Apollo

The theme of a work is used to shape the work as a whole. In the short story “Apollo” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie many themes can be seen that help mold the work into what it is. The themes of innocents, kindness, betrayal, and growth can be seen as the story progresses. The character’s actions, thoughts, and emotions help the themes be revealed and the characters situations be better understood. The characters in this story come from different social and cultural backgrounds and this also helps shape the story and its themes. In the short story “Apollo”, the character Okenwa is reminiscing about one of his experiences as a child and his relationship with his childhood friend, Ralph. Okenwa comes from a more fortunate family and has the privilege of having people work for his family. In the United

In their culture this is something that is very common. Okenwa speaks of how he has had houseboys come in and out of his life, but there is one that has made an impact on his life. This houseboy’s name is Ralph. Ralph was different than the rest of the houseboys, he was kind and patient. Okenwa was fascinated with Bruce Lee, and he wanted to become a Kung Fu master. One day Ralph saw him practicing and he decided to show him how to do the moves. They both bonded over martial arts and would spend time together fighting and watching Bruce Lee movies. They became best friends, Okenwa looked up to Ralph, and would do anything for him. This leads into the theme of innocence. Okenwa was a child in the story and he did not see Ralph as his worker but as his friend. This shows how children do not care about who you are or what you do, they just care about your character. When Okenwa says, “It was after school, with Raphael, that my real life began. My parents did not notice how close Raphael and I had become. All they saw was that I now