Essay Questions

Why is Ikenna becoming distrustful, belligerent, and ebbing to his inner world?

The prophecy of Abulu has left Ikenna distressed and annoyed. According to Abulu's prophesy, Ikenna will become voiceless, unsighted, crippled, and killed by a fisherman. At first, Ikenna took this prophecy as a joke, but as time goes by, Ikenna starts to imagine that the killer fisherman is likely to be one of his brothers. He becomes distrustful and decides to isolate himself so that he can feel secure. On the contrary, Ikenna ends up hostile, loses appetite, and paranoid. He is fearful that his life is in danger. Ikenna isolates himself, and no member of his family understands why he is behaving strangely.

What is the emblematic meaning of Ikenna’s mistrust?

Ikenna's paranoia symbolizes his death's prophecy by Abulu. Ikenna tries to ignore the prophecy, but the more he does, the more he becomes fearful and mistrustful. He starts to suspect that one of his brothers is after his death. However, the reader is aware that Ikenna's hostility has nothing to do with his brothers. His brothers are not mindful of Ikenna's assumption that one of them is after his life.

How does the author use dramatic irony in the book ‘The Fishermen’?

Chigozie Obioma is strategic because he uses the crazy man to bring out a dramatic irony. When the crazy man tells Ikenna that he will die, he is surprised and refuses to believe that he is immortal. Ikenna's denial that is he is going to die drives him crazy, hostile, and paranoid. The satire in this context is that Ikenna thinks that he should live forever. Everyone in this world will die someday, and the news of death should not drive someone crazy.