Okonkwo In literature, there are many characters that stand out and show that they have a variety of qualities about them. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is one character that presents character traits from both the negative and positive sides of him. Okonkwo is portrayed to be a warrior who wanted to become somebody strong and looked up to, but also possesses less favorable qualities. He, however, does not let any one trait dictate his whole personality; he is written to be a well-rounded character. Okonkwo has traits that present him as both a strong character and a weak one, and they all play a part in defining who Okonkwo really is. The first example of Okonkwo’s character traits is one of his strengths. Okonkwo is a man who is looked up to by a large amount of other warriors. Although he …show more content…
He shows that he was extremely pleased with his daughter, Ezinma, several times throughout the novel. He thinks a lot of the young lady… much more than he does his sons, which he labels as disappointments. Sometimes a rare, affectionate side of him even shines through when he is addressing Ezinma. Okonkwo is proud of his daughter and who she is becoming, for he even says, “If Ezinma had been a boy I would have been happier. She has the right spirit”(50). Out of all of his children, at least he takes much pride in one of them; that’s something that he never gets himself from his father while he grows up. In contrast to this softer behavior, Okonkwo is also a strong man. He is one of the greatest wrestlers in all of the villages when it comes to his physical strength. Not only that, he is mentally strong as well. He is able to do things that most men believe to be unthinkable; he displays all of the characteristics needed in an ideal warrior. Okonkwo can have pride in the important aspects of his life, such as Ezinma, and also be strong and prepared to fight when