Sunday, January 27, 2008
TFA Chapter 9
This chapter starts out by saying that Okonkwo can finally sleep. By saying this I'm guessing he is getting over the death of Ikemefuna. It goes in to telling about a mosquito and a certain story that his mother once told him when he was a young boy. Okonkwo falls back asleep and is woke up in the morning by one of his wives Ekwefi banging on the door. She comes in and says that her daughter, Ezinma is dying. Then the story kind of goes into a separate little story about Ezinma. It is said that she is one of 10, but all her other sisters/brothers passed away before they were 3, so she was very lucky. It talks about one of Ekwefi's children that passes away and is then sliced with a razor and drug by their foot into the forest. This part really really freaked me out. I could never see anyone do that to a child! I wouldn't never in a million years think about doing something as gross as that anyways. Then i think the story goes into the passed and says something about Ezinma burrying her iyi-uwa? But i wasn't really sure. I guess that was what was making her sick? Anyways, they go and dig it up, which was underneath the orange tree. I guess that was why she was sick or something? I wasn't too sure about the ending of this chapter.
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2 comments:
It does seem Okonkwo is tortured by his part of slaying his own step son.
The threat of losing Ezinma is what really shocks him. She is his favorite daughter. 1 out of 10 kids! Can you imagine how the mother must have felt???
They seem to mutilate the body to scare away the evil spirits from wanting to come into the next child. Again, a very primitive practice by today's standards. It is shocking no doubt!
The story about Ezinma burrying her iyi-uwa was very strange. Apparently it is something a demon child hides from the village. Oknonkwo digs up a stone, and believes this will root out the evil that plagues his kid. He believes she will be safe now that he found the rock.
Again, Achebe shows us the primitive belief structure of the tribe, which seems to drive the way they live their lives.
Mr. Farrell
I was mad that Okonkwo could finally sleep. He needs to be haunted for life for killing an innocent boy that called him father. I think it is sweet how is kind of stressed out about Ezinma since she is his favorite daughter and all.
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