ipl-logo

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

361 Words2 Pages

Every hero of a story, either great or disappointing, has a flaw; Achebe creates the character Okonkwo to examine his flaw: fear of failing tradition. Umuofia is a land where the concept of tradition is ending due to the colonization of the white man. For example, Okonkwo's own son, Nwoye, joins the new church, and Okonkwo is livid. He thought, “ To abandon the gods of one’s father and go about with a lot of effeminate men clucking like old hens was the very death of abomination,” (Achebe 153). Through Okonkwo’s anger for Nwoye changing beliefs, deep down he becomes frightened that the traditional Igbo religion will be no more because of people like his own son. The other members of the tribe, Uchendu for example, saw Okonkwo’s actions as extreme and uncalled for therefore showing Okonkwo's over-the-top attitude towards failing traditions compared to other Igbo people. …show more content…

He speculated, “If Umuofia decided on war, all would be well. But if they chose to be cowards he would go out and avenge himself,” (Achebe 199). How Achebe is portraying Okonkwo in this situation is that if his community fails to stick up for what is right, then prideful Okonkwo will intervene to prevent his uneasiness of failing their traditional bellicose status. However, this angst of failure ultimately leads to Okonkwo's demise. During a meeting of the tribe, five messengers appeared and the head ordered the meeting to stop. Okonkwo then pulled out his machete and killed the head

Show More
Related

  • Pride In Things Fall Apart

    1119 Words  | 5 Pages

    " Okonkwo was too proud to have stayed home and done the ethical thing. Okonkwo's pride is displayed throughout the entire book with his constant focus on strength and his fear of being thought of as a coward. Going from the beginning to the end, in chapter 24 Okonkwo kills a head messenger during a meeting. " He knew that Umuofia would not got to war.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo's Return To Umuofia Essay

    515 Words  | 3 Pages

    Upon Okonkwo’s return to Umuofia, he recognizes noticeable changes. The white men have built a church and founded a new religion among the people and subjected to follow their rules. As a man of violence, Okonkwo wants to fight the Christians until they leave. His people, on the other hand, have accepted the new ways. It’s evident to Okonkwo that these white men were clever to invite themselves into the tribe and take advantage of the Ibo people’s curiosity.

    Read More

  • How Is Okonkwo A Sympathetic Character

    623 Words  | 3 Pages

    He showed his sympathy by providing for his family and Ikemefuna. Okonkwo showed that he was unsympathetic by having no patience and beating his wives and

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Before Colonialism

    728 Words  | 3 Pages

    In most fairy tales and novels a humble male role is used to dictate the normality of writing. In “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo, a strong male role is not only that, a lead character, but he is also cruel and prone to violent tendencies In the novel Okonkwo experiences harsh changes when the white men first came and at the beginning of colonialism. In “Things Fall Apart”, Achebe uses Okonkwo to display the negative change in everyday Igbo culture after colonialism. In this novel by Achebe, before colonialism was introduced, Okonkwo was a known masculine member of Umuofia.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Dialectical Journal

    387 Words  | 2 Pages

    Also, later on, a meeting is called with people from all of the nine villages in attendance. Okonkwo and his friend, Obierika, are looking for Egonwanne, a man Okonkwo believes will cause trouble and suggest against going to war. When asked how he knows that this man will be a problem, Okonkwo replies, “Because I know he is a coward” (Achebe 202). Because of who his father was, Okonkwo does not like anyone who is a coward. Therefore, he unjustly does not like this man.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Masculinity Quotes

    970 Words  | 4 Pages

    This also represents the importance of image to him and shows that he is self-conscious about himself. “‘We shall not do you any harm,’ said the District Commissioner..” (Achebe 194). This is quite ironic since the Europeans ended up abusing Okonkwo and his comrades and eventually destroying the Igbo culture. In this quote the author is implying that in the European's’ perspective, they are doing a good thing for the Igbo in the Umuofia by changing their beliefs, but in reality they are destroying their culture which the foundation and the identity of the Igbo.

