Things Fall Apart: Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is sort of a recovery period for Okonkwo. He has taken his family and gone to stay with his uncle Uchendu. His uncle helps him start his own farm again, but Okonkwo's driving spirit seems to have greatly dwindled. Awkwardly enough, as I read through this chapter, after having so much dislike for him thus far throughout the novel, I found myself feeling sorry for him. However, Uchendu tries very hard to make Okonkwo feel better. He tells him a story, which seems to be quite the tradition in Africa, about how men always return to their motherland when life is hard. I actually think this is true, not just in the story, but quite often in our everyday lives as well. Anyways, Uchendu finishes up his speech by telling Okonkwo about his own troubles, and saying that he did not hang himself and that he was still alive. This very well could be some foreshadowing for events that will happen later in the novel.