Achebe is calling him out (the dc) in a critical way that the district commissioner really doesn't understand the point and importance of Okonkwo's death. A very one-sided view

His tone is that every day brings something new and the word "new" is important and significant as it shows how this man is "new" to this type of culture. The tone is that the commissioner has very much to learn about the African culture and Achebe is judging the commissioner that he is going to write this book, when he knows so little about their African culture.

The District Commissioner wants to tell his readers how to act around Africans in his book. Achebe probable doesn't approve of this because instead of telling about the entire culture, He wants to concentrate on simply how to act around them.

Achebe's tone makes the district commissioner seem like he believes Okonkwo's life doesn't really matter. It can simply be a chapter in a book, and maybe not even a chapter. It is sad to think that someone's whole life story can be wrapped up in just a few sentences.

"One must be firm in cutting out details"

The district commissioner thinks that he has the right to be able to pick and choose what is to be shared about Okonkwo's life. Although he does point out there there is so much else to include, the tone of the paragraph gives the impression that the district commissioner will not portray Okonkwo well. I think the the DC will only portray Okonkwo in a negative way, not including his backstory.

"In the many years in which he had toiled to bring civilization to different parts of Africa and he had learned a number of thing"- this shows that the Europeans thought that it was their duty to bring civilization to Africa and that it was 'hard work' for them. Although he learned a lot, he couldn't understand that the Africans already had a civilization of their own. Achebe's tone stresses this point at the end of the novel to teach others to learn and understand before they judge.

It is ironic that Achebe made the District Commissioner say that Okonkwo's story could only make up a paragraph when the whole book is about him.

This shows that some details are left out but you have to be accurate when cutting out the details. If you have to cut out details maybe the story should not be told and of what was hidden he could include in his book to show the real story. If details are left out it eventually changes the whole story and it can lead to someone believing something totally different than what the truth was.

This quote shows that the European's would use these situations to show justification for their actions in Africa.

Achebe's says here, that if a district commissioner was to cut a hanged man from a tree he will be seen as undignified and the natives people would poorly think of him. Achebe thinks the DC thinks too highly of himself and is disconnected from the African people and Achebe also displays the how uncaring the commissioner is in this quote.