The contrast between masculinity and femininity is a concept that has been examined throughout history. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe makes a strong claim that individuals most exhibit both masculine and feminine characteristics in order for society to function successfully. The need for balance between the two is demonstrated through the failures of Okonkwo and his father, who gravitate towards opposite extremes. Okonkwo, the main character within the novel, is heavily influenced by the failures of his father, Unoka. He was a very lazy man and as a result was in substantial debt. Unoka was not able to provide for his family and never earned any titles within the community. This was an embarrassment to Okonkwo and he resented his
n the novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, Achebe reveals Okonkwo's motivations through what he says and what he does. Achebe also establishes the theme of this through Okonkwo and his motivations. Achebe wrote this novel to point out that one person cannot control everything. Okonkwo's main ambition in this novel is to be the complete opposite of his father Unoka. He doesn't want himself nor his son, Nwoye, to turn out the lazy bum his father was but to earn respect and wealth through hardwork and “manliness”.
1. Okonkwo, the central character in Things Fall Apart, was manly, hard-working, and angry. At the beginning of the book, the first thing the author describes is Okonkwo’s manliness. His fame from wrestling along with his manly appearance made him manly. Okonkwo’s hard-working character was a result of him trying to be the opposite of his father, a lazy and unsuccessful man.
The narrator tells the readers how Okonkwo 's life in the beginning was. Since his father was ill-fated,lazy, irresponsible, and has a bad reputation, Okonkwo did not inherit anything. He did not inherit neither a barn,nor a title, nor a young wife. The narrator tells us that when he talks about Unoka 's Oracle visit. The priestess told Unoka that he is having bad harvest due to his being lethargic.
Unoka was a sensitive man who never relished at the thought of war, but found joy in playing his flute. Unoka did not have the greatest luck when it came to farming, this caused him to end up in a lot of debt that he couldn’t pay back. Unlike his father, Okonkwo had no problem with the idea of war. Okonkwo grew up resenting his father for not being stronger and more masculine. Okonkwo is constantly fearing that he will end up a failure like his father.
In “Things fall Apart” the author is describing the Ibo culture where polygamy is part of their tradition. In other words, polygamy is that a man can marry as many wives he wants. This novel talks about males being fear, anger, and terror, and women being cultural and traditional as possible. Okonkwo has a high status in his family and village. He strived high status in childhood, which is his personal achievement.
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, he was already a great man for his age. Unoka, his father, had died ten years ago, was lazy and improvident and was in alot of debt and was a failure. Nwoye, Okonkwo’s first son, was twelve years old and was lazy, he starting to be like his grandfather. Okonkwo’s biggest flaw is the fear of becoming like his father and to becoming unsuccessful and less of a man.
While Unoka was seen by everyone as low because not only did he not have any titles he couldn’t properly take care of his family. This image of Unoka that Okonkwo had all his life lead him to try to build his life to not be like Unoka. “His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness” for “[resembling] his father” (13). Okonkwo’s identity for himself was that he was to be everything his father wasn’t where on the inside he was vulnerable and controlled by the fear of being Unoka and inversely being himself. The new identity that he built was shown to the village as a rich powerful warrior with many titles.
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
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.
Things fall apart is a tragedy novel written by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo, who is the protagonist of the novel and one of the most powerful men in the Ibo tribe often resorts to violence to make his points understood. Down in his heart, Okonkwo is not a cruel man, but his life is dominated by his internal conflict, the fear of failure and of weakness. He hated his father, Unoka, because he was a lazy debtor. Okonkwo made it a point in his life to set himself apart from his father by being well known and wealthy as well as becoming a great warrior in the tribal conflicts of Umuofia and the surrounding villages.
Although Okonkwo is without his father today, he is still influenced by the person he remembers very vividly, his father, causing him to do everything that Unoka would hate. Okonkwo, being very strong, did not see eye to eye with his lazy, greedy father. They were very much opposites. He was not proud of who his father was, and as a result of that, they both grew up very differently which shaped the way they became as adults. Since Unoka had an easy life, he grew up lazy and did not work hard.
In the Ibo hierarchal society, women are the subject of unequal treatment and patronization. They are considered weak and are not given any power. As the novel, Things Fall Apart unravels, the author, Chinua Achebe reveals the distinct attributes of femininity. Feminine traits are also viewed with disdain in Umuofian society, especially by the protagonist of the novel, Okonkwo. His past experiences shape his disposition and give rise to his stereotypical mentality; however, several events contradict the prevalent perspective of women, leading to Okonkwo facing conflicts within himself.
Unoka was a man of low status, nothing any son would be proud to call his father. Unoka could not even support his own family, and thus Okonkwo and his brothers, sisters, and mother were left to fend for themselves with what little they had. Consequently, from a young age, Okonkwo had a hunger - a hunger to do better in life for the sake of his own family as well as for the sake of himself. He, above all, did not want to become like his
In the story, Things Fall Apart, the writer, Chinua Achebe, constructs his characters very well. Achebe's character, named Okonkwo, very clearly portrays his motivations through his thoughts and actions. These motivations help to provide a theme for the story. With that concept explored, Achebe created a complicated character that contributes to the story in a plethora of ways. Almost every one, if not all, of Okonkwo's thoughts and actions help to convey his motivations to the reader.
In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, traditional gender roles played a major theme throughout the novel. In Igbo culture the man is always the head of the family, family being his wife or wives and each of the wives children’s. Okonkwo had several wives that he ordered around, they were never to question what they are told to do because they are expected to follow rules. “Do what you are told women” (12). Men would always talk to women a very demanding way.