Okonkwo's Fear
In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, the protagonist Okonkwo is portrayed as a strong, proud, and ambitious man who is driven by fear rather than malice. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo's actions and thoughts reveal that his fear of failure, rejection, and weakness motivates him to become a successful leader in his community. However, some may argue that Okonkwo's actions are motivated by malice, as he is often violent and harsh towards those around him. One example of Okonkwo's fear-driven behavior is his constant need to prove himself as a successful and powerful leader in his community. He gained much respect for his tribe and himself for wrestlng. Okonkwo has also gained respect by working hard to become a very successful yam farmer. …show more content…
Okonkwo's violence is a physical manifestation of his fear of being seen as weak and inadequate, and he uses it as a way to assert his power and authority over others. Okonkwo's violence is not a desire to harm or hurt others, but rather a way to assert his power and authority. In addition, Okonkwo's fear of failure and rejection also drives his violent behavior. He is constantly worried about losing his status and prestige in the community, and this fear motivates him to be a strong leader. The narrator says, "He had a great burning ambition to be one of the lords of the clan" (Achebe, 12). This quote highlights Okonkwo's fear of failure and rejection, which motivates him to be a strong leader and assert his power and authority over others. In conclusion, Okonkwo from Things Fall Apart is driven more by fear than malice. His fear of failure, rejection, and weakness motivates him to become a successful leader in his community. His actions and thoughts reveal that his fear of being seen as weak and inadequate, and of losing his status and prestige in the community, motivates him to be a strong leader. While some may argue that Okonkwo's actions are motivated by malice, it is important to note that his violence is not a desire to harm or hurt others, but rather to protect himself from his
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1359 Words | 6 PagesWhen Okonkwo was “angry and could not get his words quickly out enough, he would use his fists” (Achebe 2). Okonkwo’s violent personality traits cause him to make very irrational decisions that would later have future consequences. Despite that, his less than perfect tendencies did help him to achieve many goals throughout his life. However, the instances where they worked against him outweigh all other factors. Okonkwo is seen as a very painfully structured man and when something doesn't go according to his structure, it causes him to make irrational decisions.
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1218 Words | 5 PagesHe put forth a bad image of his family and especially of Okonkwo. In the story Okonkwo has to work extremely hard to get out of the position that his dad left him in. He, Okonkwo, is presented at the beginning of the story as a leader in the village and clan. Very influential and powerful, not only with his respected wealth from farming, but with his physicality as well. He was known as a very good wrestler who had beaten “Amalinze the Cat”, who at that time was the best fighter in the area.
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817 Words | 4 PagesIn the book are several quotes to support this, but one seems to be the more straightforward quote. “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness….. It was fear of himself lest he should be
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1330 Words | 6 PagesThe inability for Okonkwo to be weak makes him solely cruel and with a weak father like Unoka he felt forced to adapt opposite ideals. Chinua Achebe shows how Okonkwo had to make a life for himself as his father had not allowed for many opportunities for him to come in play. Later the author of the article, Psychology & Behavioral Health Vol.2 the author talks about the motivation that it takes to overcome and cope with the fears that prohibit him from growing and being he optimal version of himself. Fight or flight is described as a physiological
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