Outside Reading, Week 1, Post B

One thing about the book that has fascinated me so far is the story of how Okonkwo was able to escape his father's negative shadow and build his own fortune. Through several smart and savvy deals, Okonkwo was able to gain respect in his community, create a network of relationships, and amass a large holding of yams, the measure of wealth in Okonkwo's village. Okonkwo seems to have a deep understanding of how the culture and trade relations work, despite the fact that his father was a deadbeat and never taught him anything. It seems like a bit of a plot hole and Okonkwo is seemingly born with these talents of negotiation and business, allowing him to maneuver his way into power. Also, Okonkwo is able to succeed in his farming arrangements, even though the narrator says that it was the worst weather that the elders have ever seen. This seems like another gaping plot hole. Why is it that Okonkwo is able to come out ahead, while the other farmers have all their crops burn up? It just seems like this book is taking the fictional/mystical aspect too far sometimes, and downplaying it at others, which creates for a very confusing reading experience. Sometimes Okonkwo and the others are held back by physical limitations and real reasons, yet at other times, randoms acts are attributed to the gods. I'm fine with either having a mystical book or a realistic book, but it seems too difficult to do both.