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Themes of things fall apart
Okonkwo character developement
Themes of things fall apart
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Okonkwo had dreams, some of his dreams were fulfilled while others weren’t. Okonkwo's dreams were to be successful and better than his father which happened because he was one of the greatest, well known and respected men in the tribe of Umuofia. His other dream was for his son Nwoye to be just like him which didn’t happen since Nwoye was not happy with the way he was being treated and he went and joined the white men church in spite of his father. Okonkwo wanted to become one of the greatest men in the Ibo tribe, but three unfortunate events occur bringing him closer to his end. Okonkwo was a proud, industrious figure who through hard work was able to elevate himself to a stature of respect and prominence in his community. The one major character flaw was that he was a man driven by his fear to extreme reactions. Okonkwo was petrified of inadequacy namely because his father was a complete and utter failure. This fear of shortcoming made him hate everything his father loved and represented: weakness, gentleness, and idleness. Who was Okonkwo, well Okonkwo was a hero and also he...
Despite his love for the culture in which he was born, Okonkwo, an esteemed member and warrior of the Ibo peoples of Africa, has a difficult time complying with the traditions of his tribe. Although he respects the tribe’s customs and the decisions of the elders, Okonkwo often makes rash decisions that bring him and his family unnecessary troubles. He strives to gain the tribe’s respect, as well as to compensate for his father’s “failed” life by portraying himself as the perfect man and warrior; however, his efforts toward honor seem to always end in dishonor. In a way, the reasons for his behavior come from deep within Okonkwo himself, not the culture of which he is a part. Compensation for character flaws turns in overcompensation, which places him out of touch with his community. In short, his sense of, and obsession for, self-image acts as a catalyst for his actions throughout the book.
Okonkwo was well known through out the nine villages because of his achievements in the tribe. Okonkwo had a great fear of becoming like his father. This had a rather large impact on his life and how his personality. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was a lazy man whereas Okonkwo was a hard worker, Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy hand and he was a man of war.
In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, the main character, Okonkwo, is faced with the destruction of his culture through the changes of African Colonization. Okonkwo is the strongest member of his clan. At a young, he fought his way up the societal ladder to become something from nothing. As time passes, the Western cultures’ ideas force Okonkwo to the limits of his cultural boundaries. Okonkwo realizes that in a new society ruled by Western influence that the old ways of his clan, violence and hate, are not going to regain control over the people of Umuofia. With Okonkwo’s past of extreme violence, his fight for the old traditions of the Igbo culture cannot withstand the cultural collision between the Western missionary’s ideas and the Igbo’s ideas which inevitably leads to his undoing.
Okonkwo is “a man of action, a man of war” (7) and a member of high status in the Igbo village. He holds the prominent position of village clansman due to the fact that he had “shown incredible prowess in two intertribal wars” (5). Okonkwo’s hard work had made him a “wealthy farmer” (5) and a recognized individual amongst the nine villages of Umuofia and beyond. Okonkwo’s tragic flaw isn’t that he was afraid of work, but rather his fear of weakness and failure which stems from his father’s, Unoka, unproductive life and disgraceful death. “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness….It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.” Okonkwo’s father was a lazy, carefree man whom had a reputation of being “poor and his wife and children had just barely enough to eat... they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back.” (5) Unoka had never taught Okonkwo what was right and wrong, and as a result Okonkwo had to interpret how to be a “good man”. Okonkwo’s self-interpretation leads him to conclude that a “good man” was someone who was the exact opposite of his father and therefore anything that his father did was weak and unnecessary.
The first reason Okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of Western ideas into the Ibo culture was because, Okonkwo started out in the novel as a strong person ; role model, but the cultural collision of the British colonists and Ibo people affected his reputation to the point of him going through a crisis and committing suicide. The reasons for this tragic change in their sense of identity included others looking at him differently & people disliking him . Overall, their response to the introduction of Western ideas shaped the meaning of the work
Okonkwo's life was driven by his strong desire for status. In Okonkwo’s eyes, status was defined in two parts. The first part being how much respect and how many titles one has. Okonkwo goes to extreme odds to gain respect in his village, Umuofia. Okonkwo’s opinions on success relating to titles is displayed very early on. An example of this
The novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, reveals the dynamics of the Ibo tribe that eventually led to Okonkwo’s demise. Okonkwo was taught the values and ways of the tribe which prepared him for failure in a more modern society. The family structure that existed caused many struggles with his father and even his sons. Also, the Ibo tribe valued strength and status. Such ideals opened the door for conflict with the missionaries who are trying to enforce laws and civility. Altogether, Okonkwo was mislead and unwilling to learn another way of life. Although many things contributed to Okonkwo’s downfall, one must explore each reason separately in order to understand. Starting with Okonkwo's father.
