Okonkwo Legacy

Similar to how children today are expected to carry on the family name or tradition, Okonkwo expects the same for his son, Nwoye. For some this is easy, where for others, such as Okonkwo, passing on the family legacy is creating tension between the father and son relationship. While Okonkwo has created many expectations for Nwoye in order to take on the legacy, he believes his son is not fit for the position. Legacy is important because it allows a family member to leave their mark on the world through their descendant. Although this concept is so meaningful, and something that Okonkwo is desperately trying to achieve, he struggles. Okonkwo fights with maintaining the legacy because he has lost faith in Nwoye. Okonkwo decides that shaming his

Since Okonkwo is seen as a prominent figure in his community, he puts great pressure on those around him, in particular his children. Okonkwo uses shame to guilt his son into changing his likings in order to be a potential “man” in the eyes of Okonkwo. Shame is created to cause children to decrease their behavior through negative words, making them feel bad about themselves (Grille and Macgregor). Nwoye changes his interests based on his father's expectations for him to receive the legacy and follow in his father's footsteps. While Okonkwo is struggling to maintain his success from previous years in his youth, he puts the expectation on Nwoye to meet those standards in order to preserve the heritage. Okonkwo would be most proud of Nwoye if he became the man he wants him to be, “He wanted him to be a prosperous man, having enough in his barn to feed the ancestors with regular sacrifices (53). Making money is the standard Okonkwo set out for his son, which Nwoye hadn’t fully accomplished quite yet. Although Nwoye is aware of his fathers set standards, “Whenever Nwoye’s mother sang this song he felt carried away to the distant scene in the sky where Vulture, Earth’s emissary, sang for mercy” (53). This is something that Okonkwo doesn’t like, because it doesn’t prove his son is capable to take on the legacy. Nwoye knew the songs would make his father furious, “...he knew that his father wanted him to be a

Shaming has become ingrained in today’s society where some parents don’t even realize they are doing it. The shame comes through the expectation the parents put on their children to follow in the path they took regarding the college they attended and sorority or fraternity they belonged to. Shaming has become a serious issue in our society that causes negative effects on the child. Shaming on children can be very detrimental to their self confidence and potential in life. While a student may have goals and dreams for their future, this may be haltued to do the pressure put on by the parents. Along with damaging the child's future and goals, the shame creates tension between the parent and child, harming their relationship. As a society we can do our best to bring awareness to the cynical outcomes pressure brings, working to prevent future societies from experiencing shame from their parents as well. By working to prevent such an unfortunate factor of childhood, there can be more support and positivity toward students being able to achieve their academic