Question

"If we fight the stranger, we shall hit our brothers and perhaps shed the blood of a clansman. But we must do it. Our fathers never dreamed of such a thing, they never killed their brothers. But a white man never came to them. So we must do what our fathers would never have done." The excerpt above suggests that _____.

A. the speaker is going to advocate for peace
B. this is a speech that Okonkwo would disagree with
C. there is a connection between the themes of the individual vs. society and
tradition vs. change
D. the speaker is advocating for genocide

Answer 1

The answer to this question would be C) There is a connection between the themes of the individual vs. society and tradition vs. change.

Answer 2

The correct answer is option C. There is a connection between the themes of the individual vs. society and tradition vs. change.

The text suggests that the speaker would not go against his traditions on normal circumstances, his traditions consisting on not putting their brothers in any danger - this suggests the risk of inciting a war with other groups -. The speaker finds the apparition of a white man to be a special circumstance, and struggles on whether to change the ways of his father by challenging this individual, finally opting for change. This evidences a connection between the elements of option C.

As for the rest of the options:

A. The speaker is most likely inciting a war by challenging the white man, rather than making peace.

B. Okonkwo is a character from the story "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, from which the excerpt was taken. In the story, he is described as brave, violent, and struggling with change, but embracing it at a certain point. Given his nature, he is most likely to agree with the speech.

D. The speaker opts for fighting a single man, not for annihilating an entire race.