ALL THEMES Flashcards
(11 cards)
Tradition vs Change
“He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
“One of the greatest crimes a man could commit was to unmask an egwugwu”
“The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.”
“Among the Ibo […] proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.”
Colonialism / Cultural Clash
“He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before Him for judgment.”
“One of the most infuriating habits of these people was their love of superfluous words, he thought.”
“The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.”
“He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
Masculinity / Gender Roles
“Yam, the king of crops, was a man’s crop.”
“[Okonkwo] was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood.”
“Okonkwo was ruled by one passion – to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved.”
“Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.”
Fate vs Free Will
“But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also.”
“His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.”
“But it was really not true that Okonkwo’s palm-kernels had been cracked for him by a benevolent spirit. He had cracked them himself.”
“Okonkwo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent.”
Identity / Pride
“[Okonkwo] His fame rested on solid personal achievements.”
“But it was really not true that Okonkwo’s palm-kernels had been cracked for him by a benevolent spirit. He had cracked them himself.”
“[Okonkwo] was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood.”
Family / Relationships
“Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.”
“Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness.”
“She [Ekwefi] swore within her that if she heard Ezinma cry she would rush into the cave to defend her against all the gods in the world. She would die with her.”
“The relationship between them was not only that of mother and child. There was something in it like the companionship of equals.”
Religion / Belief Systems
“He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before Him for judgment.”
“But I fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship… And what is the result? An abominable religion has settled among you. Missionaries have arrived.”
“Okonkwo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent.”
“The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.”
Violence / Conflict
“Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down.”
“[Okonkwo] was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood.”
“He trembled with the desire to conquer and subdue. It was like the desire for woman.”
“Yam, the king of crops, was a man’s crop.”
Storytelling / Language
“Among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father.”
“Proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.”
“Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still preferred the stories his mother used to tell.”
“One of the most infuriating habits of these people was their love of superfluous words, he thought.”
Community / Kinship
“I fear for you young people because you do not understand how strong is the bond of kinship… And what is the result? An abominable religion has settled among you.”
“He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
“Among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father.”
“The relationship between them was not only that of mother and child. There was something in it like the companionship of equals.”
