Examples Of Cultural Collision In Things Fall Apart

9. “Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness. At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth.”

Nwoye first begins to undergo changes when the missionaries set up a church.Okonkwo is very against the churches due to his religious beliefs, and would be enraged

Because Okonkwo was never too fond of Nwoye, as he was towards his daughter Enzima or even Ikemefuna a non related child, Nwoye didn’t gain a father son relationship. Nwoye, as a child, knew his fathers tributes and character so tried to not to anger him. This included listening to explicit stories depicting death and violence even though he preferred his mothers stories about animals learning morals. As the time went by Nwoye started becoming more distant with his father. Finally, when the European starting practicing and trying to convert their religion to the Ibo, Nwoye felt something awaken and mesmerizing about them. It was depicted by stating, “He did not understand it. It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about brothers

In the beginning, Okonkwo feared being like his father, he raised his family and built up his life by his self because he did not want to be like his father. “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had had no patience with his father.” (pg. 1 TFA) the book said. He wasn’t very fond of his dad; his dad did not own much and had a lot of debt with everyone. Okonkwo did not want to grow up like his father; “In his

The relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye is very stressful and bitter as Okonkwo has very high expectation for his eldest son. Hence Okonkwo always “sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating” when he was irritated

He wanted to show that he was not like his father in any way. His father was a poor, lazy, man whom he didn't respect at all. Okonkwo gained respect through being a clansman. The clansmen were the law making body of the village, which everyone had obeyed. They enforced rules and laid down punishment.

Okonkwo considers Nwoke to be weak, lazy and is more feminine than masculine. He feared that Nwoke will turn out to be like Unoka so, “he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating” (11). Achebe shows that Okonkwo wants his son to be strong and fierce like him, but when this was not the case he feels that harming Nwoke will teach him. Though instead of the punishment helping Nwoke become manly, it had a negative effect on Nwoke leading him to fear and resents his father. In addition, the small relationship they had was completely broken when Nwoke finds an interest for the Christian religion. When Okonkwo hears that Nwoke is among the Christians, he gets furious and disowns his son because he does not want Nwoke to join the church . Likewise, when Obierika ask Nwoke how his father is he answers saying, “I don’t know. He is not my father” (124). This shows that instead of working out their different opinions they fought and in the end tore their relationship apart. One can not miss the reality that if Okonkwo was kind and not hurtful towards Nwoke tun he would have stayed with the Ibo culture. If this was the cause then the father and son would have had a better relationship. In the end the reader can conclude that Nwoke and Okonkwo’s relationship failed because of the actions and feelings they had for each

It was because Okonkwo and Nwoye saw how their fathers were to the people around them and their personalities, and because of that, they set out to become different people. The book showed throughout the story how Nwoye was coming of age and how he began to separate from his dad and become his own man. This is important for Nwoye because becoming your own man is something celebrated in all cultures and religions. The story reveals to the reader that coming of age is universal in all cultures and religions, and no matter how someone feels about his father, coming of age means a person has a choice of how to be and live his

Okonkwo despises his father to an extent that Okonkwo strives to be nothing like Unoka. Okonkwo lives his life and his goal is to be one of the high lords of the clan (Achebe 131). Okonkwo’s life goal is to be the opposite of his father, who is seen as a failure in the Ibo society. Unlike his father who did not fulfill the community's ideals of success Okonkwo did, and strives to achieve his whole life to prove that he was not similar to his father, because he does not want to be like someone who he despises. Similarly to Okonkwo, Nwoye does not have a good relationship with his father, because Nwoye does not act like him. Nwoye Knew that he should act violent like his father, but he preferred to be with his mother and listen to stories (Achebe 53). From a young age Nwoye knew he did not want to be like his father, because he did not approve of the way Okonkwo acts thus he rebelled by being like his mother and preferring kindness and stories over violence. Besides not wanting to be violent like his father, Nwoye rebels by converting to christianity. Nwoye converts, changes his name to Isaac and goes to college to become a teacher (Achebe 182). Nwoye converting and changing his name is the ultimate rebellion because he literally changes everything Okonkwo tried to make Nwoye. Okonkwo attempted to make Nwoye a strong man in the eyes of Ibo society just it in turn made Nwoye rebel and turn

Nwoye doesn't want to be as cruel and mean like his father. We see evidence from the text when Nwoye had been attracted to a new faith. “Although Nwoye had been attracted to a new faith from the very first day, he kept it secret . He dared not to go too near the missionaries for fear of his father.(P.146) his evidence supports my claim because it explains that everyone is their own person. You cannot make someone out to be someone they are not.

In “Things Fall Apart” Nwoye is the oldest son of Okonkwo. Nwoye willingness to accept to the cultural collision shows how others react to those who were willing to accept the change and why they were okay with the change.

“Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness”(13/2). His son reminds him so much of his father that he is causing him anxiety from his laziness as his father. “And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death”(18/2). By the fear that his dad gave him this would’ve gave him anxiety, that one day he could possibly become like him. The way that he treats them is harshly, even, though he doesn’t show it with his father, but speaks about him harshly.

I would describe Nwoye as a very curious and sensitive character. Not everyone is proud of the man Nwoye had become, for example Okonkwo. “ Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness.”(13/2). Based on his father's observation you can come to a conclusion that Nwoye was very lazy starting at a young age. As you can see Okonkwo was fairly disappointed on the person Nwoye had turned out to be. Okonkwo and Nwoye never had a great relationship and sums up Nwoye as very naive having none of Okonkwo's traits. “What are you doing here?” Obierika had asked when after many difficulties the missionaries had allowed him to speak to the boy. “I am one of them”, replied Nwoye.”(144/2). Nwoye

He does not want to be seen the same way his father was seen, so whenever he had an opportunity to demonstrate his masculinity, he took full advantage. Being masculine involved being the man of his own house. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (Achebe 13). By keeping full control of his house he was considered manly.

Since Okonkwo was a very harsh and irrational man at most times he did many things that made other people scared of his ways. For example when his son Nwoye converted to Christianity which is far out of Okonkwo comfortability, says “Answer me,” roared Okonkwo, “Before I kill you!” He seized a heavy stick that lay on the dwarf