Journals

Date: 11 August 2008

Entry:#26

Reflection:
The Ibo people can’t tolerate the white men just as the white men can’t tolerate the Ibo men that refuse to abandon their old ways to follow Christ, but they allow them to inhabit the Evil Forest. They allowed them to stay in the cursed land thinking they would die soon after. To their dismay the Christians were in great shape and people began to believe the white men’s power was very strong so there were several converts. When Okonkwo says that “living fire begets cold impotent ash” he is referring to himself and his son(pg 153). He, the great fire, means a man of great power and he begets his son, Nwoye, a cold impotent ash. He says this about Nwoye because he has always believed that Nwoye is a woman (like his grandfather). At this point he says it with more emotion because Nwoye’s weakness has driven him to the hands of the Christians.