Francisco de los Ríos Mr. Riccardi English 3-4 (H) January 10, 2023 Affects of Okonkwo's Actions In the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the reader follows the story of Okonkwo, a respected leader in Igboland in the late nineteenth century. Living with him is Nwoye, one of Okonkwos’s sons who is constantly shunned by the disappointment due to Okonkow’s strong glorification of masculinity and view of what a man should be. Throughout the course of the book, Nwoye’s relationship with his father changes Nwoye’s character due to Okonkwo's stubborn attitude to accept Nwoye for who he truly is. From the beginning of the book, Okonkwo's constant disappointment directed at Nwoye is the start of the toxic relationship that leads to Nwoye's …show more content…
After Ikemefuna, an adopted son from a near by village had stayed in Okonkwo’s household for a while, Nwoye begins to show signs of change. He appears older, more mature, and now controlled women as Okonkwo intended him to. Specifically, Nwoye became more masculine, embedding work more frequently into his life just how Oknokwo expected him to. But, when Ikemfuna was killed by Okoknwo due to the clan's request, Nwoye felt a pit being dug up inside him. Achebe states, “As soon as his father walked in, that night, Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna had been killed, and something seemed to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow. He did not cry. He just hung limp…. A vague chill had descended on him and his head had seemed to swell, like a solitary walker at night who passed an evil spirit on the way. Then something had given away inside him.“ (Achebe 61-62). Ikemefuna played an important role in Nwoye's life, filling a hole inside him that Okonkwo could not fill. Once Okonkwo took away the role of Ikemefuna as a brother-figure, Nwoye is now missing a part of himself that he cannot gain back as well as an emotional support. Additionally, Achebe specifically uses a metaphor to explain Nwoye’s emotions in this situation, allowing the reader to experience what Nwoye is feeling. First, he refers …show more content…
A few weeks after the white missionaries had arrived in Umuofia, Nwoye starts to show interest in the new religion, Christianity. Achebe clearly demonstrates this by quoting, “The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul–...and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed.” (Achebe 147). Although he is intrigued, he makes sure to stay at a safe distance from the new religion. Later on in the chapter, Achebe states, “Although Nwoye had been attracted to the new faith from the very first day, he kept it a secret. He dared not go too near the missionaries for fear of his father.” (Achebe 149). Later on, when Okonkwo’s cousin, Amikwu, passed by the church, he saw Nwoye in the church and immediately notified his cousin. Filled with fury, Okonkwo reacts to Nwoye’s disobedience by starting to choke him. After finally letting go, Achebe states, “But he left hold of Nwoye, who walked away and never returned… Nwoye did not fully understand. But he was happy to leave his father.” (Achebe 153). After finally leaving the abusive and toxic relationship with his father, Nwoye is finally free from the chains that his father cast upon him. Due to Nwoye’s young age, he wasnt able to fully comprehend what leaving his father meant, but as Achebe states, “He was happy to leave his father”.