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Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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In the novel Things Fall Apart, there is a strong man by the name of Okonkwo. A man so strong that no one could beat in all the villages. Okonkwo believes it is childish to show weakness, but his belief of this goes a little too far. In Things Fall Apart Okonkwo has a father by the name of Unoka. Unoka was a man of no care he owed money but would never pay, this caused people to dislike him. The text states, “Unoka was of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbor some money, from a few coweries to quite substantial amount.” Okonkwo was not at all proud of his father. Okonkwo believed in always being better then him in fact Okonkwo's greatest fear was to be like his father. Okonkwo's greatest fear to be like his father motivates him to be a strong man. Okonkwo believed in being the strongest and this leads him to be abusiveto his family, the text states. “Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy hand.” Okonkwo was very brutal because he wanted things done his onl, …show more content…

Achebe does this bymaking Okonkwo the mightiest of the villages, Okonkwo being mighty and the best wrestler in the villages this would leave you to belive he is more like a hero, but Achebe, uses Okonkwo's temper to show what a man he really is, the text states. “When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground, and he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. “And he did pounce on people quite often.” This shows how Okonkwo knew he was the best so he would brutally beat people just because he was impatient. This shows how the theme of the story is created, by Okonkwo's outrageous temper. Okonkwo having his outrageous temper and his addiction to never show weakness, leads him to kill a boy he looked at as his own. Okonkwo learns from this, that never showing weakness is not always a bad thing, and sometimes maybe he should hold back, but this doesn't mean he

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Okonkwo is known throughout all nine villages for his self-wealth, strength but most of all his anger and temper. He is irrational and does not think logically, but thinks through his fists. He is incapable of showing remorse or emotion, and due to this lack of emotion, when someone starts to agitate him he immediately fights. Whether it be domestic violence towards his wife and children or picking fights with neighbors challenging him. Okonkwo’s family relationships make him a sympathetic character because he provides for his family which is what his father could not do and an unsympathetic character because of the constant domestic violence when something is not done to his expectations.

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He is a successful farmer, has many wives, and has “two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars” (Achebe 8). He appears to be the perfect man in comparison to his father. Unoka, who “had taken no title at all and [] was heavily in debt” (Achebe 8). Unoka’s failure in life motivated Okonkwo to fulfill every tribal expectation for success. Okonkwo wants to be the complete opposite of his father, who was labeled as agbala due to his faults.

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Okonkwo is an admired warrior of the Umuofia clan. When he was young, he received honor from his village by beating Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. His father is Unoka, who disliked the sight of blood. Unoka was constantly in debt, which meant that his family often were hungry.

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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.

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The novel “things fall apart” is about the fatal demise of Okonkwo and the igbo culture of Umuofia. Okonkwo is well known and respected leader in his community, who is successful in everything he does, such as wrestling and farming. He is quick with his hands and takes pride in his accomplishments. Okonkwo’s family relationship makes him a sympathetic character because of his support and an unsympathetic character because of his cruelty. In many ways Okonkwo showed that he had no sympathy for others , However at times he could be sympathetic.

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When Okonkwo was “angry and could not get his words quickly out enough, he would use his fists” (Achebe 2). Okonkwo’s violent personality traits cause him to make very irrational decisions that would later have future consequences. Despite that, his less than perfect tendencies did help him to achieve many goals throughout his life. However, the instances where they worked against him outweigh all other factors. Okonkwo is seen as a very painfully structured man and when something doesn't go according to his structure, it causes him to make irrational decisions.

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One of the main factors is his past. Okonkwo 's motivation to be a better man than his dad is what truly shapes him to be who he really is. Okonkwo has a love for his village like the love they have for him. But out of fear that he would be like his father, he started becoming very irresponsible and did things without thinking. He was feared by many and loved by many as well which made him become a very respected member in his tribe.

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His father was the exact opposite of what the Igbo people stand for. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, is a “coward [who] could not bear the sight of blood” (Achebe 6). In turn, Okonkwo became a ruthless warrior who was known across the different tribes. The worst aspect of Unoka is that he was considered to be a failure. This caused Okonkwo “even as a little boy [to resent] his father’s failure” (13).

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The hatred that he had for his father he carried with him throughout his whole life. That hatred turned into him killing Ikemefuna and the messenger. Ikemefuna was thought of as a son and he killed him in fear of being considered weak in front of his clan members. That weakness was thought of his weakness which was considered a failure. At the end of the story Okonkwo ends up being just like his father which is ironic because he strived to be nothing like him.

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Have you ever watched someone become everything they despise and hate? This is the case of the character Okonkwo. In the beginning of the novel he starts completely hating weak men and has not a single ounce of patience for them. Then by the end of the story to his tribe he is now one of the weak men he despised so much. The biggest turning point for Okonkwo was when he first got exiled, then when he came back to his tribe while the missionaries are there and lastly when he commits suicide.

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First, his relationship with his father Unoka. Who he did not have a great relationship with. And someone he did not specifically care for. Someone he knew who just so happen to be his father. In the book there is a quote “okonkwo was ruled by one passion- to hate everything his father had loved”.

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