Theme Of Marriage In Things Fall Apart

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The way marriage is viewed today differs significantly from the past. The different opinions and views on marriage have made it acceptable that its implications have changed considerably. Traditionally, marriage can be considered a change indication in an individual’s attitude and relationship towards his/her family. This effect of marriage can be noticed in a character named Goneril from the piece “King Lear” by William Shakespeare. A piece based on King Lear of Britain that is betrayed by his two daughters after dividing and handing over his kingdom. The effect of marriage is also observed in another character named Okonkwo from a different piece called “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. This novel is based on a respected leader, Okonkwo, in the Umuofia tribe who lives in fear of becoming his father.
In “King Lear” there are quite a few villains, regrettably, Goneril is perceived as one of them, although, she can be …show more content…

He gained respect solely from being a warrior and defeating an undefeated wrestler known as “Amalinze the Cat”. All he wants to make certain is him being seen as a man with both strength and pride, along with no correspondences of his father (Unoka). Similar to Goneril, Okonkwo also doesn’t have a good relationship with his father. In fact, he actually disgusts his father due to the simple fact that he was lazy, a coward, and extremely feminine. This is evident when Achebe states: “In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow” (Achebe, 3). His father also borrowed money several times from others and left debts when he died, “Unoka was, of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbour some money” (Achebe, 3). Due to Unoka’s failures, Okonkwo had to suffer to ensure he wasn’t following his father’s footsteps, although, that caused him to make some rash decisions which effected his

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