Trying to write a blog about a book heavily neglected for 6 weeks tends to
lend more towards the difficult side. It had made a home and a dent at the
bottom of my book bag, for whatever reason. Things Fall Apart truly wasn't
that bad of a book. It truly opens me up to new culture, new names, and
literature that I'm not used to encountering. Set in Africa, the story unfolds about
a local legend, Okonkwo: successful, honored, loved, adored. The story
contrasts between a man and his father, strong versus weak, successful versus failure.
Okonkwo's goal in life was to be everything his father was not. His motive was fear, anger,
and resent towards a failure of a father. But...just WHAT does this have to do with anything?
How does this pertain to me, as well as blog about it?
Like Okonkwo, I have held bitterness towards a
parent and anger towards their mistakes...
I had grown up being raised by my father the first few years
of my life, before moving in with my stepmom. My biological mother was strung over
with a shackling drug addiction for a good portion of her life. As much as I'll always love
her, my mother was the epitome of failure, whether struggling with being jobless, having
relationship problems, drugs, or lack of self-digity. Eventually, this would cause a 5 year
separation from myself and my mother, in efforts by my father to protect me. As I have grown up,
I had heard about my mother, and I have seen the effects it had on my sister and I. I had been so
ashamed of her, for being the way that she was. I had been so scarred, because I felt abandon's
sting. I felt resent towards her for choosing a selfish lifestyle over us. Therefore, I had adopted the
thinking pattern of wanting to make sure I didn't end up like her when I grew up. Though I don't
feel the bitterness towards my mother anymore, I can understand what it's like to feel such
embarassment like Okonkwo did.
I have come to terms with my life, my struggles, my pain. I can learn from my mistakes, as well as
others, without the weight of a heavy heart. Okonkwo had come to terms with his life, his upbringing,
and he pushed through to make something of himself.
How about you? Have you ever been hit by the reality that you can relate to a book character?
I have.
