Significance of Death, Fear, and Deceit in Things Fall Apart and Poisonwood Bible

Significance of Death, Fear, and Deceit in Things Fall Apart and Poisonwood Bible

The theme of a novel is the driving force of a book. Even if the author doesn’t identify an intended theme, the process is directed by a controlling idea. In both novels (Kingsolver) and (Achebe) illustrates this very well, which corresponds with the conflicts that defines each character. The results of conflict can lead to a person’s death, insights fear, and enable deception.
For example, the characters in the novels’ died at the hands of others. “He heard Ikemefuna cry, My father they have killed me, and drew his machete and cut him down.”(Achebe 61) Ikemefuna was killed by his “father” Okonkwo which shows that he did not care about him, because he didn’t want people to think he was weak. “Her final gulp of air was hungry as a baby’s first breath.”(Kingsolver 365) In Poisonwood Bible Ruth May died because a man wanted to kill Nelson, who was a worker for the Price family. A green mamba snake was put in the chicken coop to kill Nelson, but it bit Ruth May in her neck and she died instantly,which can be compared to be fearful.
Next, fearful of their futures, Okonkwo and Rachel has a connection of their situations. “It was a fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.”(Achebe 13) In Okonkwo’s mind he sees his father as a weak and feminine man. Okonkwo demonstrates he could be better by: providing food for his family, being a great fighter, warrior, and a great leader for his tribe. “Rachel’s frame of mind, so that every ten minutes or so she’d stop whatever she was doing and scream with disgust.”(Kingsolver 266). In this situation Rachel is described as being fearful because she does not want to marry Tata Ndu. Being fearful has a way to be deceptive.
Last, using deception gains self-pride. “Well it turns out, Father and Mr. Axelroot hatched up a plan.”(Kingsolver 269) Rachel is deceptive, because it is implied that she uses her father to get her out of a marriage that she did not want to participate in. “Okonkwo lies to Ikemefuna stating that he would be taken home the next day.”(Achebe 57) Okonkwo shows deception, because he did not care about Ikemefuna, he was worried about being thought of weak. Okonkwo in this situation is selfish, because he was worried about himself and not Ikemefuna. In conclusion, conflicts can change the perspective of a story. The results of conflicts can cause people to be threatened by death, fear, or deception. Ruth May’s incident illustrates that her death made a toll on her family which brought confusion and despair. Okonkwo’s fear of his father demonstrates how he did not want to play a role where he is lazy or imprudent. Rachel’s deception shows how easy you can manipulate someone just to get out of a situation. The conflict in the novels help develop the characters to tell the readers their true instinct.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.

Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel. New York: HarperFlamingo, 1998. Print.