There is a real human side that is shown in Okonkwo when Ezinma becomes ill. When Chielo takes Ezinma to the Oracle's cave, Okonkwo makes multiple trips to the cave to try to find his daughter. This shows that Okonkwo truly cares for his family and that he is not as cold hearted as some may think.
I find it amazing that the whole village takes part in the wedding celebrations. They are generous people because they donated food and other supplies for the feast eventhough it was not their child getting married. It seems that the community thrives or falls together. They are dependent on the community. If one person does something to offend a god, the whole village could be punished for it. I think that this belief is a little extreme, but it makes sense that the African culture is this way. They depend on the village for protection and many other things. There are no real states that are designed to protect them. They have to depend on their own community.
2 comments:
I think the bringing of food was to show that the family the bride is marrying into in\s able to support her. it is a custum in many places, or was at one time, to prove that u could support a bride by throwing a huge party, these guys just turned it around a little. I was really happy that they did show a very human side to okonkwo, i was beginning to thinkj the guy was a block of wood with no feelings at all!
I really thought Achebe was going to kill Ezinma off, just like Ikefuma in the earlier chapter. I was happy to learn that she didn't die.
The whole Obanje thing was pretty creepy! Mutilating a baby's corpse and finding the hidden spirit inside a rock buried in a field? Insane.
I got very angry at the Oracle, making these judgments or decrees like pulling people out of their homes in the middle of the night. Doesn't anybody ever question the Oracle?
We do see Okonkwo react in a human-like way. I like Dan's post "block of wood" yep, that about sums him up otherwise.
When we do weddings today, everybody brings a gift or card/money, so in a way we all help to pay for the wedding I guess. Sometimes its neat to compare the two cultures.
You make a good point here:
"There are no real states that are designed to protect them. They have to depend on their own community."
I think that is why the tribe's elders are so respected. They are like our President or Congress.
Mr. Farrell
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