Written Task #1 with Rationale
Candidate: Candidate number: Date: Unit of study: Part 4: Things Fall Apart: Analyze elements such as theme and the ethical stance or moral values of literary texts Level: Higher Level Language and Literature Exam Session: Word count for the rationale: 295 Word count for the Written Task: 936 © Tim Pruzinsky, InThinking
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1 Rationale:
In order to fulfill the criteria of Part 4: Critical Study “Analyze elements such as theme and
the ethical stance or moral values of literary texts”, I wrote about a scene between Okonkwo and his
father that could appear in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. I aimed to depict Okonkwo’s softer
side and reveal the complex relationship he had with his father, while examining the Ibo’s rituals and
superstitions regarding death. This flashback takes place in Chapter 3, just after Okonkwo’s father’s
death, and is targeted at those who have already read the novel.
Many of the themes in Things Fall Apart also appear in my pastiche. For example, throughout
the novel, Okonkwo struggles with the dichotomy between strength and weakness, something that he
must also contend with in this scene. Furthermore, I attempted to give an authentic insight into Ibo
culture without the baggage of colonialism. I revealed how societal values sometimes conflict with
individual desires, and how human relationships can be more complex than they first appear.
To explore these themes, I employed a variety of literary techniques from the novel. For
example, I adopted a simple, unsophisticated tone that is also deeply expressive. I frequently used
similes to compare Okonkwo’s internal emotional state to concrete, natural phenomena. More
importantly, I made references to Ibo’s belief systems, as evidenced by my abundant use of proverbs
and the symbolism of the ‘evil forest’. Just like Achebe, I too had an omniscient narrator who was
capable of uncovering Okonkwo’s true intentions. Even the structure of my passage was comparable
to one of Achebe’s; I began with a dramatic flashback and then dissected Okonkwo’s reactions.
By examining sensitive social phenomena like death, I have gained a more refined
understanding of a society’s insecurities, desires and superstitions.
Word count: 295
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2 “Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi or personal god, and evil fortune followed
him to the grave, or rather to his death, for he had no grave. He died of the swelling which
was an abomination to the earth goddess. When a man was afflicted with swelling in the
stomach and the limbs he was not allowed to die in the house. He was carried to the Evil
Forest and left there to die.” (18)
Okonkwo had just finished his yam foo-foo when he heard about his father’s death.
He was resting in his obi after toiling on the fields, enjoying the red palm oil drizzled over his
yams. Okonkwo had just poured himself another cup of palm wine when the village elder,
Ogbuefi, came to give him the news. “Come quickly” he thundered, “the spirits are taking
your father”. Okonkwo was not allowed to take his father to the evil forest; it was an
abomination to the earth goddess for a son to do such a thing. Instead, Okonkwo stayed in his
compound, preparing the kola nut offering to his ancestral spirits.
The night was very dark. Okonkwo lit a fire to ward off the evil spirits but the smoke quickly
engulfed the entire compound, bringing tears to his eyes. As Okonkwo was cracking the kola nut, he
thought of how his father would have done it: gently and methodically, almost begging the kola nut to
come out. Okonkwo disparaged this characteristic about his father, his inability to violently demand
success. But did not hate his father. The earth must always bow down to the sun, no matter how
powerful it gets. And it was for this reason that Okonkwo wanted to visit his father in the evil forest,
to see him one last time before he died.
Of course, Okonkwo knew it was an anathema. Visiting someone condemned to the evil
forest is a sin that could bring the downfall of the entire clan. Therefore, Okonkwo decided he would
sacrifice three goats and half his yams to the ancestral spirits. But was it worth risking his status in the
village to see his father? Would this extinguish the raging fire in his heart? In spite of his worries,
Okonkwo knew he had to go, to fulfill his last duty to his father. His thoughts were falling on him like
a waterfall, pushing him steadfastly towards the evil forest.
© Tim Pruzinsky, InThinking
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3 As the flames devoured the last of the logs, Okonkwo could hear the village elders
approaching from the evil forest. Many were beating their drums and calling for the evil spirits to stay
away. This procession would go on through the night, until the “cocks came to roost” (12). Okonkwo
remembered the time Uzombia, a highly respected village elder, died. Mountains of yam foo-foo and
roasted fish filled the compounds, with the scent of celebration permeating through the air. His father
would never get such an outpouring of respect.
Under the cover of darkness, he closely followed the path that the village elders had taken. He
thought of how terrifying the night could be, especially in the evil forest. Not long ago, Okonkwo saw
an Obeah, or a man who had been cursed by the Agbala to forever roam the evil forest, killing
everything in its path. That was the first time he had been truly scared.
As he approached the center of the forest, his father caught sight of him. “Have the spirits is
already taken me? What are you doing here, my son?” Okonkwo saw the contents of his father’s
stomach spilled all over the forest floor.
“I have come to see you one last time” declared Okonkwo.
“You have tried to stay as far from me as possible when I was alive, why come to meet me in
my death? Do you want to witness my final humiliation?”
Okonkwo did not know how to respond. He had a lot to say to his father, about how much he
had struggled because of him, about how ashamed he was. But he had never had the heart to say these
things before. Even at this final parting, his mouth could not spit out these words. Instead, Okonkwo
stammered “thank you” and started making his way back to his compound.
The heat from the sun began beating down on Okonkwo’s back, but his blood red eyes could
hardly make out the trail. He took one last look at his father before he embarked on his journey. His
father lay there still and motionless, with his flute resting next to him. For a moment Okonkwo
considered taking it, but then realized it was now the property of the earth goddess.
Okonkwo did not know why he had managed only a “thank you” to his father. Actually,
Okonkwo did not know why he had decided to visit him at all. A mystical, invisible force was
© Tim Pruzinsky, InThinking
www.englishalanglit-inthinking.co.uk
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4 seemingly pulling him. The Ibo have a proverb that when a man is haunted by a spirit, his mind is
conquered by insanity. But Okonkwo was not a man haunted by a spirit. He was like a mouse that
had his tail cut off – running too fast in one direction to notice the beauty on either side.
“With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had.
He neither inherited a barn nor a title, nor even a young wife. But in spite of these disadvantages, he
had begun even in his father's lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future. It was slow and
painful.” (18)
(Word count: 936)
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.
© Tim Pruzinsky, InThinking
www.englishalanglit-inthinking.co.uk
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