My thoughts on Ezinma:

A Personal Reading of Chinua Achebe's “Things Fall Apart”

A Book Report

presented to

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for

English 2 (Communication Skills and Afro-Asian Literature)

1st Quarter, SY 2018-2019

by
 I. Introduction

My Personal Thoughts on “Things Fall Apart”

“Things Fall Apart”, a novel by Chinua Achebe, an African novelist, poet, and critic, is a
classic narrative about Africa’s cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial
presence on the continent. Okonkwo, an Igbo warrior of Umuofia, known for his bravery,
fearlessness and title as a wealthy man, was the main character of the novel. He, together with
his family and relatives, struggles to fight for what has been done by the whites in their clan and
country. Aside from this, there were also many African traditions and beliefs which are present
in the novel. One of which is their tradition on picking the suitor that will marry his daughter’s
wife. There were a lot of interesting chapters in the novel and, by that, there were also a lot of
feelings and emotions that came from the characters of the story. There were many things that I
liked about the novel. One of which are their decisions that made the novel interesting to read. I
liked how Okonkwo killed himself for killing the white messenger. Even though committing
suicide is too much for his fault, he still did it as if he thought he was such a fool. Okonkwo’s
suicide resulted to more quarrels from Obierika and Okonkwo’s family and relatives against the
whites. I learned from this part that there was a belief for them that they can't cut his body down
because it's forbidden to touch a man who has committed suicide. For me, if I would decide for
Okonkwo if he will commit suicide or not, I would still commit suicide because if he was still
alive, he won’t stop remembering and thinking what happened. It will only make his life even
worse. On the other hand, there were also some things in the novel that I hate or dislike. I hate
the part where Uzowulu and Odukwe called the nine egwugwu to raise a case. For me, it just
looks like an introduction to the nine egwugwu but the case seems to be apart from the story. The
struggle between change and tradition is one of the major themes of the novel. For me, in real
life, taking back tradition is not that easy and will only result to more chaos or bad things that
will happen. Adjusting to the change is a different but the correct decision if I were to pick. Even
though it looks different, soon you’ll get used to it like your older traditions.
 II. Character Focus

Character Identification

My chosen character is Ezinma. She is Ekwefi’s only child whom she calls the center of
her world. He is also Okonkwo’s eldest and favorite daughter. Okonkwo as a man who values
masculine qualities strongly wishes that Ezinma was born a boy. He kept thinking that until the
end of the novel. Ezinma is a wise person. She is even wiser than her mother and that’s what
makes Ezinma her father’s favorite child. Aside from her wiseness, she is also a precocious
person. She calls her mother by her name as if they are equals. She is mature enough to ask and
explain why things are like that. Also, she likes to do things in the way grown-ups do it. There
are many other characters in the novel but I chose Ezinma over the others because she is a
woman of passion and courage. She doesn’t get mad at her father even though it was too much
for a ten-year-old child like her to think of. She’s brave and courageous in many things
especially the part where she was called by Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, to come with her to
Agbala’s house in the hills and caves. Her attitude is what attracts me the most. Even though she
became one of the most beautiful girls in Mbanta, her respect for her father never changes.
 She asked her mom
She goes with Chielo why she lifts a pot
even if she doesn’t with her bare hands. She asks her father if
know where they are she could do such
heading. things for him.
Wise
Brave Precocious

She doesn’t get mad at

his father every time EZINMA She has no fears and if
Passionate she has, she would be
he gets mad at her. Courageous
brave enough to get
over it.
Respectful Bold

She follows orders She takes risks and is

very well. not afraid of them.
 Quotable Quote

Chosen Quote:

“‘Ekwefi,’ she said, ‘is it true that when people are grown up, fire does not burn them?’ Ezinma,
unlike most children, called her mother by her name.”

- Ezinma

Ezinma was always surprised that Ekwefi lifts a pot from the fire with her bare hands,

Page 40 (Chapter 5)

It would be a good motto by which I can live my life in a way that it should be. Ezinma, as child
who is about ten years old, is expected to have such manners and respect to the elders. In this
quote, she calls her mother by her name which means that she does not address her mother with a
term of respect and as if they are equals. It also tells that Ezinma was wiser than her years even
though she’s younger. This quote tells me that no matter how we address things, the good values
still remain.
 Memorable Scene

The memorable scene I picked is the scene where Ezinma found her iyi-uwa and the
curse of the ogbanje is gone. Okonkwo tries to ask Ezinma where she buried her iyi-uwa but she
declines and doesn’t answer. Okonkwo raises his voice at her but, suddenly, Okagbue, a famous
medicine man in the clan who has great knowledge about ogbanje children, stood up and tells
Okonkwo to let him do the the job. Ezinma answered Okagbue’s question and she said that she
buried it where they bury children. Ezinma led the way to the exact spot but she looks like she
was not sure of where she was going. Ezinma led the way back to the road and they arrived home
again. She then said to Okagbue that she buried it near the orange tree. Okagbue and Okonkwo
dug the pit to find where Ezinma had buried her iyi-uwa. And at last, it was found. Okagbue then
asked Ezinma if it was hers and she said yes. Finally, Ezinma’s and Ekwefi’s troubles were at
last ended. (Pages 80-85) This scene is significant for it tells one of the beliefs in the African
culture. It tells that African people used to believe in something that seems like it doesn’t exist.
The iyi-uwa is a special kind of stone which forms the link within an ogbanje and the spirit
world. Only if the iyi-uwa were discovered and destroyed would the child not die.
 Conflict Resolution

The main conflict of Ezinma in the novel is her beauty that attracted many young men
and prosperous middle-aged men of Mbanta to come and marry her. She was not a woman of
many words. She refused them all because her father had called her one evening and said to her
that he shall be happy if she marries in Umuofia when they return home. A woman of her age is
expected to marry a man whom she likes but Ezinma is a different one. Ezinma was a woman of
beauty and yet that didn’t stop her to follow her father’s orders or even his opinions or thoughts.
I think she made the right decision because things would be harder if she disobeyed her father.
Her father, knowing that Ezinma truly respects and obeys him, always expects that she would
follow every single word that he would tell her. For me, I think what makes her father happy is
what makes her happy even though marrying a man is what a typical beautiful woman would do.
She stills never loses respect for her father even though it was a hard choice.
 Personal Reflection

Quote:

When things fall apart, I won’t really say that they fell apart, but as a person who wants
her life to be perfect or at least almost perfect, I will keep thinking and remembering that things
are not meant to be like that because there’s really no falling if I rise back up, try again and think
that nothing happened. Things falling apart is like failure that when you commit one, you will
think that you’re such a fool but when you overcome one, things will soon look up, higher than
ever. And by that, failure is just like the climax of a story that you will think is the end but
there’s more to it if you keep reading.