Success in Okonkwo’s life has never contributed to his overall happiness. Even after losing all his titles, he was upset over losing his family’s respect rather than the titles in society he had. In addition, his motivation
Okonkwo is the son of a man named Unoka, who was known as somewhat of a failure and was not able to repay debt. Unoka preferred music and friendly gatherings to working in the field and was therefore more focused on things as seen as unimportant to the Ibo culture such as playing his flute and drinking palm-wine rather than earning titles and growing yams as an Ibo man should. Okonkwo developed a deep shame and hatred for his father and worked tirelessly to erase him from his memory by attempting to become his opposite by earning
Overall, Okonkwo is a crucial part to the story Things Fall Apart, for he represents African culture, and helps demonstrate how colonization can change everything. Through this book we see how colonization changed history, and how it is important for groups, tribes, societies to stay together in times of invasion, in order to protect their own customs and traditions; and how crucial a sense of unity would've been for the Umuofian tribe. Okonkwo was the sense of unity of the tribe, doing everything he could could to protect it. His collection of honorable titles, his love for his tribes culture, his drive and passion, and even his booming pride all contribute to his district character, a true hero in my eyes.
Okonkwo was the son of Unoka, and Unoka was know in all of Umuofia as a poor coward who never paid back his debts. From the day Unoka died, Okonkwo vowed to never be like his father. Instead, Okonkwo was the complete opposite being described as wealthy but frugal, brave, violent and stubbornly opposed to music and anything else that was perceived “soft” such as, conversation and emotion. In regards to his wealth he married 3 wives and his 3 wives bore him 7 children all together. Of his 7 children he favored Ezinma his only child with Ekwefi his second wife, and did not approve or agree with his oldest son Nwoye’s actions. Okonkwo more than anything valued manliness, his own and others. During the time in this book when Ezinma is taken by
Okonkwo is an interesting character that experiences many changes throughout the novel. He is a self made member of the Umuofia community unlike his father. His father’s cowardliness and laziness never provided for him or the rest of his family. Growing up, he developed a fear of becoming like his father and that is why it became his influence and purpose in life is to live successfully. This is one of the reasons he reaches troubling times along with his Chi. The concept of Chi plays a big role in his destiny and it was can be interpreted two ways after reading the book. It is possible that Chi may have caused his difficulties, but I believe that he caused them himself because of his strong-willed nature.
Before colonialism Okonkwo was seen as a strong and confident man who was known as a fierce warrior whose barns were bursting with yams. “ His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear or failure and of weakness.”(pg 9) He had a fear of failure and being seen as weak which was mostly dominated by watching his father as a young boy who himself was a living embodiment of Okonkwo’s fear. Ultimately though Okonkwo suffered a fate very similar to that of his father.
The main character of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero to some people. Shakespeare once said that tragic hero holds a position of power and prestige, chooses his course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and and unfortunately has a tragic downfall. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. To add, Chinua Achebe used a tragic hero in his novel to erase the stereotype that is set forth by Europeans during this time period.
Okonkwo embodies all the ideal and heroic traits of the Igbo culture. He is strong, authoritative, hardworking, and successful. The opening sentence states that “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond” (3). Okonkwo is great and famous because of his “solid personal achievements” (3). Okonkwo first achieved fame and recognition when he became the village’s wrestling champion. At eighteen years of age, he had “brought honor to his village” by defeating the seven-year champion. By winning the wrestling match, Okonkwo demonstrates to his village his great strength and skill as a warrior. After that his fame spread “like a bush-fire in the harmattan” (3). Okonkwo governs his household with authority. He “ruled his household with a heavy hand” (13). His wives and children lived “in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (13). Okonkwo is a hard task-master. He works on his farm “from cock-crow until the chickens went to roost” and compelled his family to do the same (13). He does not tolerate laziness in his sons. He punishes his son, Nwoye, with “constant nagging and beating” (14). Okonkwo is the sole and unquestionable authority figure in his household.