Okonkwo Cultural Change
Katherine Gerhardt
Ms. Gagnon
English Honors
25 January 2018
Nwoye’s Response To Cultural Change
A sense of identity is often acquired and developed by everyone as they mature, but it is always changing as culture changes. The novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, follows the development of several characters in response to a cultural shock caused by the westernization of the Ibo tribe in Nigeria. The protagonist of the book, Okonkwo, is a strong, diligent leader and supercilious warrior of the tribe who obsesses over his masculine image. However, Okonkwo’s eldest son, Nwoye, tries to shadow and please his father, but ultimately fails for he has a soft side. Especially when it comes to religion, Nwoye’s believes, morals, and interests
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Before the Ibo tribe experiences a cultural collision, Nwoye’s personal identity is incoherent since it is masked by Okonkwo’s expectations. Since he is the eldest son of Okonkwo, Nwoye is expected by his father to become a strong man with profound masculine traits. However, Nwoye struggles to please his father. As stated in Things Fall Apart, “Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old, but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness” (Achebe 13). The sensitive and sympathetic side of Nwoye contradicts Okonkwo’s hopes for his son, and makes Nwoye seem more indolent than he actually was. Nwoye reminds Okonkwo of his father, a disappointment to the clan, causing a tense relationship between the two because …show more content…
Nwoye’s development throughout Things Fall Apart in response to the cultural collision and the introduction of a new religion contributes to the profound theme of change. The westernization and introduction of Christianity change the Ibo tribe greatly, presenting the tribe a dilemma of accepting or rejecting new cultural norms. As culture changes, things fall apart for some individuals who are not willing to accept the change. However, sometimes a change in culture can provide new options with positive outcomes for people, exemplified by Nwoye’s story. In conclusion, life leads us in different directs and sometimes takes unexpected turns. With these unexpected turns, we learn more about ourselves and our cultural
How Does Nwoye Deal With A Cultural Collision
836 Words | 4 PagesGrace La Greco 21 March 2018 English ll U3EA2 “If you don't like someone's story, write your own.” says award winning author Chinua Achebe. In Nwoye's igbo culture his father was determined for him to become like him, a leader to the igbo society, but Nwoye had other plans for the bettering of himself by following western ways. All around change is what you make of it.
Okonkwo And Ezinma Essay
456 Words | 2 PagesNwoye makes an attempt to please his father by acting more masculine and it does please him but not enough to stop Okonkwo from beating him and mistreating him. Ikemefuna, a child gifted to Okonkwo by a neighboring village, is more of what Okonkwo wants in a son and he grows close to Nwoye. Ikemefuna constantly tries to help Nwoye be accepted by his father but to Okonkwo, the resemblance to Unoka is uncanny. Because Nwoye resembles laziness and cowardice behavior in front of Okonkwo, he remains the least favorite child. Even as Nwoye starts to act more masculine and win the approval of Okonkwo, Nwoye still has inner problems.
Cultural Collision In Things Fall Apart
904 Words | 4 PagesThe reasons for Nwoye’s change in their sense of identity included his relationship with his father and his acceptance of the Missionaries. Ultimately, their response to the introduction of Western ideas shaped the meaning of the work as a whole by showing the positive effects the new culture can have on someone. The first reason Nwoye’s sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of the Western ideas was because of his relationship with his father. In the beginning of Things Fall Apart, it tells us
Okonkwo And Nwoye Quotes
802 Words | 4 PagesOkonkwo 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.
Social Status In Things Fall Apart
1027 Words | 5 PagesThe tripartite novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, published in 1958 focuses on the changes taking place in Nigeria, as a result of colonization during the 20th century. Chinua Achebe’s pragmatics when writing the novel focused on changing the perspective of Western readers with regard to African society. He mainly wanted to falsify the assertions in books such as “Heart of Darkness” which he claimed gave people of African descent a dull personality. Social status is one of the novels’ main themes. Chinua Achebe successfully incorporates the importance of social status, giving readers the impression that for the Ibo society, social structure consists mainly of a hierarchy of both skill and strength.
