Struggle Between Fate and Free Will

As a member of the book club XxAnacondaXx, I was introduced to a

multitude of novels and gained great insight on each one. The novels discussed in
the meeting were Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, To Kill a Mockingbird by
Harper Lee, Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, and Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill.
Through the assistance of my group members, I was able to explore each novels
plot thoroughly and discover a few connections among the presented books. Many
being themes shared by the novel. The theme of Fate versus Free Will one that was
most prevalent in the sum of novels. As each novels plot progressed and evolved,
this theme became more obvious, and is therefore a prominent theme among the
books.
In the novel Things Fall Apart, the theme of fate vs. free will is presented
through multiple means. In the novel, the main character Okonkwo comes from a
poor family whose yam crop yields failed year after year. Okonkwo deemed his
father a failure, a man unable to provide his family with the provisions they needed
due to his lackadaisical nature. Okonkwo was destined to failure just like his father,
because he lacked the inheritance that the other tribesmen had. Despite this fate,
he aspired to become one of the village heads of Umofia. Through his dedication
and will, Okonkwo produced the most successful crops of the village. His free will
counteracted his miserable fate, which proves the presence of fate vs. free will in
the novel. Furthermore, near the end the novel, Okonkwo lost his prestigious title
due to a misfortunate accident in which he killed a member of his village. He was
deemed a malefactor, and was banished from the village for seven years. After
Okonkwos return, he pursued to regain his position as one of the village leaders,
but found that his village was corrupted by the introduction of Christianity. Okonkwo
was passionate about ridding his townsmen of the nuisance they called the white

man. In the novel, Okonkwo goes as far as confronting the Churchs Leader, but
ends up being taken hostage and tortured until the ransom was paid. This angered
Okonkwo leading him to kill one of the Church missionaries and then committing
suicide. Okonkwos free will was to re-establish his once esteemed status. He
worked endlessly with passion during his days of punishment on a grand entrance
to his Father Village, where he would once again be renowned. Regardless of his
will, fate ultimately led him do his downfall, which demonstrates the theme of fate
vs. free will. Moreover, when Okonkwos son, Nwoye, converted to Christianity, the
works of fate were at hand, opposing Okonkwos strong will. When the white man
passed through Okonkwos mother land, their new religious views sparked an
interest in young Nwoye. He would secretly take part in the Christian sermons, so
his father Okonkwo would not find out. When Okonkwo eventually realized his sons
secret intentions, Nwoye converted religions, regardless of what Okonkwos
expectations. Fate decided that Nwoye will become a Christian, and Okonkwos will
was powerless against it. These events prove the presence of fate vs. free will in
Things Fall Apart. I personally did not enjoy this novel very much. I believe that the
ending was too fast and abrupt. There were many unresolved issues within the
novel even after it had ended.
The prominence of this particular theme is carried on from Things Fall Apart
to the novel Book of Negroes.
The novel Book of Negroes was presented by Iqraa, and also demonstrated
fate vs. free will in numerous scenarios. In the novel, the main character, Meena,
was taken away from her village by a slave capturer. Meena, of course, had no
intention of being captured by the slave master, but rather the will to escape the
man. Irrespective of her free will, Meena ended up being captured and sent away on

the slave ship. This is simply Meenas fate. She had no control over her capture, and
this event was destined to occur. This struggle between Meenas will and her illmannered fate proves the prominence of this particular theme in the novel.
Additionally, the battle between fate and will is presented with Meenas escape.
While on the slave ship, Meena no longer had the intention to escape. She had
become friends with a boy on the ship, with whom she was getting close. The boy
cared for Meena, and enjoyed her company greatly. But this new found joy ended
abruptly when Meena became ship wrecked on an island. After this incident, she
was enslaved by a man named Mr. Lindo, who did not treat her like a slave, but
more as a companion. In this sense, she escaped slavery. Meena wanted to stay on
the ship with the boy that she befriended, but this was not the case. Fate led her to
becoming ship wrecked and escaping slavery. She did not possess the will to
choose her path. This once again shows the conflict between free will and fate.
Furthermore, into the distant future of the novels plot, Meena actually conceives a
child with her late husband, but Meena and her daughter were separated during a
series of riots that took place in Birchtown. After years of searching for her
daughter, Meena finally abandoned her quest and joined the settlers in relocating to
Sierra Leone. Years later, without having any intention of doing so, Meena reunites
with her missing daughter who cares for her until her final days. It was fate that led
to the two women reuniting. Meena did not have any intent on finding her daughter.
The events occurrence was dictated by destiny itself. Therefore, the theme of fate
vs. free will is presented in the Book of Negroes. In the final book club meeting,
Iqraa stated that the novel was very much enjoyable. The struggle of slavery is
one that I found extremely interesting. I gained an insight on how much AfricanAmericans actually suffered during slavery. Judging from her attitude during her

