Things Fall Apart Quote Analysis

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As Voltaire once said, “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” This shows how people can be censured for bloodshed, yet it is not cruel if it is a massacre because then it is considered completely normal. Okonkwo should not have been given a harsh punishment for a crime he did not commit purposefully. As read in part one of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo accidently kills a boy when his gun explodes, but he does not deserve such a bitter punishment, to be exiled for seven years, for an accident he had no control over. Achebe states “Okonkwo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent” (Achebe, 124). It is clearly quoted that the killing was inadvertent,…show more content…
As quoted in part two, “It’s true that a child belongs to his father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there’s sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland” (Achebe, 134). This quote informs us why men are exiled to their motherland when they commit a crime, but this is where I find the issue. A man should not be sent away to his motherland as a punishment because it shows weakness, it also gives females a fragile character by showing that this is a place to hide from your mistakes. In my opinion, a true man should stay in his fatherland and face consequences, in Okonkwo’s case, he should be given a simple punishment for it was not intended. Lastly, Uchendu says “He does not belong here. He is an exile,

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