Okonkwo's Identity Analysis

In the novel, “Things Fall Apart” Okonkwo’s sense of identity undergoes a dramatic change over the course of the novel. He is well known for his manliness, being a tremendous farmer, and most of the outstanding achievements he accomplished. At the beginning of the novel he was known as an honorable man, but towards the end his strength faded. According to the novel, Okonkwo was well known for his manliness. “Let us not act like cowards, said Okonkwo. If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does…” (P. 158-159). Okonkwo tries to act like a man, and does everything possible to give off a manly appearance but he associates cowardice with femininity. Throughout the novel Okonkwo does countless actions that lead him to dreadful places, but he couldn’t take it anymore and became powerless. “In a flash Okonkwo drew his machete. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless.

“Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time.” (P. 8) Okonkwo had accomplished numerous events throughout his life and he was well respected. “He was still young, but he had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer, had two barns full of yams and had just married his third wife.” (P. 8) Although he was well respected, he began to be viewed differently considering all of the crucial decisions he made. He began to reflect his father Unoka. As you can notice, this novel is not just about the great achievements, wealthy farm, or the manliness of Okonkwo, but it is a novel of how the tribe was changed. How it affected the way everyone lived, and what they grew up knowing was very different from the way the Western people lived. Things may have fallen apart in this novel, but this novel is showing that change can be a positive concept for the right