Fall

Renowned writers, by default, are treated with respect for their thinking and their writing by default. There is undeniably a degree of status placing import on writings by a big name in literature and that status lasts. Chinua Achebe seeks to take aim at Joseph Conrad and his Heart of Darkness, making note of the unbounded racism found within.

It is well known that it is easier to follow or ignore an immoral crowd than it is to refute it. The innate racism that was commonplace during the publication of Heart of Darkness was what allowed the racism facet to not have affected its literary merit, which probably is not an excuse for slandering any portion of the human population. For now, I will refrain from further judgement on this basis as I have not read it.

However, the contents of the essay hold dark implications that accepted works (or really anything thay cna convey ideas) can easily be hiding in our everyday lives that share a message that is more conducive of evil than of the well being of humanity. If even something as tough as the literary community has had trouble calling out a novel for its blatant racism, how many other seemingly benign outlets of information convey a harmful message?

Apart

I will first surmise that some of the blogs my classmates will write will probably be about absolutely despising Okonkwo. 

Frankly, I myself am not far off but one has to factor in the difference in culture and circumstance. The major factor to contend with is his father's habits. Having borrowed unto debt and providing near nothing for his family, Unoka gives Okonkwo no pride of being his son. Okonkwo has no shame in ensuring that he, essentially a self-made man, retains all that he has built and, quite understandably, has no patience for those who've not expended the effort he has to reach where they are (measured by titles and so forth). However, this, according to the current prevailing view on such matters, does nor forgive beating his wives nor inciting violence and insults on others. 

But it is this cutthroat nature of his that allowed him to rise to the position he has from almost literally nothing. His social prowess and physical ability earned him many favors and fame for his efforts. He made his way on lack of sympathy, himself having had none during his childhood. The nature of his way of life simply saw unjust actions and far harsher, which is enunciated in his own arrogance, an unfortunate side effect of his intensive work to make himself who he his. He is not the philospher type to ponder moralities but the practical type to be in control.