Question

How is the story about why mosquitoes buzz around people’s ears relevant to the novel?

Answer 1

• The Rejection of the Feminine: Okonkwo recalls this story while he is suffering from fever and mourning the death of Ikemefuna. He immediately feels guilty for thinking of a silly woman’s tale, as he believes stories and emotions are signs of weakness. This highlights his internal struggle to suppress anything he deems unmanly.
• The Persistence of the Past: Just as the Mosquito continues to buzz to prove it is not dead, the consequences of Okonkwo’s actions (like killing Ikemefuna) continue to haunt him. He cannot escape the buzzing of his conscience or the traditions he tries so hard to dominate.
• A Metaphor for Mortality: The Ear’s mockery of the Mosquito as a skeleton mirrors Okonkwo’s own obsession with strength and his contempt for weak men like his father, Unoka. However, the story suggests that the weak (the mosquito/the new religion/the changing times) often outlast the strong (the ear/Okonkwo).
• The Foreshadowing of Change: Folk tales represent the oral tradition and soul of Igbo culture. As the novel progresses and the white man’s religion takes over, these stories and the world they represent begin to disappear, much like the impotent ash Okonkwo fears he will become.