Okonkwo Irony Quotes

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Joey Sinclair Honors English II-A hour 4 November 2012 Ms. Finley TFA: Ch. 1-8 Interpretation Part 1 1. Lit. Term: Irony a. Passage: “Enzima took the dish…to himself again” (64) b. This passage relays irony in the fact that while Ezinma has all the qualities fit for the perfect son, she is not of the correct gender. She is unable to take control over the household since she is a daughter and not a son. Okonkwo wishes that she were a son so that he could have her take over. He sees all the perfect qualities in her that would make her the perfect successor to him; hardworking, leadership, and willing to help. There is also another element of irony here in that Okonkwo favors Ezinma over the other children, especially his…show more content…
Lit. Term: Foil g. Passage: “Unoka, for that was…quite substantial amounts” (4) h. Okonkwo’s father Unoka is a foil of him. Unlike Okonkwo, Unoka is lazy, incompetent, and unmotivated. He is constantly in debt, yet manages to have fun with his friends when he can and makes the best of his flute playing talent. Okonkwo is hard working, strong, and serious character. Yet, he never tries to have fun or joke around, considering these weak and lead to failure. Unoka and Okonkwo are complete opposites, even if they are father and son. Part 2 1. This quote illustrates the importance of Ikemefuna to Okonkwo. Their bond is as if he was the real son of Okonkwo and not just adopted. It is when Ezeudu comes to tell him that they will be killing Ikemefuna because the Oracle has declared it. Its other purpose is to show that Okonkwo really does have virtuous feelings that occasionally show through, He is not just this grim, cruel, stern character. His feelings for Ikemefuna have good intentions or a parent and are genuinely…show more content…
In this quote Okonkwo is speaking with Obierika, one of his closest friends, about the slaughter of Ikemefuna. Okonkwo questions him why he did not join in with the other men to help with the sacrifice. Obierika uses the excuse that he was busy, and Okonkwo accuses him that he is not following the will of the Oracle in helping them. Yet, Okonkwo knows that he too did not want to partake in this ritual. He simply was not strong enough to say no because he believed that this would show weakness inside of him. Weakness leads to failure, and Okonkwo simply cannot fail. He tries to accuse Obierika in order to cover up for his own feelings. This quote adds to Okonkwo’s character by inducing even more of the idea of his fear for failure and weakness. He does anything possible to cover up his weaknesses and will never give in to them. Also, the quote helps to enhance the hostility that Okonkwo has to everyone, including his close friends. He has a certain aggression in all aspects of his nature that will not go away in any company. 5. Obierika and Okonkwo are still talking about Ikemefuna’s death, and Obierika tells of Okonkwo for taking a role in this act. He believes that this sacrifice will do nothing to please the Earth goddess. Obierika thinks that this act will only serve to anger her more and punish the people that helped to kill the innocent child. This develops the plot by foreshadowing that some retribution will be exacted for this act. The men who did this will have
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