All Things Fall Apart was a book filled with many lessons that not only can be used during college but throughout the rest of our lives. The most impactful parts that the book spoke about the major struggle between changing, or staying the same and keeping the tradition. Another main “theme” or characteristic was many divergent views of what a man should be, and how a “real” man should look. Another part of the book that stood out in my eyes was the use of representations in order to represent what is actually happening and foreshadowing what is to come. These are the concepts while reading that made this book one of a kind, and it seemed to almost come to life and was an adventure; with many different twist and turns throughout the entire book. From the very beginning of the book, it is very obvious that the societal view of masculinity is going to play a very large role in the main character, Okonkwo’s life, and throughout the book. Okonkwo from the very beginning it is very obvious he despises his deceased father, Unoka. Okonkwo and his father varied vastly, Okonkwo was a highly respected and fearless warrior in his village of Iguedo, as well as being a fearsome warrior he …show more content…
Throughout the book we are taken on a roller coaster ride of a journey, through Okonkwo’s life. To beginning as a strong manly leader of a village to his very rash decisions that ultimately was his downfall. All Things Fall Apart is an excellent portrayal of our lives, and how important it is to be humble and thankful for all that you have been blessed with, even if it is not what is asked for, or wanted. We are given what is necessary, not always what our desire is. Okonkwo was consumed with overcoming his fathers image and was on a mission to be everything that his father never was, that he forgot to just be himself and that is why Okonkwo was never to fulfill everything he was capable
Okonkwo is known throughout Umuofia to be extremely masculine. He rarely shows signs of fear or weakness. This is because Oknokwo promised himself he would be the complete opposite of his father Unoka. Unoka had passed away ten years prior to when the story takes place but he has always been remembered as a weak, lazy, poor man who could barely provide for his family. He was always in debt and didn't care to work, he would play his flute all day everyday if he was able to. "People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back" (5). Unoka was the laugh of the town and Okonkwo would never allow himself be that.
Masculinity is a major theme in Things Fall Apart. The epitome of masculinity and power is Okonkwo himself. As a high village elder, he exemplifies the coveted attributes of
Okonkwo’s beliefs are mainly related to masculinity. Throughout the story, it's clear to see that Okonkwo is very attached the idea of masculinity and power.
Okonkwo, the main character of the book, was born the son of Unoka, who was a loafer. Unoka was too lazy to go out and plant crops on new, fertile land, and preferred to stay at home playing his flute, drinking palm wine, and making merry with the neighbors. Because of this, his father never had enough money, and his family went hungry. He borrowed much money in order to maintain this lifestyle. Okonkwo perceived this as an imbalance toward the female side in his father's character: staying at home and not using one's strength to provide for the family is what the women do. In reaction, Okonkwo completely rejected his father, and therefore the feminine side of himself. He became a star wrestler and warrior in his tribe and began providing for his family at a very young age, while at the same time starting new farms and beginning to amass wealth. He is very successful, and soon becomes one of the leaders of his tribe and has many wives and children. His big ambition is to become one of the powerful elders of the tribe, for what could be more manly than that?
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Achebe, Okonkwo is a man who is strict about his masculinity and masculine tradition. His consistency is impressive but his struggles makes his fight unyielding. Okonkwo’s masculinity is significant for him not be like his father, throughout his life he works hard to not be like Unoka. Okonkwo is a stubborn man and he constantly fights to be masculine and does not like much get in his way. This all sums up to his consequences of being a strict masculine man. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the way Okonkwo views masculinity through the novel is a consisted fight and he goes through a journey of sticking to only masculinity but has a downfall because of it.
Okonkwo is not all that he may seem; as there is more than what meets the eye. Okonkwo is the primary protagonist within the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo is a cruel yet kind man who has everything yet has nothing, which in turn creates a sympathetic character. A character such as Okonkwo has many facets; or masks if you will. Then we have his many influences: the Ibo culture; his father Unoka and of course his own personality. Then there is a staggering list of achievements. Okonkwo is a strong character but thinks only inwardly - especially towards his father - which will be discussed further in this essay.
In the novel Things Fall Apart, the parents have positive and negative effects on the people around them. Okonkwo has very little self control over the things he does. But even though Okonkwo has little self control and may make mistakes, he also has positive effects on Nwoye his son and people close in his life. He also has negative effects on Nwoye which cause permanent damage in his relationship with him. Along with the mistakes Okonkwo has made, there has been people who have also influenced him to have good intentions and bad intentions, like his father.
