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Things Fall Apart Quote Analysis

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Analysis of Okonkwo and Unoka in Things Fall Apart Do you know who Okonkwo and Unoka are? In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, he introduces two unlike characters, Okonkwo and Unoka, who live in the village called Umuofia. Okonkwo is Unoka’s son and Unoka, is Okonkwo’s father. Although, they have many differences in terms of their strength and success; they are similar through their common interest in farming. As explained,the characters Okonkwo and Unoka are particularly different. One way they are different is that Okonkwo is strong and Unoka is weak, for example, the quote: “Okonkwo threw the cat” (Achebe pg. 1) determines how strong Okonkwo is. The quote explains he has so much strength that he was able to throw “the cat” one of the greatest …show more content…

One way they are similar is through common interest in farming. This quote demonstrates how Unoka is similar to Okonkwo “Unoka...had said to him during that terrible harvest month: ‘Do not despair’... You have a manly and proud heart.”(Achebe pg 24) This quote explains demonstrates how Unoka doesn't want his son to feel hopeless due to failure. Unoka wants his son to do his best and never give up. The phrase “Do not despair” and the word “devotion” are connected because y Unoka doesn't want Okonkwo to give up and has declination to give him that advice and so his son can be a great farmer and won't let that failure bring him down. Another quote that explains explains Okonkwo’s similarity is “Okonkwo wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man.”(Achebe pg. 33) This quote explains how Okonkwo wants his son to be an amazing farmer and man. Okonkwo wants his son to be the best farmer and never look down. The phrase “great man” and “devotion” are connected because Okonkwo has a commitment to make his son the best. To conclude, Unoka and Okonkwo both have a cultural tradition of never giving up and being the best

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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.

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