Specified quotes from "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. Categories are mood, silence, and father/son conflict.
Things Fall Apart: Quote Hunt
Mood.
-After Nwoye is lured into the Christian religion and abandons his culture and family, Okonkwo is ashamed and states, "you have all see the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" (172). Nwoye's father disowns him only because he chooses a path untraditional to his culture. The serious, frustrated, and unhappy mood that is created in Okonkwo's statement gives the reader an idea of how much the Ibo culture values tradition, choice, and family.
-When Nwoye is informed of Ikemefuna's death, the narrator states, "a deathly silence descended on Okonkwo's compound...throughout the day, Nwoye sat in his mother's hut and tears stood in his eyes" (58). Achebe describes the character's emotions in order to display a sense of hopelessness and despair to the reader. The reader must empathize with such emotions and moods to truly see the rising difficulties each character has to face.
-Before the first messenger reported Ogbuefi's wife's murder, the reader takes notice to Okonkwo's primary thoughts when the narrator states, "he knew something was certainly amiss. He had discerned a clear overtone of tragedy in the crier's voice...Darkness held a vague terror for these people, even the bravest among them" (9). With this statement, Achebe creates a dark mood foreseeing events, but a pensive mood in regards to Okonkwo and his feelings. By entwining both moods, Achebe is able to convey how their culture is in tune with all events, present and future.
-A conflict rises between the newly established church and the native village; thankfully, the problem is resolved and people come to the conclusion that there is no need to fight. The narrator comments, "the death showed that the gods were still able to fight their own battles. The clan saw no reason then for molesting the Christians" (161). The tensions between the village and
Mood.
-After Nwoye is lured into the Christian religion and abandons his culture and family, Okonkwo is ashamed and states, "you have all see the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" (172). Nwoye's father disowns him only because he chooses a path untraditional to his culture. The serious, frustrated, and unhappy mood that is created in Okonkwo's statement gives the reader an idea of how much the Ibo culture values tradition, choice, and family.
-When Nwoye is informed of Ikemefuna's death, the narrator states, "a deathly silence descended on Okonkwo's compound...throughout the day, Nwoye sat in his mother's hut and tears stood in his eyes" (58). Achebe describes the character's emotions in order to display a sense of hopelessness and despair to the reader. The reader must empathize with such emotions and moods to truly see the rising difficulties each character has to face.
-Before the first messenger reported Ogbuefi's wife's murder, the reader takes notice to Okonkwo's primary thoughts when the narrator states, "he knew something was certainly amiss. He had discerned a clear overtone of tragedy in the crier's voice...Darkness held a vague terror for these people, even the bravest among them" (9). With this statement, Achebe creates a dark mood foreseeing events, but a pensive mood in regards to Okonkwo and his feelings. By entwining both moods, Achebe is able to convey how their culture is in tune with all events, present and future.
-A conflict rises between the newly established church and the native village; thankfully, the problem is resolved and people come to the conclusion that there is no need to fight. The narrator comments, "the death showed that the gods were still able to fight their own battles. The clan saw no reason then for molesting the Christians" (161). The tensions between the village and