    Read More

  • Cultural Collision In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    855 Words  | 4 Pages

    Among those of the same culture, individuals who are adaptive and open-minded can be successful when there is cultural collision. When the Igbo and European cultures collide, Okonkwo gradually spirals out of control, losing everything he values and his own sense of self. From the beginning of the novel, Achebe depicts Okonkwo as a virile warrior and a successful farmer within the Igbo tribe. Reacting with violence to anything he considers “womanly” or “weak”, “He was a man of action and man of war” (10). Because of his reputation as a warrior he is highly respected by his community.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Analysis Essay

    1999 Words  | 8 Pages

    Although, in his time gone the missionaries arrived, enforcing their religion of Christianity among the people of Umuofia. Many people fell for Christianity, meanwhile others were too afraid to fight for what they believed in. Okonkwo, being once one of their leaders, knew that he had taught the clan better, especially the men. He guided the men of Umuofia to fight, to unite with one another, and to not be soft like women. Okonkwo

    Read More

  • Parent-Child Relationships In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    1128 Words  | 5 Pages

    Parent-Child Relations in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart There are many different types and examples of relationships between the characters of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart; husband and wife, neighbors, neighboring villages, village and outsiders. More than any of those, the relationships between children and their parents are the most impactful in this story.

    Read More

  • Summary: Okonkwo Falls Apart

    1027 Words  | 5 Pages

    When Okonkwo first returns back from his exile and hears the news of the white man in Umuofia, his anger increases that no one is trying to fight them. Even after his friend Obierika tells him about how the village Abame was destroyed by similar white missionaries Okonkwo simply thinks “Abame people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back... We would be cowards to compare ourselves to the men of Abame” (175). Okonkwo 's aggression blinds him to the dangers of rebelling against the white man, that he is willing to risk the destruction of his whole village just to satisfy his ideology of respecting his religion.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Nwoye Identity Analysis

    479 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a child, Nwoye is the frequent object of his father's criticism and remains emotionally unfulfilled. Okonkwo, “wanted Nwoye to grow into a tough man capable of ruling his father’s household when he was dead and gone to join the ancestors”(38). When Nwoye finds out that it is Okonkwo who killed a “brother” who he is extremely fond of, and grows very close with, he loses all appreciation for Okonkwo and decides to go against his father and his cultures.

    Read More

  • Why Is Things Fall Apart Uncivilized

    617 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ikemefuna, Okonkwo’s stepson, is chosen by the Oracle who orders Okonkwo and a few other men to “‘...take him outside Umuofia as the custom and kill him there’” (Achebe 57). Ending lives, especially those not at fault, is inhumane to most because of how morality is emphasized in many other societies, and looked down on in the eyes of outsiders of that society. While Achebe wanted to correct negative stereotypes of Africans, he also has the goal of presenting “the true colors of Africa” in a particular scene, especially their beliefs in the community. Moreover, the author exemplified another uncivilized act performed in the village of Umuofia, which was a merciless death of a young woman.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Okonkwo And Nwoye

    1890 Words  | 8 Pages

    Fear is the core cause of the dramatic shift of lifestyle for both Okonkwo and Nwoye. Through the management of reputation and the avoidance of their father’s likeness, Okonkwo and Nwoye built new lives for themselves. Okonkwo sought power and authority to prove his masculinity and make up for Unoka’s reputation as a weak man. He did this to the point where manliness became his character. Fearlessness and violence were masculine qualities that in Igbo culture signifies strength and influence.

    Read More

  • Similarities And Similarities Between Okonkwo And Macbeth

    946 Words  | 4 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    480 Words  | 2 Pages

    Okonkwo is portrayed as “well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements”(Achebe 1). This quote demonstrates how just like many people Okonkwo's fundamental objectives was to be well respected and successful. Additionally it represents the objectives of the culture one of which is to be

    Read More

More about Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Open Document