Examples Of Generational Trauma In Things Fall Apart

It’s shown that two out of three people have suffered from some form of generational trauma, this was studied at an organization called “Bridging Hope Counseling” that works toward empowering people (Bridging Hope Counseling). What is generational trauma? Generational trauma is a type of behavior that is continuously carried and passed down to each generation. Since many people do face generations of trauma without realizing it, it's so common to find it repeated in households. Chinua Achebe, the author of the novel Things Fall Apart, provides a fitting example of generational trauma. Starting from the protagonist’s (Okonkwo) father, Unoka. Unoka is knowing around his village as a lazy man, who remains in debt to all his neighbors. Ashamed

Early on, in the novel he is depicted as a young man who was able to bring honor to his village, by fighting a great wrestler, known as Amalinze the cat. Everyone knew about how he overthrew Amalinze, even those who were not a part of his village. This led to Okonkwo’s obvious fame, everyone respected him just for his wrestling ability. Even as Okonkwo got older, the honor and respect he received from others only grew. He had married many wives and had many children, each getting huts of their own. Getting huts and having many wives showed fame, wealth, and the honor of a man. Okonkwo had all these things that his father did not have, and the fame he had received from everyone had made him feel validated, and genuinely like he was not his father. In this sense, his fame is the gift he had received to prove that he would not be a failure like his father, Unoka. In the novel, it says “And although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time” (Achebe 8). This intext quote presents the fame that Okonkwo had received from those around him, and why he liked/ needed this distinction from others, and how his wrestling truly made him honorable in the Igbo tribe. Another instance of this is when, in the text it states “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit” (Achebe 16). Though Okonkwo had a

But this fame that he had earned has also proved to be a challenge for Okonkwo to keep up with. Okonkwo had gotten used to his life of fame and being put in the spotlight. He made sure to be mindful of the things he did, and how the public would perceive him. According to the text “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought of weak” (Achebe 61). When Okonkwo had practically adopted Ikefuna into his family, he saw him as the son he always wanted and loved him. But Ikefuna was going to be killed, as retribution for the woman that was killed 3 years prior. Okonkwo had come to the execution, and helped kill Ikefuna since he did not want to be seen as cowardly by the other men there, and people who would have heard about the incident. Another instance of Okonkwo being mindful of how he is perceived, in the text it says “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” (Achebe 24). Okonkwo had this mindset so set in his mind; he would not even care to show emotions to those he loved or was fond of. This of course, was an effect of how his father was always seen as weak, and even for a second, Okonkwo could not stand the thought of being seen as