is definitely debatable, or if it was karma, or some kind of god was that was punishing them and caused them ill fortune, is debatable as well. However, what holds true is that people are truly selfish and self centered, only caring about their own problems and never asking if they can help others in their time of need. What was also striking is that a great village like Umuofia can be infected with the virus that had infected the other villages. The people of Umuofia always seemed to be really devoted to their traditional ways and their beliefs was the only thing fueling them throughout the day, but suddenly several of the members converted to another unheard of, new, religion. This was very striking for the people of Umuofia had held their ways and beliefs above everything else, and because of their beliefs, their overall downfall had been put in action; if Okonkwo would’ve been there, he would not have stood this new religion and would’ve definitely done something to try to stop it. Those are the reasons why this quote was striking.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 31 July 2008
Entry Number: 30
Quote: “‘All the gods you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children. There is only one true God and He has the earth, the sky, you and me and all of us”’ Page 146

This particular quote was interesting for several reasons. The first reason it was of interest is because of the battle of religions that is currently going on in the novel. Throughout the novel the reader was only introduced into the ways and beliefs of the people of Umuofia and because of the conflict-resolution that every novel takes, these ways were somewhat proven to be true. However, now there is a single antigen that wants to destroy all of the people’s beliefs. Of course, this would definitely result in a battle of whose religion holds true. In modern day and time there are myriads of debates and quarrels about who’s religion is true, but one can never prove that their religion is The correct religion. Religions are just things to try to explain the creation of the universe, why things happen, and what happens after death. Religions are things that give people hope, thus they hold on as tightly as possible, hoping that they’ve prayed enough, were nice enough, or did things that are customarily in their religion, correctly. It is ridiculous to try to say that someone else’s religion is wrong, like the Christian preacher did here, because there is no right or wrong way to believe in something. There is also no definite and solid evidence on any one religion, so they are not at liberty to say that they are correct and that one has cast his entire life away to fake gods, or empty beliefs about something that was entirely made up, because if they believe it exists, and makes sense in the world that we cohabitate, then there is no disproving them.


Luis Acevedo
Date: 31 July 2008
Entry Number: 31
Quote: “In it were buried all those who died of the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox. It was also the dumping ground for the potent fetishes of great medicine men when they died. An “evil forest” was, therefore, alive with sinister forces and powers of darkness. It was such a forest that the rulers of Mbanta gave to the missionaries. Page 149

This particular quote struck me for several reasons. The first of which is how cruel the people of these villagers were; for because someone was ill with some horrible disease, they thought that they didn’t deserve a proper burial and just threw them aside in the “evil forest.” If one is so unfortunate to fall ill of a disease that has no known cures, they are exiled from society, for fear of contagion and because they are different, and lead horrible lives. At least one with a disease can say that they will have a proper burial, but no, the people of the villages in the novel take that away from them. They neither have a good life, nor a good death; although, in this time period and with their resources, it would be smart to cast away all those who have the disease for the sake of village’s well being. Surely however, since the people are bombarded by the traditions in the village, the ones cast away into the “evil forest” understand that it is for the well-being of the entire village and most likely accept their disgraceful burial into a land of great fear. What was also interesting here is that the beliefs of the people are based on some kind of truth. The “sinister forces and powers of darkness” only exist in the people’s hearts because of the diseases of those that were buried there. It was also interesting how evil the people of Mbanta can be, for they gave the Christians some land of that forsaken and evil place for them to build their spiritual sanctity, yet the Christians were not at all in the least bit worried, for they didn’t believe that the forest held evil forces, therefore they didn’t exist. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting.


Luis Acevedo
Date: 01 August 2008
Entry Number: 32
Quote: “‘Let us not reason like cowards,’ said Okonkwo. ‘If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does.” Page 158

There are several reasons why this quote was interesting. The first of which is Okonkwo’s everlasting humor, although it is a bit cruel. Okonkwo has always been a very aggressive man, however he did this because he didn’t want to seem weak, and one does this by being aggressive and he was especially aggressive and brutal because he lived in a very “strong” village, however the village seems to be weak because they didn’t want start any quarrels with the Christians. Although the village has always been depicted as a hasty village to start fights, this time they seem to recede from any violence and that was very strange indeed. Throughout the entire novel Okonkwo was depicted as one that was cruel and quick to fight, and that always seemed unfair and oppressed his family, however, this time his ways of waging a quick war seem to be correct for the current situation. The Christians are getting more and more converts and quickly gaining power and authority within the village and seem to be a great threat. In order to get rid of a problem, it must be eliminated as soon as possible, before it becomes too great of a problem where there is no longer a remedy. However, Okonkwo’s scenario of a man defecating in his house was a tad bit too cruel, but it was necessary in order to open the villagers’ eyes. However that attempt proved to be in vain for the villagers still wanted to live in peace among them. The Christians, in this situation, are like a single cell amoeba that will multiply and eventually take over the entire village, for they proved to be perseverant when they established their church in the “evil forest”, although not really evil, building your place of worship and actually having converts in that forsaken place, proves that they will not give up so easily. Those are the reasons why this quote was of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 04 August 2008
Entry Number: 33
Quote: “Seven years was a long time to be away from one’s clan. A man’s place was not always there, waiting for him. As soon as he left, someone else rose and filled it. The clan was like a lizard; if it lost its tail it soon grew another.” Page 171

