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How Did Unoka Influence Okonkwo's Life

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Q1: Explain how Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, influenced his life.
A1: Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, influenced Okonkwo’s life because he had been a failure in life. Unoka was a lazy and improvident debtor. In his youth he lived a carefree life and would visit different villages and market to play on his flute and feast. However, Unoka the grown-up was a failure. He was very poor and was constantly in debt, which means that his wife and children (including Okonkwo) didn’t have much to eat. Unoka was very feminine, having a love for music and a hate for wars and blood. He died ten years ago, still a failure who had no titles and was still in debt. Ashamed of his deceased father, Okonkwo has become the complete opposite of his father. He is famous for …show more content…

At the top of the hierarchy, you have the Oracle of the Hills and Caves as well as the elders. People would go to consult the Oracle whenever they had misfortune upon them and clans would never go to war unless they had consulted the Oracle first. This shows the power that the Oracle had, which comes from the belief of the people that the Oracle could tell the future or connect them to the deceased. The elders (only men) were the oldest and most experienced people in the village, therefore making them the most respected. Next came men who were ordered depending on how many titles they had, how wealthy they were, and how strong they were. These things were important in differentiating men because it shows their self responsibility, personal achievements, and personal accomplishments. It separates the great and hardworking from the weak and lazy (ex: Unoka). These upper parts of the pyramid (consisting only of men) had important roles in society. They would determine whether or not their clan would go to war, and this was seen when all the men gathered at the market place to discuss what to do after men from Mbaino killed a girl from Umuofia. The men were also expected to rule his wives and children. The lower part of the hierarchy consists of women. The women (especially the wives of men) we considered to be less than their male counterparts. They are less respected and are bossed around by their husbands, who were allowed to beat their wives should they do something wrong. Women were seen a feminine, making them weak to the eyes of men. They would take on feminine jobs like cooking, caring for the children, and making sure that their husband is satisfied. The lowest part of the hierarchy consists of children, in which the boys were superior to the girls. Boys, when they were younger, would spend time with their mothers, staying in their huts and listed to stories

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