Critical Lens Essay Things Fall Apart

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

The author, Chinua Achebe, used Okonkwo as an example of the father/son conflict and how the conflict affects a man’s life. Just because one does not always act like the typical strong, almost emotionless man, that does not mean one is coward. Okonkwo’s thought process leads to his demise because he cannot bear to see the strong willed tribe and culture he has known his whole life fail him: just

However, Okonkwo made a name for himself because his was to not follow in his father’s footsteps. In a paragraph describing Okonkwo’s character it says, “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience

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.

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

Okonkwo tries to fight the changes made by the Western people. Okonkwo’s response to the Western people trying to bring Western ideas into the Ibo culture are simply trying to fight back at the Western people with violence. Okonkwo is a strong and fierce leader, but throughout the story, he is challenged by the Western people and the cultural collision because Okonkwo is supposed to be the leader of Umuofia. Okonkwo is supposed to fight back for his village and not stop until he gets it done. In the story Achebe quotes, “He was a man of action, a man of war.

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

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.

“A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.” – Tom Hanks. In the story, The Odyssey written by Homer, there is an individual named Odysseus who has the qualities of a hero. There are many characteristics of Odysseus that give evidence that he is a hero, such as him being dauntless, protective, and devoted.

The trial these heroes face is not the monsters or the journey its self but it is themselves they have to face. Gilgamesh wishes to have glory, honor, and a place in history forever, Odysseus wants to rule his home and be with is family. A hero is someone that desires to be and do something that no one else can do or will do again.

He works hard to become a better person rather than his father. He is driven by fear of being like his father. He is determined to not resemble his father in any way. Okonkwo does not want to be like his father that’s why he strive to be the person he is now. His father has nothing going for himself he’s lazy and don’t want to be nothing in life.

They had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in that tumult. He heard voices asking: “Why did he do it?” (Achebe 143). When Okonkwo was faced with his enemies, he makes a rash decision and kills the messenger.

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

Whether okonkwo is threatening his son to work or feeling ashamed of his father, the man is portrayed being an unsympathetic character to the eye from his beatings and cockiness, but people hardly look past that to view it from another perspective. Okonkwo is actually a sympathetic character if people would consider how he treats his son do to the fear his father put into him. His past transformed him to be hard working and teach his own children the value of setting their own title even though it is not in put perfectly on the table. Okonkwo treats his father unoka very differently from his own son. “When unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt.

His personality describes a characteristics of a tragic flaw, where one who presumably makes a specific mistakes in their actions and this in the long run prompts of his life. Okonkwo, an impeccable heartbreaking character, is driven by his trepidation of unmanliness, which makes him act brutally toward his kindred tribesmen, his family and himself. He judges all individuals by how humanly they act. In Okonkwo’s consideration, a man should be successful, dedicated and