An Analysis of Things Fall Apart and Antigone - 1027 Words

Behind every great person in life, there lies a person who assisted them in achieving their greatness. In the novels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Antigone by Sophocles, this idea is portrayed perfectly. The way that Achebe developed Ezinma throughout the novel, I believe, is what was used to show readers the softer and gentler side of Okonkwo. In conjunction with that, Sophocles used Ismene to be the more tame and obedient side of Antigone. Through the descriptions and ways that these two female characters affect the main characters in each of these novels, Ezinma from Things Fall Apart and Ismene from Antigone, it is apparent that they both value their families, but Ismene would choose the law over her family while Ezinma would†¦show more content†¦But, Ezinma resisted the priestess when she came to take her away. Achebe wrote that Ezinma was â€Å"crying loudly, calling on her mother† (Achebe, 102). This shows that she cares for her mother and trusts her e nough to want to stay with her instead of going with the priestess. Another tradition in the villages was for the daughter to choose a suitor whom she thought would be best for her and would make her father happy. As for Ezinma, she preferred pleasing her father over anything else. So, when Okonkwo mentioned that he would â€Å"be happy† if she married when they returned home to Umuofia, Ezinma â€Å"had seen clearly all the thought and hidden meaning behind the few words† and she agreed to follow her father’s request (Achebe, 173). This is significant because there was no law or custom that said that she had to listen to her father, because she was a grown woman. Finally, Achebe entered a very subtle scene close to the beginning of the book that was quite significant to this idea that Ezinma honored her family. When she was bringing her father food, Ezinma asked him if she could bring his chair to the wrestling match in the village, to which he replied that it was â€Å"a boy’s job† ( Achebe, 44). This reveals that Ezinma would go out of the norms to be close to her father and to please him. Through elusive yet significant ways, Achebe eased Ezinma’s loyalty to her family and, most importantly, her father into the novel’s timeline. Although Achebe and Sophocles did not putShow MoreRelatedtheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Read MoreMedia Magic Making Class Invisible2198 Words   |  9 Pagesgrow up in a lower class family, you probably will not make it farther than your parents did. For example, a person grows up with their parents being store clerks or working at Burger King, it is most likely a fact that you will end up doing the same thing. That is the point Mantsios tries to make by showing the reader the profiles of the peoples lifestyles. He lets you look for yourself at the lifestyles of people as they grow up. By showing the reader the background of the person, you could clearlyRead Moredreams of vision9899 Words   |  40 PagesA Thesis ANALYSIS ON TRAGIC CHARACTER IN THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE By ANDRI HERMANSYAH 102026024515 ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY JAKARTA 2009 APPROVEMENT ANALYSIS ON TRAGIC CHARACTER IN THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Strata (S 1) By ANDRI HERMANSYAH 102026024515 Advisory: INAYATUL