ipl-logo

Analysis Of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

1248 Words5 Pages

Things Fall Apart Essay
By:Brendadette Lopez~Paiz In Chinua Achebe’s masterpiece Things Fall Apart, he portrays the evolution of Okonkwo, a tribal leader, struggle to get out of poverty, and the colonization of Africa. Due to the colonization of his country and the changes it had brought caused the tear in Okonkwo’s tribe leaving him with nothing, and leading to his fate. Okonkwo had started his life from the very bottom, and he clawed his way to the top of social status in his tribe. Okonkwo didn’t receive any help from his family, causing him to put very high expectations on all his children. Just like Okonkwo, his village had high expectations for all its people, but those expectations were not kept for long. The colonization of Okonkwo’s home was the final part to push Okonkwo over the tipping point. However, for one to see how the colonization of Africa destroys Okonkwo’s morals they would have to look from the beginning to see the big picture.

From the very beginning of Okonkwo 's life he had suffered from poverty due to his father’s, Unoka, debts and addiction. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit” (Achebe, 16). Okonkwo had to figure out how to do the tasks that all men in his village do on his own, and at a young age. Okonkwo also had to be the man of the house at a young age because his father couldn’t provide for the family. “His mother and sisters worked

Show More
Related

  • Pride In Things Fall Apart

    1119 Words  | 5 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • How Is Okonkwo A Sympathetic Character

    623 Words  | 3 Pages

    “ 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

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart And British Colonialism

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, defines an important literary example of the historical conflict of European colonialism in Nigeria during the

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Dialectical Journal

    387 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prompt 2 Okonkwo is driven by his hatred of his father and the fear he will become like him. Okonkwo saw his father, Unoka, as a coward and is ashamed to be his son. Everything that Okonkwo does is meant to set him apart from the legacy of his father. First, this is evident in his beating of his wives and even his aggression with his children. He is trying to show his strength and ensure he is not portrayed to be like his father: powerless and incapable.

    Read More

  • Cultural Collision In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    855 Words  | 4 Pages

    Okonkwo’s values are restricted to physical strength, power, and prosperity, and when the Europeans suddenly arrive, the cultural convergence prompts Okonkwo to respond with even more violence. While the majority of his tribe, including his son Nwoye, is open to considering

    Read More

  • Okonkwo And Nwoye Quotes

    802 Words  | 4 Pages

    Okonkwo constantly struggled to create the same masculine character in Nwoye that he made for himself and constantly found a reflection of his effeminate father, Unoka, in Nwoye. Chapter two describes the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye in Nwoye’s youth. “Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness... He sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating” (13-14). Okonkwo’s efforts to change Nwoye’s resemblance of Unoka were causing their relationship to be pushed apart because of Okonkwo’s violence and Nwoye’s resistance.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo's Change In Things Fall Apart

    1163 Words  | 5 Pages

    In “Things Fall Apart” Achebe gives background information on Okonkwo saying “He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife.” (5). This quotation from chapter one demonstrates that Okonkwo’s nobility of prosperity is revealed by his success’ from his early years and forward. The villagers within Okonkwo’s clan love and honor him for his personal achievements, and he

    Read More

  • Okonkwo's Hatred In Things Fall Apart

    1774 Words  | 8 Pages

    Okonkwo strives to be everything but his father. This is clear from the very beginning when it says, “He had no

    Read More

  • Summary: Okonkwo Falls Apart

    1027 Words  | 5 Pages

    Okonkwo Falls Apart Chinua Achebe offers a rare look at the natives perspective during colonialism in his work Things Fall Apart. The central struggle in the main character Okonkwo is that he is beginning to lose his way of life, and he is not able to do anything about it. Conflicts in religious beliefs with the arrival of the missionaries heightens Okonkwo 's internal aggression, and his inability to adapt leads to his downfall.

    Read More

  • Change In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    The story has many examples of the importance of community through tradition and religion, which also plays a major part in the story. For example, we see the community working together and supporting each other throughout the book, until change visits them and changes their culture and muddles their ideals. The introduction of the white man forever changes the Igbo culture which we see at the very end of the book when Okonkwo kills the missionary to try to bring war to drive the change out, and no one supports him. The community has changed, and Okonkwo hadn’t realized it, this change was destructive to both the Igbo culture and to Okonkwo, as he realizes that the change he is trying to prevent is inevitable, and the community he once was respected in and loved, had turned their backs on

    Read More

  • How Did Unoka Influence Okonkwo's Life

    2007 Words  | 9 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Gender Roles

    1106 Words  | 5 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • How Is Ezinma Like Okonkwo

    868 Words  | 4 Pages

    The poor and unknown would not dare to come forth” (Achebe 173). Okonkwo knew that she was a wonderful young women. We continue to hear from him that he wishes that she was a man. “She understood things so perfectly. Who else among his children could have read his thoughts so well?”

    Read More

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Things Fall Apart

    1136 Words  | 5 Pages

    On one hand, Okonkwo's masculinity and physical strength make him successful and respected by his community. He is determined to work hard and succeed to support his family. He was also an accomplished warrior and wrestler and won many awards, further enhancing his reputation. But Okonkwo's tendency to overemphasize his masculinity and repress emotions and vulnerabilities also contributed to his downfall. He is unable to express his feelings and often resorts to violence to assert his dominance, resulting in isolation from his family and community.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Tragic Hero Analysis

    951 Words  | 4 Pages

    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:

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Open Document