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Themes of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Themes of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Short note of character of okonkwo in things fall apart
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Anderson uses figurative language and sentence variety in order to establish the lesson that fear can change someone into a completely different person. Fear is an overpowering emotion that can force one into doing things it never otherwise would have. The fear of contracting Yellow Fever was overwhelming the city of Philadelphia. Families
Okonkwo’s aggressive ways caused Nwoye to rely on Ikemefuna, A boy given to Okonkwo by a neighboring village, as an older brother who teaches him a more gentle form of masculinity. The bond between Nwoye and Ikemefuna was stronger than the bond between Nwoye and Okonkwo ever was because of Okonkwo’s refusal to demonstrate affection towards his son as it could make him appear weak. However, because of the death of Ikemefuna, Nwoye fears having to return to the harsh values of his father. Okonkwo’s stubborn ideas of masculinity ruined his relationship with his son beyond repair. Okonkwo’s refusal to show emotion towards his family pushed them apart which shows that Okonkwo is not willing to give up his stern values and reputation to be emotionally committed to his family.
Fear impacts people to take extreme measures and to act ludicrous. Fear is evident of townspeople accusing each other of witchcraft in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible. It is evident John Proctor is fearing blackening his name for an act he did not commit. It also demonstrates Abigail Williams of fearing having a bad status in the
Have you wondered just how far your fears could push you? Primal fears have a direct effect on mental illnesses. Some of these common fears apply more than others; such as separation, loss of autonomy, and ego-death. Ken Kesey, Jon Krakauer, Edgar Allan Poe, and William Faulkner all demonstrate how one’s mental stability can be swayed by inner and unconscious fears. Separation detaches a person from a place they are connected to, causing them to feel alone.
These people who let fear get to them often do not want someone to find out what they did, what they caused, and who they hurt. People will go to great lengths to cover up something they did by blaming another person for all of it. An example of fear would be the trial in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. The example is when Mayella Ewell sent Tom Robinson to court for supposedly raping her.
Prompt 2 Okonkwo is driven by his hatred of his father and the fear he will become like him. Okonkwo saw his father, Unoka, as a coward and is ashamed to be his son. Everything that Okonkwo does is meant to set him apart from the legacy of his father. First, this is evident in his beating of his wives and even his aggression with his children. He is trying to show his strength and ensure he is not portrayed to be like his father: powerless and incapable.
In this passage, the Lovatt’s recognize that Bridget idolizes their perfect family. Bridget, similar to Harriet and David, aim to protect this unusual representation of the family because it is an extraordinary, but amazing concept. According to the passage, Bridget looks to the family with “reverential, awed, and revelation of goodness.” (31) Bridget represents the Lovatt’s curiosity, faith, and respect that fueled their dream. Therefore, as soon as the couple created their family values, they would not abandon them.
Okonkwo devotes his life to becoming the opposite of his unsuccessful father. This need to become masculine introduces his fear: “But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of
The distinct separation of power between men and women is repeatedly seen in Things Fall Apart, a fictional book by Chinua Achebe. Through this separation, it is seen that in a male-dominated society, men dislike matriarchal power in women and cause an imbalance in power; but women are just as needed as men in families and societies. Notably, it is clear, that the men in Umuofia view daughters as inferior; women are viewed as properties and they aren’t as well-praised as much as the first-born males. Additionally, women are viewed as mild and weak. In many cases, Okonkwo even uses the words “woman” or “womanly” to insult a man for being weak or of a lesser social rank.
In the book “Things Fall Apart“ Okonkwo is a very strong man and from time to time he starts showing his true self. He has a lot of responsibilities and other things he has to do around the living environment and interact with lots of people. Okonkwo changes from being that strong man, to a man who feels like his tribe is not with him when he wants to go to war with the missionaries. For someone like Okonkwo a lot of people looks up to him and while in the tribe Okonkwo beats his wives and children. Not good behavior for someone who is supposedly looked at as strong.
Among those of the same culture, individuals who are adaptive and open-minded can be successful when there is cultural collision. When the Igbo and European cultures collide, Okonkwo gradually spirals out of control, losing everything he values and his own sense of self. From the beginning of the novel, Achebe depicts Okonkwo as a virile warrior and a successful farmer within the Igbo tribe. Reacting with violence to anything he considers “womanly” or “weak”, “He was a man of action and man of war” (10). Because of his reputation as a warrior he is highly respected by his community.
Due to fear of being related to feminine and weakness, Okonkwo was always filled with anger which was
Abortion has become one of the most controversial topics over the last few years, but it has been like this for decades. Abortion, which is the termination of life in the womb, became legal in 1973 when the Supreme Court case, Roe versus Wade, split the nation in half. The topic of abortion has received a lot of attention in recent news due to the new Trump administration. This administration has brought more conservative views and claims that they will overturn and make it harder for a woman to have an abortion. Most religions take the stance of pro-life but some are pro-choice.
His fear of weakness and failure is derived from his father, Unoka’s failures, which ignite Okonkwo’s misogynistic views. Throughout his lifetime, Okonkwo associates femininity with weakness because of Unoka, who was called an “agbala” or woman by the people of Umuofia. Since women have this reputation for weakness, Okonkwo lives with constant fear that he will be given the same title as his father. Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye’s effeminacy reminds Okonkwo of his own father. He says, "I have done my best to make Nwoye grow into a man, but there is much of his mother in him ."(Achebe, 66).
Fear is the core cause of the dramatic shift of lifestyle for both Okonkwo and Nwoye. Through the management of reputation and the avoidance of their father’s likeness, Okonkwo and Nwoye built new lives for themselves. Okonkwo sought power and authority to prove his masculinity and make up for Unoka’s reputation as a weak man. He did this to the point where manliness became his character. Fearlessness and violence were masculine qualities that in Igbo culture signifies strength and influence.