The Reunion
I can’t seem to get Ikemefuna’s voice out of my head. I hear it in the howling of the wind, the crackling of the fire, and even Mr. Brown’s sermons. I’ve been going to more and more of them lately, but every time he talks about the wonders of his God and the land of white men where he comes from, it just serves to remind of the fucked-up, backwards world I grew up in. I still live here in Umuofia, this land of heathen, but when I’m old enough, I’m going to be educated in Yurup, where Mr. Brown says everyone looks like him. Maybe I’ll even meet his Kween. He just can’t stop talking about her.
Until then, though, I’m going to have to continue among the pagans. The baby-killers, wife-beaters, and worshippers of false idols. Although my mother and sisters are heathen, I have hope for them because they are merely blind. Oblivious. I will bring them to Jesus’ light eventually. The one about whom I truly worry is Okonkwo the Heretic. I cannot dismiss him merely as ignorant because of his infuriating obstinance in the face of our Lord. If that man lays his hands on me one more time, I swear he will never see me again. Mr. Brown says Jesu Kristi is my true father.
I have known Okonkwo would return for months, yet I cannot fathom that I will I finally see the man who killed not one, but two of my brothers. So long as he offers me hospitality, I will stay in his obi, but I will not talk to him or show him any respect beyond the traditional tribal salute. My feet feel heavier than baskets of yam after a generous harvest, but I must enter the house, must finally lay eyes on the man who has caused me so much pain that he can no longer call himself my father.
Oh, Jesu Kristi. Jesu. There he is. The mere sight of his face sickens me. I’ll just salute him and keep walking. Keep walking. There’s my mother. Just keep walking. Maybe he does not know I have found the Church? He has to. God. Please help him see your Light. Please turn this sinner from his ways. I know he can be saved.
Hands around my neck. Oh God. Please protect me. I feared the worst, but I did not expect it to happen so quickly. I see Okonkwo’s mouth moving, presumably screaming profanity, but I hear no sound. Everything is moving slow. So slow. My arms and legs refuse to function. I can feel the hands tighten around my throat. The sour spittle flying onto my face. The cane descending toward my body. Shattering my ribs. I. Can’t. Breathe.
“Leave that boy at once!” That must be the voice of Jesu Kristi. I feel the grip loosening. My Lord has come to the aid of his sheep. If I make it out of the threshold, I will never enter this house again.
“Okonkwo Raising Ikemefuna.” http://durrikawkabantarek.blogspot.com/2012/04/defending-okonkwos-action-of-killing.html
“Ruins of Nigerian Colonial Church.” http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/03/god-s-country/306652/
“Modern Day Evil Forest”
“Nigerian Obi”
“The Light of Jesu as Nwoye Sees It”
The story interweaves Nwoye’s thought process with his experiences, as well as with his new religious beliefs, to create a very unique take on this event. This creative portrayal of the incident is very thorough in its covering of both the physical and emotional experiences of Nwoye and in its incorporation of Nwoye’s relatively new beliefs and desires as a result of him joining Christianity.
ReplyDeleteI liked how how you created a new, violent perspective of Nwoye. He acts very differently than how I would expect him to act. I also liked how you wrote fragmented and simple sentences when Okonkwo is choking him to depict his fear and emotions.
ReplyDeleteWithin your piece, I thought your use of colloquialisms and casual syntax helped to distance Nwoye from his father and his village. Throughout Things Fall Apart, the village elders talked in formal, dry sentences, to which Nwoye's more emotive but colloquial speaking style presented a sharp contrast. Additionally, your repeated use of simple, short sentences conveyed Nwoye’s emotiveness, which juxtapose with his father's stolidity; especially during the part where his father confronts and beats him, his panicked words emphasize that he is willing to show fear and vulnerability, and is, at times, deeply afraid and conflicted.
ReplyDeleteWithin your piece, I thought your use of colloquialisms and casual syntax helped to distance Nwoye from his father and his village. Throughout Things Fall Apart, the village elders talked in formal, dry sentences, to which Nwoye's more emotive but colloquial speaking style presented a sharp contrast. Additionally, your repeated use of simple, short sentences conveyed Nwoye’s emotiveness, which juxtapose with his father's stolidity; especially during the part where his father confronts and beats him, his panicked words emphasize that he is willing to show fear and vulnerability, and is, at times, deeply afraid and conflicted.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very powerful how you described Nowye’s anger and his disgust with his traditional beliefs. You very effectively portrayed how Nowye changed and his new attitude and personality. I also liked how you described what happened with Okonkwo as a sequence of thoughts because it allowed you more to connect with what Nowye was feeling.
ReplyDelete“Until then, though, I’m going to have to continue among the pagans. The baby-killers, wife-beaters, and worshippers of false idols.”
ReplyDeleteVictory portrays Nwoye as someone who has just seen the light. With the help of Christianity, Nwoye now believes that this is the life that was meant for him. Victor shows how Nwoye finally breaks free from his father authority, losing all respect for the man he now calls Okonkwo. He views Christianity as more sane, reasonable, relatable, and humane than the traditions of Umuofia. In Victor’s writing, one can imagine Nwoye as a young man who is finally able to think for himself. Victor portrays Nwoye to be deeply religious, praying to “Jesu Kristi” for redemption for his father. Nwoye now wants to follow in the path of Mr. Brown as opposed to Okonkwo, and Victor shows the initial reasoning for Nwoye’s decision.
I was intrigued by the thought that Nwoye wanted God to forgive Okonkwo, but he didn’t. The story expresses Nwoye's desire for a father and how his own father abandoned him literally and figuratively. He believes that unlike his father if Nwoye sinned or did something bad that God would forgive him and comfort him whereas Okonkwo would beat him. This is why even though Okonkwo had been away from Nwoye for years he was so easily triggered by his father’s abuse.
ReplyDeleteVictor’s story shows the evolution of Nwoye religious believes. In the story Nwoye fully envelops his religion and his thoughts are even centered on it. The gold of the story is the photos. The photos are strategically placed where it is represented in the text. This helps the decipher the meaning Victor is trying to get across.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Victor has really represented Nwoye’s anxiety of seeing his father and how he will react when he found out he converted to christianity. Victor really described Nwoye’s emotion and his struggle against his father attacking him. It was also interesting to see how Nwoye keeps calling out to god and Jesus for help during his struggle and anxiety.
ReplyDeleteVictor uses short simple sentences during his action sequences. This makes things feel quick and nervous which is exactly what the situation in the book is like. This really makes the story more exiting. Feeling rushed while reading is like having scary music in a horror movie. This worked really well.
ReplyDelete