presentation of the novel, I would consider Iqraa to be very fond of the novel. She
had a deep understanding of her novel and was able to prove her opinion with
sufficient proof.
The Book of Negroes shares multiple similarities with Crow Lake. The most
obvious being the theme of fate vs. free will.
The novel Crow Lake presented by Mackeba also demonstrates the theme of
fate vs. free will throughout the duration of the plot. In the novel the main
characters older brother, Matt, falls in love with his neighbour Maria. The two have
a very loving relationship and connect at an intimate level. Their love bore a child.
Matt was considered the most intellectual in the family, and was therefore chosen to
be the one to go to university. But due to thoughtless actions, he was forced to
takeover Marias farm and care for his new child. Matt had the intention of going to
university, but fate lead him across another path. Fate lead him to becoming a
father, and he was not able to govern his life what so ever. This shows the existence
of fate vs. free will. Also, in the novel, the main character, Katie loses her parents in
a car accident. At the time of the accident, Luke, the eldest sibling, was only
nineteen years old and was attending a college. In order to keep his family together,
Luke dropped out of college to pursue a career. It was very difficult at first, but he
eventually finds a career that ends precipitously because a rumour was spread
about Luke. His motives were not to sacrifice his college diploma and get a
mediocre career. Once again, fate was at hand. He did not have a choice in dropping
out of school, it was his destiny to do so. This once again proves the presence of the
theme of fate vs. free will in this particular book. Mackeba did not seem to enjoy her
novel, as she somewhat lacked information on the novel. Mackeba stated I didnt

like this book because I dont like to read. This statement identifies Mackebas lack
of interest in the novel.
Crow Lakes interpretation of fate vs. free will is somewhat different
compared to that of To Kill a Mockingbird.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird presented by Tate, the theme of fate vs. free
will appears on multiple occasions. In the novel, a character named Boo Radley
isolated himself to a circumscribed area. Throughout a large portion of the novel,
Radley remained inside his house, avoiding confrontation with other people.
Eventually, fate had lead Bradley to exit his premises and comfort Scout (main
character) and her sibling during the fire in the neighbourhood. Such an action was
against Radleys will, which insisted that he remained isolated in his home. As
stated before, it was due to fate that the two characters had any form of
confrontation whatsoever. This particular portion of the novel symbolizes the
conflict between ones own will, and the power of destiny. Furthermore, this theme
is presented when Tom Robinson is accused and punished for the alleged rape of a
white woman named Mayella Ewell. Although Scouts father, Atticus provided a
proficient amount of evidence, Robinson was still imprisoned. Tom devised a plan
escape, and his intention was to leave the prison as quietly as possible. Guards shot
and killed Robinson on sight. Such was his fate that worked against his intentions to
escape and gain freedom, rather than death. Moreover, it was Atticuss free will to
take over the Robinson case and defend him as his legal attorney. Fate dictated that
no man would defend Robinson in court, and yet Atticus, with his own will took
control of the case. It was such a fate because the town of Honeycomb is one that
thrives on racism; they have a great hatred towards African-Americans. Therefore,
the theme fate vs. free will is one that is dominant in this novel, as seen through

these scenarios. Tate seemed to somewhat enjoy the novel. He wasnt very fond of
the idea of racism, but he did enjoy how Scout and Boo Radley became closer as the
plot continued to evolve. During the final meeting, Tate stated The novel was
written was written from a perspective that I have never seen before: through the
eyes of a child. It really opened up my mind about the world we live in This quote
actually shows that he found the novel more enjoyable than bothersome. It revealed
to him the true, cruel nature of our world, and how it is viewed through the eyes of
an innocent child.
The book club meetings went exceptionally well, in regards to both individual
and group aspects. Although this was the case for the overall performance, the
initial meeting lacked structure and discussion. This was due to the lack of prior
interaction, which prevented each member from discussing the contents of their
novel thoroughly. With the progression of the meeting, each member felt
increasingly comfortable in terms of discussing their book, and by the end, the
group had an understanding of each novel. All meetings following the initial one
were extremely thorough and informative. Every member had a perspicacious
attitude towards their novel. They were easily able to answer in detail, any
questions concerning their books. For example, when Tate was asked the main
conflict involved in his novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird, he stated racism, and was able
to provide substantial proof to support his answer. Furthermore, each group member
applied both listening and speaking skills effectively. As the speaker presented their
individual novel, the other members took notes extensively, jotting down any
important information. They were also attentive to the speakers facial expression in
order to understand their opinion towards the novel. When the presentation of the

novel was completed, the group members discussed any unclear questions to better
understand the novel.
I believe that my individual performance was good, but it could still use some
improvement. Throughout the course of the book club, I was able to maintain
steady eye contact with the rest of my group during the presentation of my novel,
which I would consider to be a good speaking skill. Furthermore, I was able to speak
in a clear, appropriate tone which enabled my audience to clearly understand the
concept of my novel. Although this was done well, I believe that I spoke a bit too
fast, which made it somewhat difficult for the other members to understand what I
was saying. I also did well in regards to listening skills. While the other group
members presented their novel, I took notes on their speech, and later revised them
to have a better understanding of what was said. I was also very observant in
concerns to the speakers facial expression, which gave me an insight into their
attitude towards the novel.
The regular book club meetings had given me the opportunity to discover the
plots of multiple different pieces of literature together with the members of the book
club. It has greatly expanded my preference range for types of literature. I am now
considering books characterised as historical fiction because of all the insight they
provide on actual events that took place. Such a phenomenon would not have
occurred if my group members were not able to communicate at the level they did.
Through their assistance, I was able to come to the conclusion that the most
prominent theme among the novels: Things Fall Apart, To Kill a Mockingbird, Crow
Lake, and Book of Negroes is Fate versus Free Will.

By: Arham Syed