“He was called the Cat because his back would never touch the earth. It was this man that Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights.” (Achebe,1958, p.1053). This is a groundbreaking moment for Okonkwo, because he threw a man that is a champion who ruled the arena for seven years., Chinua Achebe, uses the setting and the plot to illustrate the theme of giving. Although, giving is viewed as generous and terrific trait, but there are times when constant giving can lead to selfishness. Achebe uses characters, setting, and plot to illustrate the theme of giving.
There are three main characters in this story excerpt: Okonkwo, Unoka, Okoye. Okonkwo is known for his great fighting skills. “As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat” (Achebe,1958, p.1053). even though Okonkwo is young he is big and strong. he is able to win a fight
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Saying how Okonkwo is a honorable man who is a chief of the village, and his father is only a loafer and a beggar. when Achebe describes the Ibo culture, he introduces the theme of tradition, for the religion is a tradition in their village. Lastly, the purpose of this story is to show that giving can be helpful, but if you give too much it can be harmful. In Unoka’s case he is so accustomed to getting money from his fellow villagers, that he expects it to happen every time he asks, and never feels the need to pay anyone back. “In short, he was asking Unoka to return the two hundred cowries he had borrowed from him more than two years before. As soon as Unoka understood what his friend was driving at, he burst out laughing. He laughed loud and long and his voice rang out clear as the ogene, and tears stood in his eyes. His visitor was amazed, and sat speechless” (achebe,1958,