In the end, he cannot cope with what is happening to him and chooses to deal with things in his own way. Jonathon, too, is a man that is faced with challenges in his community. His outlook is more positive and he chooses to cope by adapting as best as he can. Adapting was something that Okonkwo simply could not do and would not do. These men represent the fragility and the resiliency of man. They are both strong men and fight for what they want. Achebe wants us to see thee men as representations of all of man - the creature that would like to think he knows it all. This notion brings us to Achebe's idea presented in "Knowing Robs All." Here, Achebe asks us to look at ourselves though the same prism that we view these men knowing that when we do so, we will begin to see our vulnerabilities as we see theirs - as objects that can make or break us. Even knowledge, with all of its advantages, still takes something away from us and this is what we should keep in mind when we consider the plight of others and, more importantly, ourselves. Achebe's literature makes this possible.

"Civil Peace." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York: Longman. 1998. pp. 386 -- 9.
Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books. 1959.

Knowing Robs Us." Chinua Achebe. http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/1298/achebe/scrapbook.html

Korb, Rena. Critical Essay on "Civil Peace," Short Stories for Students, Vol. 13, the Gale Group, 2001.. GALE Resource Database. Information Retrieved February 27, 2009. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com

Kenneth McLeish, "Things Fall Apart: Overview" in Reference Guide to English Literature. 1991. GALE Resource Database. Information Retrieved February 27, 2009. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com

Sanderson, Susan. "Critical Essay on "Civil Peace.'" Short Stories for Students. 2001. GALE Resource Database. Information Retrieved February 27, 2009. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com