Things Fall Apart Metaphors

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Just as Achebe exemplifies that mutual respect is what helps form a strong family, so too does unity help form the concrete basis of the ideal family. Unity with each other is more than necessary for the typical Igbo family. For instance, through the simile “It was like the pulsation of its heart” to describe the beat of the tribal drums, the speaker emphasizes that the drums - a symbol of harmony and solidarity - are one with the clan: “The drums were still beating, persistent and unchanging. Their sound was no longer a separate thing from the living village. It was like the pulsation of its heart.” (Achebe 44). Here, the text suggests that the tribal drums and the tribe, itself, is unified with each other. The drums, a symbol of wholeness, …show more content…

Interestingly, Achebe uses the metaphor “put a knife on the things that held us together” to represent how threatening it is to have someone intervene with the clan: “Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife of the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (Achebe 176). Here, the text suggests that Okonkwo is so close to the clansmen that he refers to them as “brothers” and since his “brothers” are being taken away by the missionaries, the clan is not whole. Then the text conveys because of this, the unity is lost within the clan, family, causing them to be weak and inevitably fall apart. Together, these scenes illustrate the importance of unity with a family. In the first scene, the unity is represented through the tribal drums and the clan at that time is one with each other; in the second scene, the unity is broken within the clan resulting in the clan's …show more content…

That said, Achebe does present alternate ways of looking at the characteristics of the ideal family. For instance, Achebe signifies that without certain, ideal practices, families and even a clan will spiral into a demise. The certain traits to follow allow a lucid understanding of what conjures up the ideal or nonideal family. Certainly, this alternate perspective of what helps to create or not create a strong family is important to consider for a fuller understanding of ideas which lead into keeping or not keeping a family together. Important to consider, too, is how the practices that build or not build a strong family is germane in our 2015 world, where Pope Francis speaks about the values and practices to be followed by families. For instance, Pope Francis speaks about the care needed for one’s offspring. He says that if a family or society does not take care for their future (children), just as Okonkwo and his own father did not, then it will not remain strong and have a secured future. He then continues to speak about the necessity of respect of others. This prominent attribute seen also in the book is what Pope Francis said will help create a strong family and community. Pope Francis was able to exemplify many of the key practices which are followed by the Igbo society, even though he

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