Chinua Achebe

His life had been ruled by a great passion--to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring. And he had all but achieved it.

"We cannot leave the matter in his hands because he does not understand our customs, just as we do not understand his. We say he is foolish because he does not know our ways, and perhaps he says we are foolish because we do not know his. Let him go away."