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. From an early age, Okonkwo was ashamed of his father, Unoka, who was unable even to feed his family. The unpredictability of receiving enough food at a young age was enough to inspire fear and embarrassment in Okonkwo who associated this embarrassment with his father and was given further justification for these feelings when he went out into Umuofia, discovering that the …show more content…
He transferred his fears into the context of Umuofia and the traits that society valued, but what was really the driving force in his decisions “was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father” (17). The values of Umuofia resembled the polar opposite of what Unoka was and Okonkwo twisted his motivations around in his mind and presented them to himself and the community as derived from Umuofia’s traditions. From this delusion, Okonkwo established his ultimate goal of becoming a revered member of the village, possessing many titles, and achieving anything necessary displaying his prominence in the
Change is a word that the world does not like to hear. Whether it is politics, family, or even the climate, change is a factor of life that people fear. The world has tradition and a set pace of culture. One place this tradition and culture is prominent is in the underdeveloped regions of Africa. Chinua Achebe wrote a novel, Things Fall Apart to put on display the culture of a group called the Ibo from Nigeria. These Ibo people are a perfect example of how change does not occur and how tradition prevails in some places. The story is of their everyday life and specifically follows one character named Okonkwo, who is the ultimate example of a fear of change. Events in his life that do change him and his family allow for a dramatic story of a
However, beyond this manly display of strength and fortitude lies a man whose life is dominated by fear, a fear of being considered a failure. The main contribution to this fear is his father Unoka. When talking about Okonkwo, it is hard for Unoka's name not to come up, as he has been such a great influence and contribution to his personality, and the way in which he chooses to live his life.
He was in great conflict with the ideas of the white men and the missionaries. Okonkwo saw that their beliefs had not only changed the daily life of the Ibo, but it also changed the people themselves: “He mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women” (Achebe 183). The author uses strong diction to compare the men before and after colonization. This quote also portrays Okonkwo’s opinion towards the cultural collision. He values strength and masculinity immensely because of his fear of appearing weak like his father Unoka. When he describes that the men of Umuofia changed to be soft like women, this shows how much he dishonors the Western ideas and how it has taken over the village. He made an attempt to get rid of the Western influence by urging the tribe to fight like men, but they refuse to. He was determined and still attempted to furthermore encourage the people of Umuofia to revolt against the new culture. He realizes that his attempts to return the village back to the way it was before were futile. He knew that Christianity was tearing his people apart, but knew he was incapable of making change to help his people. Okonkwo then starts to feel hopeless and abandoned by his clan, which causes him to commit suicide by hanging himself: “Obierika… turned suddenly to the District Commissioner and said ferociously: ‘That man was one of the greatest men
Okonkwo was so concerned about being nothing like his father. Even as a young boy, Okonkwo was embarrassed of his father and wanted nothing to do with him. He was always worried about turning into him. “It was fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father” (Achebe 13). His fathers failure in guidance made him constantly worry about being nothing like him, which created more stress. If a parent does not give good examples of how to live life it will teach the child nothing. Unoka was not a good influence, he did not try hard in life and he was known for nothing, no one acknow...
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 my essay I will discuss how Okonkwo’s in “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, changes from the beginning to the end of the story relates to reality as motion and how in reality he was his fathers child, but in ideal he wanted to be nothing like his father he wanted to find something different in himself which relates to contradiction energizing motion.
He has grown to detest all the things Unoka liked, and developed a strong will and exterior so he wouldn’t even flinch at bloodshed. His father was a coward that feared almost everything and was considered an agbala amongst others. Okonkwo had been personally affected by his father's underachievements by cause of children who taunted him at a young age. Unoka is also known to be the opposite of Okonkwo, or rather Okonkwo began to become the Unoka. “[…] Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood. In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head.” (2.4). He is ridden by the internal conflict of the always caring of the opinions of others in the village. Okonkwo faces man vs. man conflict since he has to tackle his own perceptions of being an idol in the village. This is a fright that cannot be shaken off in Okonkwo's situation, since it;s been deeply embedded into his personality and how he is. Now that he is overflowing with pride of his high status in Umuofia, his standards are higher, it induces an even more self conscious Okonkwo.“[..] his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic“ (12). Okonkwo is able to tackle many obstacles with his power, but unfortunately there is no greater opponent than himself. His mind is always patrolling back on
Okonkwo was well known through out the nine villages because of his achievements in the tribe. Okonkwo had a great fear of becoming like his father. This had a rather large impact on his life and how his personality. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was a lazy man whereas Okonkwo was a hard worker, Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy hand and he was a man of war.
Okonkwo wanted to be the most successful man in the clan. He was traveling that path successfully until foreigners came to his territory. He came from a embarrassing family. His father, Unoka, was a joke to the clan. Unoka was in major debt and there was no way he was going to repay anyone. Whenever he got his hands on some actual money it went straight
“With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had. He neither inherited a barn nor a title, or even a young wife. But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future” (18). Most of his accomplishments were despite his father, whom Okonkwo loathed, but with whom I connected. In the novel, I relate more to Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, a much more laid back character. Like Unoka, I am in love with life, lazy, not worried about tomorrow, and deeply in debt.
In the novel, Okonkwo’s fear of becoming like his father drives him to become the polar opposite of Unoka: emotionally hardened and distant. This is truly displayed in his hate for
Okonkwo’s personality, attitude, and beliefs can all be traced back to his father. Okonkwo’s relationship with his deceased father shapes the majority of his aggressive and belligerent personality. “Unlike his father, he could stand the look of blood. In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head” (4). Unoka was a coward, a man who only cared to have fun. Unoka lacked any trace of responsibility. He was poor, sluggish, and neglected his wife. Ukonwo’s hate for his father has made him the ruthless man he is today. He has strived his entire life to show that he is nothing like is
Okonkwo's refuses to show anything but anger and ends up killing Ikemefuna which he loved dearly all because of the dominant environment. Okonkwo becomes an alpha-male in Umuofia. Although he is already rich and strong he is scared that he will be seen as weak and poor like his father.
From an early age, Okonkwo was ashamed of his father, Unoka, who was unable even to feed his family. The unpredictability of receiving enough food at a young age was enough to inspire fear and embarrassment in Okonkwo who associated this embarrassment with his father and was given further justification for these feelings when he went out into Umuofia, discovering that the other villagers held similar opinions of Unoka. When he was old enough, Okonkwo began farming his own yams because “he had to support his mother and two sisters […] And supporting his mother also meant supporting his father” (25). Okonkwo’s self-reliance was admired, valued in the community where “age was respected […] but achievement was revered” (12); this admiration gave him feelings of security, and the respect of his peers pushed him towards greater self-respect, distancing him from his father. The security and respect became related in his mind as he viewed his acceptance in the community as his life’s goal and Okonk...
Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, uses the changes in African tribal culture brought about by European colonization to illustrate the evolution of the character Okonkwo. As Okonkwo leads his life, his experiences, personality and thought are revealed to the reader. The obstacles he faces in life are made numerous as time progresses. Okonkwo's most significant challenge originates within himself. He also encounters problems not only when in opposition to the white culture, but in his own culture, as he becomes frustrated with tribal ideals that conflict with his own. The last adversary he encounters is of the physical world, brought upon himself by his emotional and cultural problems. The manner through which Okonkwo addresses his adversaries in Things Fall Apart creates the mechanism that leads to his eventual destruction.