Achebe writes, “ Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 63). Many other members of the tribe would have let their son be killed because of the unwavering faith many have in their religion and the decisions of the elders. However, not many would do it themselves. This scene truly showcases Okonkwo’s fears. Also, later on, a meeting is called with people from all of the nine villages in attendance. Okonkwo and his friend, Obierika, are looking for Egonwanne, a man Okonkwo believes will cause trouble and suggest against going to war. When asked how he knows that this man will be a problem, Okonkwo replies, “Because I know he is a coward” (Achebe 202). Because of who his father was, Okonkwo does not like anyone who is a coward. Therefore, he unjustly does not like this man. 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
A man who strives for power won’t stop until he earns it. This statement fits Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe without any question. In this novel, the author outlines the struggles in the daily lives of the members in an African tribe. Among the clan, there is one character, Okonkwo, who stands out for his desire to become one of the most important men in Umuofia. Okonkwo’s journey to gain power over his tribe meets challenges with his fearful side and a tragic end which together convey the image of a power hungry individual living in a prideful community.
At first, Okonkwo was very set in his ways, and determined to appear manly and powerful to his clansmen, and this came into play when the white people entered into Umuofia, as he tried to fight back. Finally, when he did not get the results he was hoping for, he resorted to killing himself, displaying that stubbornness towards colliding cultures leads to violence and destruction. Overall, when two cultures collide, they can either both accept each other, leading to peace and prosperity, or try to claim superiority over the other, which results, most commonly, in destruction. Unfortunately, Things fall apart ended in the latter, but the other is possible for those with an open mind and a flexible
His fear of weakness causes him to hurt those he loves, such as his wife and Ikemefuna, and to eventually kill himself. Okonkwo’s fear of being passive, a weak trait, is evident in the microcosm of his anger during the feast, when people do not work. His fear of weakness continues to grow when he is told that Ikemefuna must die, and so he chooses to be the one that kills Ikemefuna. Finally, Okonkwo’s fear of weakness becomes so great that he takes his own life, in order that he not be associated with people he views as weak. Okonkwo’s fear is his ultimate flaw. His fear leads him not only to lose his life, but also to lose the respect he tries so hard to
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. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood.” (Chapter 2). Okonkwo loved action and violence. That is how he believes things should get done. Okonkwo’s plan was to get the citizens of the Ibo culture, and to make a clan to fight against the Western people to remove them and their ideas. The Western ideas included, living upon sacrifices, and not having to “sacrifice” an animal to the gods. “It was said
Mark Twain, a world-famous writer, once said, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” What this quote means is that anger causes more pain, either physically or emotionally, to him who is angry than to the people who he is angry at. In Things Fall Apart, the author, Chinua Achebe, tells the story of a man named Okonkwo and his group of people, the Ibo. The Ibo are a group of people with their own distinct culture and traditions. Okonkwo is a man that is very prideful, and he lets his emotions make decisions for him. Achebe shows that emotions, if you let them control you, can lead to rash decisions.
You would think people are strong but somethings can hurt them and mean a lot to them. Everyone wants to be strong it’s just certain things that make them who they are. In this essay you will be reading about about how Okonkwo hanged from the beginning to the end of the story and how things drastically changed.
this whole eulogy stuff bs and i don't know why we are doing this haha.a.
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 book says that Okonkwo started with nothing, saying “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had.” (18) Despite this, Okonkwo grew to be very successful; he had several barns full of yams and was married to three wives. Okonkwo’s anger resulted from his lust for manliness. The book says “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion
Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. In the novel there is a main character called Okonkwo. He lived in Umuofia where he was also known throughout many of the nine villages around Umuofia. In the beginning of the story we see his overwhelming hatred towards his father Unoka. His father died about ten years ago and had not taken any title and was very much in debt. Unoka was described as lazy, improvident and not capable of thinking about tomorrow. From this Okonkwo was ashamed of his father and strives to be nothing like him. Okonkwo’s hatred towards his father has hardened his heart and has made him incapable of being a person of compassion and understanding throughout the novel. His hatred for his father has made him fear failure and weakness throughout the story. His fear of failure has brought him to his downfall.
Throughout this novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, the protagonist, mostly referred to as “Okonkwo” is very impulsive. The protagonist sometimes cannot control his thought process and thus would lead to effects and sufferings to others. Okonkwo is very impulsive. He acts before he thinks. As a result of this, his actions would come in place and effects others. In the book, “Things Fall Apart” Okonkwo’s impulsive actions are demonstrated through the killing of his son Ikemefuna and the beating of his second wife Ekwelfi.
Towards the end of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo decided to take his own life due to the changes in his tribe caused by the white missionaries. This makes it harder to distinguish if the colonists were responsible for Okonkwo’s death and the diminishing of the Ibo Tribe. However, these colonists are gradually pushing an agenda to the Igbo people where Okonkwo is critical against. The collision between two separate beliefs causes various conflicts occurring in Things Fall Apart that eventually causes Umuofia to fall apart. This undermines Okonkwo’s drive to succeed in traditional terms and his desire to be a leader in his tribe. The diminishing of the Igbo tribe by the white colonists terminates that goal for Okonkwo to succeed which leads
Many literary works incorporate the concept of a character that makes an error of judgment or attains a fatal flaw that leads to their collapse. This creates a vision for a tragic hero who portrays significant and intemperate actions and ideas. Not only does a tragic hero reveal their behavior and thoughts, they exhibit how virtuous they are, a significant flaw they reveal and their reversal of fortune. Their heroic characteristics merit them with the approval and compassion from the audience, but their imperfections eventually drive them to their ruin. Many events play into a story creating the importance of a tragic hero and their demise. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo 's noble status, warped ideals of masculinity, and the unfortunate turn of events in his
Today, Christianity is one of the largest religions in Africa. In the past few decades, there has been a large growth of Christians in Africa - this is coupled with a steady decline in the more traditional African religions. The book, Things Fall Apart shows that a character that has a tragic flaw is one that constantly makes error in there actions that eventually cates us to them and leads them to there doom. Okonkwo, a perfect tragic character, is driven by his fear of being unmanly, this causes him to act very harsh toward his fellow tribesmen, his family and himself; he will judge all the people in the village. In the eyes of Okonkwo, a true man is wealthy, hard-working, and violent. He thinks that anyone who is not like that is weak