things fall apart by chinua achebe
In Things Fall Apart, power, strength, aggression, and force define manhood. ... In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo demonstrated the urge when he danced to the rhythm. ... This is the peak of the dance when the crowd, as Achebe describes it, “Rose to a frenzy, the people surged forward. ... The war dance transcends human boundaries and links tribesmen to their ancestors so that all dance together, or as Achebe describes: “[the rhythm] was no longer a mere disembodied sound but the very heartbeat of the people. ... Afterwards, he thought, “How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number?