Lasting Impressions

I didn't think much of this book when I first recieved it but it taught me this much- Don't judge a book by its cover (literally!) I wasn't into learning about African countries much less reading about an African tribe but that all changed. I have must admiration not only for African tribes that have had to put up with missionaries trampling over their culture and beliefs but for Chinua Achebe who has shown this to me and others worldwide. This book is amazing and Achebe does not sensationalize at all and gives a thought provoking book that is completely realistic and tells about an African man and his predicaments and because it is easily relatable even living in a society much like the one I am in right now.

No one has asked me if this book is great literature or not but I'll say it- It's great literature at it's best! Best book so far I've read this entire English course. Such stories will forever leave a lasting impression on me and my moral being.

So far

Going back to the beginning of the book when Unoka is in his parting days, he says “A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone” This is an amazing saying coming from someone who has made substantial amounts of mistakes in his life. I think Okonkwo doesn’t realize that he is following in his father’s footsteps-just a different way. He wants to be very different from his father but instead his soul has died just like his father’s.

My favorite character in the book is Ezinma so far. She is amazing- full of energy and is very clever. I don’t blame Okonkwo for saying that she should have been born a boy but at the same time I’m glad that she was born a girl. Though she might have been more prosperous as a boy, she shows Okonkwo that you can find a strong spirit in anyone that you treat right. Okonkwo is less harsher on Ezinma versus Nwoye. Forcing Nwoye has only caused him to be distant from his father. Ezinma is closer to her father and there are reasons for this.

The book so far is pretty good and Achebe's details are amazing. He draws attention to the littlest details and those details are what makes you feel as if you're walking with Okonkwo threw the fights and the celebrations. Can't wait to read the rest!

Information Would Help

Because this is African culture and I hardly know anything about it, I was getting very confused in this book. I thought I go about the internet and find out the answer to my questions. I've been wondering for a while what exactly a kola nut is. "Kola is a stimulant, comparable to very strong tea or coffee, which is served on most social occasions in this culture. It is also one ingredient after which Coca Cola is named." (Taken from this website: Information on Things Fall Apart) That was interesting and it seems that it's a refreshment for visitors and guests.

Also, I wanted to know if the Ibo people were real and in truth they are. Africa is such a large continent it's hard to find where anything is. Take a long at the Ibo region below (pretty big)

It's really small but so far, it's the only map I could truly find. I always thought the villages were small but I suppose I was incorrect. I tried looking for the infamous Evil Forest where Okonkwo's father was killed and where twins are left to die there, but again, its very small and very difficult to reach much of anything. These Ibo tribes are a miracle. They've gone through so much yet they are still standing with all their culture still in tack. Achebe shows in this book a clear cut span of history to the before and the aftermath of when the Christians come out to their region to spread their faith (I haven't read that part but when I was reading the information, there were a lot of spoilers. I'm looking forward to when the white missionaries come)

Got Compassion?

When Okonkwo took his machete and aided in killing Ikemefuna, I almost threw up. He has a deep affection towards the boy and Ikemefuna calls him his father. That alone should make your heart wrench. What Okonkwo lacks is compassion. I personally believe that Okonkwo fears that everyone will relate him to his father, thus he must be ruthless in order to prove them wrong. But what he forgets is that "a man was judge according to his worth and not...of his father's." Okonkwo has turned bitter and cold and you almost feel sympathetic towards him. Almost.

Take a look at page 13: "Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness...it was the fear of himself..." I completely agree to this quote. Okonkwo would not be gentle with his children because his father was gentle. This causes him to push love and family apart from him. I would not be the least bit surprised if his son Nwoye choose not to be anything like this father.

The book so far is good. A bit boring at times but nonetheless has a great message. A good look at cultural enviornments and at times you can relate to it. My dad is a bit strict but deep down I know he still loves me. I just hope the Nwoye understands that before he becomes bitter just like his father.