Question

How does okeke, mr. smith's interpreter, show wisdom in dealing with the leaders of umuofia? what do you think is the cause of his wisdom? what do you think would have happened if okeke weren't so wise?

Answer 1

When Mr. Smith has to deal with the leaders of Umuofia, he uses an interpreter by the name of Okeke. Okeke is a native of Umuru, and he knows the habits and beliefs of the people of Umuofia better than Mr. Smith. Therefore, when Mr. Smith asks him to tell the leaders to leave the house of God, Okeke interprets it in a much kinder and uncompromising way. This is a sign of his wisdom, as he is able to correctly establish the negative impact that aggressive words would have on the leaders' behaviour. If Okeke had not translated in such a wise way, he would have angered the leaders.

Answer 2

The wisdom of Okeke is best seen in the way he interprets the harsh words of Mr. Smith. He mistranslated intentionally so that what Mr. Smith was saying was not as harsh and it was toned down. If he didn't do that things would had gotten much worse and people probably would have died. His wisdom most likely comes from his experience and tribe interactions.