Okonkwo Quotes

Okonkwo was one of the most famous and fearful member not only of his clan in Umuofia but other nine villages as well. He worked hard to become a renowned and prosperous member of his clan and to break away from the legacy of his father Okoye who was referred to as ‘agbala’, a man who has not won any title and was another word for woman. Okonkwo was not an evil man but his life was dominated by fear of weakness and failure which made him extremely violent and aggressive. He hated everything associated with his father- music, gentleness and laziness. But much to the anguish of Okonkwo, Nwoye embodied most of his grandfather’s traits and this enraged Okonkwo deeply. Okonkwo dreads that Nwoye will blot the acclaim and honour he has worked so hard to achieve. Nwoye’s “incipient laziness” was causing Okonkwo great deal of distress and he sought to correct him by “constant nagging and beating” and as a result Nwoye was “turning into a sad-faced youth” (Pg. 13).
Nwoye is aware that he should adopt the more masculine traits of his tribesmen, as desired by his father but he still prefers his mother’s company. Okonkwo

Nwoye and Okonkwo did not share a conventional father-son relationship, rather their relationship was based on superior-inferior dynamics and both of them had feelings of resentment towards each other. Instead of respect and admiration for his father, Nwoye feared Okonkwo and looked for opportunities to avoid facing him. Ikemefuna filled this emotional void that was created by the discontent relationship between Nwoye and Okonkwo. Ikemefuna fulfilled the role of both a father and brother in Nwoye’s life as a role model and as a friend with whom he could share his thoughts. It is with Ikemefuna that Nwoye realizes that he can adopt certain masculine traits which were gentler and could be utilized without being the type of man his father