The Culture in Umofia
..., they need to stay together and fend for themselves. They cannot constantly rely on others to care for them. They help each other survive and stick by each others side: “A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone.” (p 24) The family members in the tribe lean on one another for support and to keep themselves together. It is during the end when Okonkwo is upset with his family, that he loses all hope and kills himself because of his solitude. Instincts about what is right and wrong are another considerable topic in the lives of the people of Umuofia. They place importance on the fact that members of the tribe can sense a certain danger when it approaches or threatens the tribe. “Since men have learned to shoot without missing, [the bird] has learned to fly without perching.” (p 22) The bird has used its instincts inherited from its ancestors and these instincts aid them in what decisions to make in their every day lives. The bird knows from such instincts that it can no longer perch for long or at all unless it wants to get shot. The people of the tribe believe it is the same way with their lives. That they learned from the mistakes of their ancestors and their ancestors aid their instincts. The people also use the knowledge obtained from their instincts to make decisions about other things in life: “You can tell a ripe corn from its looks.” (p 22) They use instinct to determine whether they truly believe objects are naturally good or evil. They believe their instincts will give them a sign if the person they are confronting are good or bad. Respect is also a vital part of conversing with others in the tribe of Umuofia. Respect of elders who know all and have had more experience than the others in the tribe who are younger then them. They also believe that a person who pays the respect deserved to the proper person also deserves to be blessed for their consideration of an elder: “A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.” (p 19) Another proverb which is used earlier in the essay, which also adds to this topic is, “Blessed is he who forsakes his father and mother fo...