Okonkwo's Relationship With His Father Quotes Analysis

Anas Ali

Ms. Pratt

English 10 HN

02 February 2023

In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, readers are introduced to Okonkwo, a proud man who strives to be successful in his village of Umuofia. Despite his best efforts, his pride often gets in the way of his success. His relationship with his late father shapes much of his violent demeanor. Okonkwo's greatest weakness is his pride, which is constantly under threat both from his community and from himself. This pride is justifiable since he has accomplished a lot, but it can also lead to tragic consequences such as when he kills Ikemefuna against the advice of Ogbuefi Ezeudu.

In Things Fall Apart, the thesis is to not let pride get in the way of life. The author uses key events throughout

Okonkwo is ashamed of his father's lack of success and wants to be the best he can be in order to prove himself and show how he is unlike his father. This pride leads him to act as if he is somehow not respected because of the relationship with his father. Okonkwo's struggle with his father's reputation and how pride can impede one's life is shown in the quote, "Okonkwo's father was disrespected and derided for being cowardly, effeminate, weak, and unsuccessful, and so Okonkwo resolved to not be these things. His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness" (Achebe 21). This quote shows how Okonkwo's pride and fear of failure has his life consumed by fear because he is always trying to prove himself and live up to his father's legacy. Another example is that Okonkwo refuses to accept help from others, which leads to his downfall. "Let us not reason like cowards" (Achebe 152). This quote demonstrates that pride can prevent one from achieving their goals and should not be allowed to get in the way of life. The author uses examples like Okonkwo's struggle with his fathers reputation and Okonkwo not accepting help from others to show that the theme is that you should not let pride get in the way of your

Okonkwo's pride leads him to resist change and reject the white missionaries who come to Umuofia. This resistance leads to his downfall because he is unable to accept a new way of life. This shows how pride can lead to downfall when it prevents people from adapting and accepting new ideas. "A proud heart can survive general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone" (Achebe 30). His response to the colonizers is influenced by his own views on pride, and his fear of failure and weakness ultimately leads to his demise. Another example is how Okonkwo's pride causes him to act rashly and without thinking of the consequences. "If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and flog him out" (Achebe 152). This quote shows how Okonkwo's pride causes him to act rashly and without thinking of the consequences. His refusal to compromise or show mercy leads to his eventual