Achebe writes, “ Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 63). Many other members of the tribe would have let their son be killed because of the unwavering faith many have in their religion and the decisions of the elders. However, not many would do it themselves. This scene truly showcases Okonkwo’s fears.
This man is a menace to his own family he is cruel and unfair to his son and daughters and actions like this make me want to believe that this man is a unsympathetic character in this story. Okonkwo went as far as to try and shoot one of his wives in the back, and he beats her for leaving his daughter with his other wife. Okonkwo believes that if you make the tiniest mistake that you should be beaten. As far as with his son the one he calls lazy and incompetent he would starve him for 3 weeks straight. For example “Okonkwo stood over him while he swallowed his yams trembling a few moments he went behind the hut and began to vomit painfully”.
“ And so so at a very early age when he was striving desperately to build a barn through share-cropping Okonkwo was also fending for his father 's house¨(Achebe Pg. #22). Okonkwo provided and supported
In the book “Things Fall Apart“ Okonkwo is a very strong man and from time to time he starts showing his true self. He has a lot of responsibilities and other things he has to do around the living environment and interact with lots of people. Okonkwo changes from being that strong man, to a man who feels like his tribe is not with him when he wants to go to war with the missionaries. For someone like Okonkwo a lot of people looks up to him and while in the tribe Okonkwo beats his wives and children. Not good behavior for someone who is supposedly looked at as strong.
The narrator tells the readers how Okonkwo 's life in the beginning was. Since his father was ill-fated,lazy, irresponsible, and has a bad reputation, Okonkwo did not inherit anything. He did not inherit neither a barn,nor a title, nor a young wife. The narrator tells us that when he talks about Unoka 's Oracle visit. The priestess told Unoka that he is having bad harvest due to his being lethargic.
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.
Okonkwo strives to be everything but his father. This is clear from the very beginning when it says, “He had no
Okonkwo devotes his life to becoming the opposite of his unsuccessful father. This need to become masculine introduces his fear: “But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of
He was too proud to let his tribe give up their warlike history. He was to proud and self-assured to accept his son's choices. Okonkwo is a sad character whose pride has constantly led him down the crooked path. Achebe shows that being proud isn't a constructive thing for the future. That development can only occur when pride is put aside, and people think logically instead of
Okonkwo becomes like this because of his father. His father was lazy and dies a dishonorable death and leaves nothing for his family. Okonkwo fears becoming like his father, an agbala. The effect of this is beneficial for Okonkwo. The way he turns out makes him a great man and because of this, he obtains the third highest title in his tribe.
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”.
The way the gender roles in his society were set up was the women had to always obey the men. This causes Okonkwo to be strict so he can manage his household. But the effect
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).
Eventually, after numerous hardships, Okonkwo earns his success and obtains several barns and wives. This symbolizes wealth and power which were what Okonkwo had been working for all his life. Moreover, Achebe portrays Okonkwo as a fierce warrior and is also represents him as a model clansman in the society:
From my perspective Fr. Arrupe meant that it isn’t right for people to just love themselves or god but ignore those in need of help. He wanted the students to be selfless members of society, the kind of people that aid others without hesitation. Please note I'll be using they/them/their pronouns for the person I'm talking about because they are genderqueer. Kenneth, one of the leaders in the LGBTQ+ Kickback organization is one of the most selfless people I know.
