Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart

Quote chapter 7 pg 53

‘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.'

One of the themes of things fall apart is fear that is demonstrated throughout the book. In this short passage fear is display. It is not only Ikemufuna, who feels fear when hearing the man so mysteriously clears his throat. Okonkwo too feels fear, we know fears what is about to come throughout the story. Every nerve in Okonkwo's body tells him this is wrong but when the moment comes he kills Ikemefuna, who had become like a son to him. Ikemefuna and Okonkwo's fears are contrasted here. Ikemefuna fears the men with machetes and death, both of which he has no control over. Okonkwo on the other hand, fears losing his masculinity, an internal fear which he could control, but gives into and kills the boy that once called him father.

This short passage develops to the plot of the story. Okonkwo is a fearless warrior and respected man in his clan. The conflict of the story is that Okonkwo is terrified of being feminine and commits a couple crimes. Okonkwo lives in fear of becoming like his father who he sees as

Being effeminate and weak. He joins the group murder of Ikemefuna who he feels to be like a son to him. Out of fear of seaming weak, Okonkwo does not get into any kind of trouble for helping to murder Ikemefuna because he is not a clan member, but when he accidentally kills a boy during a funeral, he is in tremendous trouble