From the novel; Things Fall Apart
Artistically, Okonkwo’s seven years’ exile is a device used by Achebe to
- to introduce comic relief
- keep Okonkwo at a distance from the movement of the mind of Umuofia
- serve as a warning to other members of the Umuofia community
- shows that wilful crime does not pay
-
de-emphizes the role of Okonkwo in the novel
