Things Fall Apart Question 4

11/11/13

Why might this theory, that children who do not survive are actually evil spirits, make sense to the tribe?

I think that it makes sense that they are "evil spirits" because they are spirits that haunt the parents. This is because they want to torture them because every time one was born, it died. This hurt Efwiki and the "evil spirit" succeeded by killing 10 of her children. She became depressed and sad. This is what the "evil spirit" wanted, as far as we know. It makes sense to the tribe because they think of it as the fact that they want to cause harm to the parents, and that's what they did. They do not know what happens inside, they do not have x-rays, and so that is one of the few only things that they can believe. It provides justification so that the mother is not to blame- this could lead to a beating or something worse. They also believe in evil, and evil forest and danger, this is just one more way to explain it.

What did you find most challenging about Chapter 9? Why? What did you find most interesting? Why?

I found the most emotionally challenging thing that was in Chapter 9 was how much Efwiki cared for Enzinma, it was how much she cared. Even if Enzinma had a fever Efwiki panicked. I do not think I could care for someone that way and that is what makes it seem challenging to connect to. What I found most interesting was the part that Enzinma went to the "dead baby stone". How did she know it was there? It was strange.