1. What is the significance of killing all the twins?

2. If Okonkwo hadn't been exiled, would the white man have been allowed to settle in his village?

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2000

Answers

2) The white men would not have settled in Oknokwo's village, at least not with the ease that they did. He would have be aggressive enough to lead against the white men, hold meetings of the village men to hold on to the Ibo traditions, and not let the whites convince them that Christianity was a better way than the religious practices of the Ibo.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

1. It was believed that the birth of twins was an evil spirit, so they killed twins and took them to the Evil Forest and left for dead. They also took a razor to them to leave marks and dismember their body so to prevent the evil spirit from re-entering the mothers womb to be reborn.

2. I think the white man would have still been allowed to settle in, but we wold have seen Okonowo kill himself sooner. The whites were determined to set up a settlement and no one was going to stop them.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2000

The white men would have been able to settle, but the first settlers certainly would have faced almost certain defeat. Look at the history of conquering nations. America was conquered in ways similar to how Okonkwo's village was taken over. Perhaps something similar would have happened with his village that happened to many Native American tribes. They might have split into renegades and those who welcomed the white man. If that happened, Okonkwo would have doubtless led the rebels.

-- Anonymous, November 29, 2000

2. The white men would have still settled in the village because they were already in the area, it was just a matter of time before they got there. Okonkwo may have slowed them down a little but I don't think that he would have made much of a difference.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000