5) The novel consists of two interlinking stories, both of which revolve around the main character, Okonkwo. He is a respected wrestler of an Igbo village in Nigeria who lives his life with the overwhelming need to prove himself and his tribe that he will not be a failure like his father. The first part of the novel outlines Okonkwo's downfall as he partakes in the murder of his adopted son and later on, kills another boy. The second part of the novel is about the destruction of Okonkwo's tribe and life through the arrival of violent, evangelising European missionaries. The two stories are flawlessly synchronised, and detail the suffering that occurred during that period of time in Nigeria.
6) The theme of the book are masculinity and respect. This is portrayed mainly through Okonkwo as he is born into a culture that values manliness. Okonkwo achieves his manliness by being brave and violent. Respect is an important theme in the novel because Okonkwo strives to be nothing like
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His ability to win wars is why he is recognised as someone with high importance in his clan. His tragic flaw however is that he is fearful of being a failure like his father, and acts recklessly which causes his downfall.
8) I gave the novel 4/5 stars because the author was able put the intricate ideas of the novel across simply. The plot is well constructed and easy to understand. I took away one star because the author includes unnecessary information by focusing more on description rather than dialogue. The pace of the novel is also slow.
9) “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.” This quote links to the theme of masculinity because it shows how Okonkwo mistakes boldness for courage. This mistake is what leads him to be prosperous for a period of time and then causes his