Igbo Outcasts

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The white men arriving in the Igbo villages are portrayed as a threat to society. They want absolute control of their land, rules, governing system. This system of judging themselves inspires many of the clan’s outcasts to embrace Christianity. Achebe informs us that the villagers are trying to free themselves from the white men," But they were still alive, building a new red-earth and thatch house for their teacher, Mr. Kiaga. That week they won a handful more converts. And for the first time they had a woman. (Chapter 17, Page 151)" These outcasts can relate to the Christian value system a refuge from the Igbo values that undermines their worth. In their new community, these converts enjoy being better than others. The use of proverbs in …show more content…

This is obvious when Achebe describes the issue saying “Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten (Chapter 1. Page 7)” Similarly, Igbo culture cannot be understood through the perspective of European colonialist values. Also, Africa has many different languages. Mr. Brown’s translator is ridiculed by the villagers of Umuofia because his language sounds slightly different from their own. When Mr. Smith says “Tell them to go away from here. This is the house of God and I will not live to see it desecrated.” The translator clarifies his words as “The white man says he is happy you have come to him with your grievances, like friends. He will be happy if you leave the matter in his hands.” (Chapter 22. Page …show more content…

As young boys, they look up of their fatherly figures as they grow up to become young men. In Okonkwo’s case, he lucks out and gets the worst role model. His relationship with his dead father molds much of his violent and ambitious attitude. He wants to rise above his father’s legacy of gambling, laziness which he views as weak. As presented by Achebe, "Whenever the thought of his father’s weakness and failure troubled him he expelled it by thinking about his own strength and success. (Chapter 8. Page 66) "He associates manliness with power and feels that anger is the only emotion that he can express. Because of this, he frequently beats his wives, sometimes even threatens to kill them. “But his wives and children were not as strong, and so they suffered. But they dared not complain openly. At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth” (Chapter 2. Page 13). Since Obierika refuses to follow the men on the trip to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo not only volunteers to join the party that will execute his surrogate son but also violently stabs him with his machete simply because he does not want to look

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