Compare And Contrast Okonkwo And Nwoye
1890 Words | 8 PagesSimilarly, Nwoye also resists the reputation of his own father by rejecting this masculine regime of Okonkwo and Igbo culture, showing feminine virtues instead. His intention to carry his beliefs on to his children is established when Okonkwo thinks to himself after he learns of Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity. Nwoye made the decision to leave Umofia after the realization that his views do not coincide with those of his society any longer due to the life time of exposure to the toxicity of Okonkwo’s masculine behavior. It is because he refuses to conform that Nwoye wishes to alter the reputation of himself and his family by joining a culture that he finds to reflect the values that he believes in, instead of those he was dejectedly forced into following by his
What Is Okonkwoye
236 Words | 1 PagesOkonkwo nags. Nwoye (the eldest son) gets nagged by Okonkwo pretty regularly. Okonkwo harasses Nwoye because he shows hints of laziness. “At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating.” Okonkwo urges Nwoye to be like more like himself.
Conflict Is Inevitable In Things Fall Apart
483 Words | 2 PagesWhen Nwoye told Okonkwo about his whereabouts, Okonkwo was so furious that he wen so far as to beat Nwoye and disown his son. If I was Nwoye in this situation, I would be very
How Did Nwoye Influence A Change In Things Fall Apart
1381 Words | 6 PagesOkonkwo’s wording shows he’s angry at Nwoye, he’s bitter at Nwoye for
Femininity In Things Fall Apart
895 Words | 4 PagesHis fear of weakness and failure is derived from his father, Unoka’s failures, which ignite Okonkwo’s misogynistic views. Throughout his lifetime, Okonkwo associates femininity with weakness because of Unoka, who was called an “agbala” or woman by the people of Umuofia. Since women have this reputation for weakness, Okonkwo lives with constant fear that he will be given the same title as his father. Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye’s effeminacy reminds Okonkwo of his own father. He says, "I have done my best to make Nwoye grow into a man, but there is much of his mother in him ."(Achebe, 66).
Okonkwoye Analysis
810 Words | 4 PagesAlthough Okonkwo treats Nwoye and Ikemefuna with a heavy hand, this doesn’t mean it’s for his enjoyment, he is showing what he expect for their own benefit. To begin, Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, is expected to follow his father’s footstep and be like him. A man who isn’t lazy at doing his job. In this case, Nwoye is a lazy kid who gets in trouble because he is not doing his job the way that his father want it done. Therefore, he gets punished by his father when his behavior of laziness is shown.
How Does Umoufia Change
452 Words | 2 PagesClinging to tradition and religious faith comes to be nearly impossible for African clans. Throughout the novel, Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe the main character Okonkwo and his fatherland Umoufia strives to keep their clan as one. When Christian missionaries come to propose a takeover, the villagers of Umoufia dispute their capabilities to be able to stop the spread of Christianity. The villager 's actions begin to demonstrate that change is inevitable.
Things Fall Apart Ikemefuna Essay
325 Words | 2 PagesAfter Nwoye befriended him, he became more energetic and lively. Achebe describes, “Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, who was two years younger, became quite inseparable from him because he seemed to know everything” (Achebe 28).
Nwoye Character Analysis
331 Words | 2 PagesNwoye is the eldest son of Okonkwo. Throughout the book, Nwoye’s age span is from 12 years to his mid 20’s. He has brown skin, brown eyes and short black hair. He lived with his family in Umuofia and Mbanta, which is located in Nigeria Africa. Nwoye has two step mothers and seven siblings.
Things Fall Apart Research Paper
1950 Words | 8 PagesThe Ibo clan, untouched and undiscovered by Europeans for hundreds of years, was a society rich in African tradition and culture. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart delves into the inner workings of this complex society and its eventual downfall in the late 1800s. The novel focuses on the fictional Okonkwo as he combated the dramatic shift of culture in his village, Umuofia, at the hands of white men. Two different groups of white men entered Nigeria, each making their own impact on laws and beliefs held by the people there. Protestant missionaries persuaded tribal outcasts to turn against their prior Gods and commit heinous acts, while British government officials implemented their ruthless judicial system.
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