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Okonkwo And Ezinma Essay

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Okonkwo has been traumatized by mediocrity in his early life because of his father. Because of this fact, he has always resented his father, Unoka. Unoka was always known as a lazy coward who was always poor and Okonkwo learned to hate these characteristics. Okonkwo grew as a great honorable warrior, earned a great reputation and had several wives. Ekwefi was Okonkwo’s second wife and mother of his favorite child, Ezinma. Ezinma embodied exactly what Okonkwo saw in his wife, the village beauty. Ezinma is about the only one of his children to truly understand Okonkwo and his ways. Although there was this unique connection by these two characters, Okonkwo was afraid to show any affection to Ezinma because he believed it would make him look weak in front of his village and clan members. Power and strength are extremely valuable characteristics for Okonkwo and he despised anyone who looked weak or coward like his father. The only thing that Okonkwo would change about her is the fact that she is a female. In this village, things were run like a patriarchy so it is easy to understand why Okonkwo would rather have a son instead of a daughter. …show more content…

Nwoye makes an attempt to please his father by acting more masculine and it does please him but not enough to stop Okonkwo from beating him and mistreating him. Ikemefuna, a child gifted to Okonkwo by a neighboring village, is more of what Okonkwo wants in a son and he grows close to Nwoye. Ikemefuna constantly tries to help Nwoye be accepted by his father but to Okonkwo, the resemblance to Unoka is uncanny. Because Nwoye resembles laziness and cowardice behavior in front of Okonkwo, he remains the least favorite child. Even as Nwoye starts to act more masculine and win the approval of Okonkwo, Nwoye still has inner problems. As the village undergoes changes, many people grow apart and this affects

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