Admin Table of Contents
- 1 What stories had Okonkwo heard about white men?
- 2 What does Okonkwo think of the white men?
- 3 When and how is the white man introduced?
- 4 What did the white man say in things fall apart?
- 5 What does Obierika tell Okonkwo about the appearance of the first white man in Abame?
- 6 When was the white man introduced in things fall apart?
What stories had Okonkwo heard about white men?
They have heard stories about white men coming with guns and strong drink and taking slaves away across the sea, but they never believed the stories. After their meal together, Obierika gives Okonkwo the money that he received for selling some of Okonkwo’s yams and seed-yams.
What does Okonkwo think of the white men?
Okonkwo observes that the white man is very shrewd because he came in peace and appeared to have only benevolent interests in the Africans, who thus permitted him to stay. They discuss the story of Aneto, who was hanged by the government after he killed a man with whom he had a dispute.
Who tells Okonkwo about the white man?
9. At the end of Chapter Twenty, Obierika tells Okonkwo, “He [the white man] has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” Explain the significance of this statement.
How does Okonkwo react to the news about the white man’s God and His Son Jesu Kristi?
How do Okonkwo and Nwoye react differently to the white man’s God and his son, Jesu Kristi? Okonkwo was concerned that Nwoye and his other male children would abandon their ancestors. He pictured himself and his fathers waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice. Nwoye liked the missionaries while Okonkwo did not.
When and how is the white man introduced?
White men are first mentioned in this story in Chapter Fifteen, when Okonkwo is in his second year of exile. Obierika brings him news of a neighbouring tribe where white men have arrived, and, as a result, the entire tribe has been destroyed.
What did the white man say in things fall apart?
The first time white men are mentioned in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is on pages 51 and 52 when Obierika states to Okonkwo that people have said white men are white, like a piece of chalk is white. “And these white men, they say, have no toes” (Part I, ch. 8, pg. 52).
Does the white man understand our custom?
“Does the white man understand our custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion.
What lesson does Okonkwo teach uchendu?
Uchendu urges Okonkwo to respect their cultural history and accept the help of his mother’s family with more grace and appreciation than he has shown. Uchendu not only reminds Okonkwo of how their culture works but also looks beyond culture to talk generally about life.
What does Obierika tell Okonkwo about the appearance of the first white man in Abame?
Obierika tells of how a white man visited Abame during the last planting season. Their Oracle said that the strange man would destroy their clan, so the Abame killed the white man and tied his iron horse, or bicycle, to a tree. Then one day, three other white men came by, saw the bicycle, and went away again.