What happens to Grandma Ellie?

Thomas paine's common sense convicted colonists to

When mrs. jameson says "it (the desert) won't leave you cold," what does she mean?

In about two hundred words, explain how the author's use of folktales and symbolism add meaning to the story and convey the central theme of the novel: the disintegration of the traditional igbo society as a result of its contact with european practices and beliefs.