In the novel, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a sympathetic and unsympathetic character in regards to his family relationships with his adopted son, Ikemefuna, his daughter, Ezima, and his father, Unoka, as a result of he appears to genuinely care about his family; but, the pride within himself prevents his expression of such pride and concern openly. The protagonist, Okonkwo demonstrates his sympathetic character solely to himself, personally, and infrequently not in the eyes of others. During the plotting of Ilemefuna’s death, Okonkwo was hesitant to make the boy aware of his fate and also hesitant to take part in his death. “‘I cannot understand why you refused to come with us to kill that boy,’ he asked Obierika” Okonkwo was aware that the adopted boy from an opposing tribe thought of Okonkwo, not only as an authority figure and high-ranking tribal member/warrior, but also as a father—his father. Until the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo continued to show Ikemefuna kindness due to feeling that “his son’s development was due to Ikemefuna.”
Both characters have life goals before the fall. “In Things Fall Apart, Achebe makes it clear that Okonkwo’s single passion was ‘to become one of the lords of the clan’. According to Achebe, it was Okonkwo’s ‘life spring.’ Okonkwo wanted to be a hero,” claims Nnoromele (41). In becoming a great man and hero he must overcome the shame his father has left upon him. His father was lazy and had no titles. This helps motivate him on the road to heroism.
Two words, “man up”, have impacted thousands of lives forming the standard ideal for men all over the world. In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo leads his life in fear of looking like his father, appearing weak. Just as Okonkwo changed his actions, George Orwell, the author of “Shooting an Elephant”, was influenced by those surrounding him and was afraid to look foolish. Submission of individuality has been going on since the beginning of humanity to now from all races and cultures. While all countries, cultures, and generations create a different image of the ideal man, they all experience a loss of individuality to meet society’s expectations of masculinity.
In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is portrayed as a respected and determined individual whose fatal flaw eventually works against him. Throughout the novel the readers are shown that Okonkwo has many of these Characteristics because he is obsessed with the idea of becoming just like his father. This becomes his flaw in the novel that puts him into exile and makes it hard for him to adjust to the changes that were made with in his village.
Okonkwo associates many of his tribal influences with masculinity. Right away in the book, Achebe affiliates strength with manliness. “As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalizine the Cat” (3). He is honored because he had enough strength and agility to overthrow the cat. Okonkwo feels to be successful and manly, one also must show no emotion. He thinks emotion is for the weak and for woman, and he does not want to be either of those. “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness,-the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (28). Okonkwo treats Ikemefuna with this idea. He becomes very fond of the child, but never outwardly shows his affection. If he showed his affection he was afraid he would be looked down upon in his tribe. Although his father enjoyed little things like music and dancing, Okonkwo had no desire to share his father’s enjoyment. He desired power and wealth. He wants to construct and maintain a big house for his many wives and even more children. “Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things. He was still young but he had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of ...
In accordance to defining a tragic hero, the protagonist is conflicted with opposing forces. In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character Okonkwo, is the depiction of a tragic hero. Okonkwo is a man who accomplished his success by hard work and the motivation to be stronger. In the beginnings, Okonkwo created his own farm by borrowing yam from the rich village man named Nwakibie. His strong willed and the dedication to never end up to be like his father, made Okonkwo strong and power. Okonkwo grew up from poverty to wealthy enough to support three wives, and many children. He was well respected by his clansman from his village. Although, Okonkwo has many great aspect in his life, his tragic flaw is the fear of becoming
The character of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was driven by fear, a fear of change and losing his self-worth. He needed the village of Umuofia, his home, to remain untouched by time and progress because its system and structure were the measures by which he assigned worth and meaning in his own life. Okonkwo required this external order because of his childhood and a strained relationship with his father, which was also the root of his fears and subsequent drive for success. When the structure of Umuofia changed, as happens in society, Okonkwo was unable to adapt his methods of self-evaluation and ways of functioning in the world; the life he was determined to live could not survive a new environment and collapsed around him.
Okonkwo sees his father’s gentleness as a feminine trait. He works hard to be as masculine as possible so that he will be the opposite of his father and overcome the shame his father brought to his family. Okonkwo deals with this struggle throughout the entire book, hiding the intense fear of weakness behind a masculine façade (Nnoromele 149). In order to appear masculine, he is often violent. In his desire to be judged by his own worth and not by the worth of his effeminate father, Okonkwo participates in the killing of a boy he sees as a son, even though his friends and other respected tribe members advise him against it. (Hoegberg 71). Even after the killing of Ikamefuna, Okonkwo hides his feelings of sadness because the emotions are feminine to him. He goes so far as to ask himself, “when did you become a shivering old woman” (Achebe 65), while he is inwardly grieving. The dramatic irony of the secret fears that Okonkwo has will open the reader’s eyes to how important gender identity is to him. This theme is also presented among Okonkwo’s children. He sees his oldest son, Nwoye, as feminine because he does not like to work as hard as his father (Stratton 29). When Nwoye eventually joins the Christian church, Okonkwo sees him as even more feminine. On the other hand, Okonkwo’s