Within Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart novel, Ezinma stands out for her bold personality; Ezinma engages in behavior that highlights her braveness. In other words, Ezinma does not consider the possible dangers of her actions. To this end, Ezinma goes against Umuofia tradition by asking for permission to carry Okonkwo’s stool to a wrestling event. In addition, Ezinma secretly eats some eggs that are forbidden by Umuofia traditions. Further, Ezinma poses some uncomfortable questions to Ekwefi, the mother. This essay analyses Things Fall Apart to highlight Ezinma’s bold personality based on the following actions; contrary to Umuofia traditions, Ezinma asks for permission to carry Okonkwo’s stool to a wrestling even; Ezinma secretly consumes certain eggs that are forbidden by Umuofia traditions; and Ezinma poses some uncomfortable questions to Ekwefi, the mother.
Given that, contrary to Umuofia traditions, Ezinma asks for permission to carry Okonkwo’s stool to a wrestling event, Ezinma illustrates her bold personality. In this regard, just before a wrestling game begins, Ezinma asks Okonkwo to allow her carry his stool to the venue of this game (Achebe, 2012). It is instructive to note that Okonkwo is Ezinma’s father. Given this fact, Umuofia traditions prohibit Ezinma, a girl, from carrying the father’s stool. In view of this scenario, a reader would validly hold that Ezinma has a bold personality. This boldness inspires Ezinma to attempt to carry the father’s stool. If she were not bold, Ezinma would allow Okonkwo to freely choose who will carry his stool. From this analysis, it is clear that Ezinma has a bold personality.
To further illustrate he bold personality, Ezinma secretly eats some eggs that are forbidden by Umuofia traditions (Ibid.). In so doing, Ezinma metaphorically challenges Umuofia and its traditions. Given this scenario, a reader would reasonably think that Ezinma considers the Umuofia traditions that prohibit these eggs to be overly restrictive. In Ezinma’s thinking, no harm will befall her if she discreetly consumes these eggs. Considering this idea, Ezinma thinks that the traditions that prohibit the consumption of these eggs are superfluous. For these reasons, Ezinma consumes the forbidden eggs (Ibid.), thus illustrating her bold personality. If she were not bold, Ezinma would desist from eating these forbidden eggs, lest some harm befalls her.
Moreover, considering that Ezinma poses some uncomfortable questions to Ekwefi, the mother, Ezinma highlights her bold personality. By posing these questions, Ezinma fails to adhere to traditional guidelines that impose restrictions regarding the subjects a mother and a daughter may discuss (Ibid.). According to Ezinma, these uncomfortable subjects are essential and should thus be openly discussed between a mother and a daughter. Consequently, the Umuofia society has no right to impose sanctions on confidential discussions between a mother and a daughter. Importantly, by indulging in these subjects, Ezinma illustrates her confidence in the idea that no harm will befall her. This attitude highlights Ezinma’s bold personality. If she were not bold, Ezinma would adhere to Umuofia traditions and thus avoid posing uncomfortable questions to Ekwefi.
In conclusion, within Things Fall Apart, Ezinma demonstrates her bold personality in several ways. For instance, contrary to Umuofia traditions, Ezinma asks for permission to carry Okonkwo’s stool to a wrestling event. Further, Ezinma secretly consumes certain eggs that are forbidden by Umuofia traditions. In addition, Ezinma poses some uncomfortable questions to Ekwefi, the mother. It would be prudent to find out why Achebe depicts Ezinma, a girl, as a bold character within a patriarchal society.