There are several reasons for this quote to be interesting. The first of the reasons is that the seven years of exile that Okonkwo was put through was finally over and he could finally go back home. The tone is much more upbeat, for Okonkwo will finally be reunited with the village that he held so dearly. However, this tone is somewhat derailed with this sentence for there is a sense of anxiety and misplacement. It is interesting how the clan repairs each of its losses with another. This seems very efficient for the clan will always have enough people for it to be strong and prosperous; however, if the man that replaces the lost one is not as strong physically or mentally, say “a bad tail”, then there is a major flaw in the system and that loss can be a drastic one. Although it’s interesting how Okonkwo was in “exile” and he was so depressed that he lost his beloved village, however, he was treated very nicely and was with loved ones, so the punishment was not so much of a punishment unless one lets it be. Okonkwo could have lived prosperously if he had not been so depressed and full of sorrow. He could have done so much, but because he lost his precious title, he was dismayed and decided not to do anything that would be good for him. It’s the thought of being disconnected from something that one held so dear that makes one feel out of place, for not many enjoy new things and would much rather continue the same routinely process living the same lives, and that holds true today. Those are the reasons why this quote was interesting to read.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 04 August 2008
Entry Number: 34
Quote: “But apart from the church, the white men had also brought a government. They had built a court where the District Commissioner judged cases in ignorance. He had court messengers came from Umuru on the bank of the Great River…” Page 174

This quote was interesting for many reasons. The first of which would be how successful and witty “the white men” are. They had everything planned out how they would take control. First they implement their new0 happy, prosperous religion in which all are equal and accepted. This catches the people of the village’s attentions and sees the “white men” as good and noble people. Thus the “white men” capture the masses hearts and that way they are under their control, and are perceptible to new ideas since they have already adapted their new religion in which is so different from their past religion. Then, when they have captured their hearts, their minds and ways are so easily manipulated. The “white men” then deploy their plot to control the people’s ways in their village and their laws, deploying their new government. They thus are in control of the people’s hearts and actions. The “white men” are very clever indeed to plot the capturing and recruitment of the villagers. This is very interesting how religion was manipulated in order to capture the masses and control their thoughts and beliefs, and this has happened many times throughout history. It was interesting how many people from the village can just drop their old beliefs, in which they were bombarded with their entire lives, and just start on an unknown religion that is very different than their previous one, almost unbelievable. They held their thoughts and beliefs above everything else and for some to change their ways because some strange man gives them promises of greatness, truly is striking. Those are the reasons why this particular quote was interesting.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 04 August 2008
Entry Number: 35
Quote: “In this way Mr. Brown learned a good deal about the religion of the clan and he came to the conclusion that a frontal attack on it would not succeed. And so he built a school and a little hospital in Umuofia. He went from family to family begging people to send their children to his school.” Page 181

There are several reasons why this quote was striking. The first reason is because of how witty Mr. Brown is. Instead of just blindly going into battle, he studies the enemy and evaluates the best form of attack on how to conquer his formidable foe. This proves to be very witty for he doesn’t scared the people away with a front head-on attack, but instead curves his attack and makes it seem like its much a better change from their old ways. Mr. Brown, instead of forcing the villagers to change their ways and obviously receive opposition, he hands them out gifts and promises. He tells everyone that if they change their ways, then He will forgive them, and that He will accept anyone, and that all are equals under Him. For the people of Umuofia, this would sound very tempting, for there are those with a title, and those without one, and those without one are not seen as equal to those with one and are looked down upon by those with a title, so to be able to live in a society were everyone is equal is a grand opportunity that one must act on quickly. It was very interesting how Mr. Brown took the time to study them and use their own religion against them in the battle to persuade for conversion. He would speak of his god and interpret it by using their gods in such a way that the people would understand. This move was very witty indeed, although many at first were still reluctant to change, with such a plan of attack, the strongest of wills can be conquered. Those are the reasons why I found this quote to be of interest.

Luis Acevedo
Date: 04 August 2008
Entry Number: 36
Quote: “In a flash Okonkwo drew his machete. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless. Okonkwo’s machete descended twice and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body.” Page 204

“Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling, and they stopped dead.” Page 207

There are several reasons for why these quotes were striking. The first of which is that Okonkwo finally took his course of action where he would fight back against “the white men” and he killed a messenger. It was very surprising that Okonkwo would do that so suddenly and what was even more striking, the reaction of the villagers. Umuofia was always depicted as a very strong village, yet they did nothing. Instead of praising him for getting rid of such an abomination, they scorned him, instead of getting their arms and finally driving back the virus that was “the white men” and their new religion, they stood there. Okonkwo had given them the perfect opportunity in which they could drive back that virus, yet they were reluctant to do it. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo had been depicted as one who was quick to start fights, yet in this scenario, that was what was needed to be done, yet the villagers didn’t see that. The most surprising thing is that there is a force so tremendous in the novel that would cause Okonkwo to hang himself. Okonkwo was always a strong man, who feared none, yet he hung himself; going against all their beliefs, which he held more important than anything else, knowing that he would not be buried and that he would be labeled as a coward. Okonkwo was impressive, for he knew that his village was not the village he once loved and that it would never be. Because of a single antigen, his world fell apart. Those are the reasons why these quotes were of interest.