Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart Essay

Violence is a key factor due to the way it contributes to the shaping of Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo “[is] a man of action, a man of war.” (69). He is a man of bravery, loyalty, little emotion, and a war-like mindset. The novel focuses the changes of the Ibo clan in Nigeria during the 1890s; with colonization of white settlers and the new religion, Christianity.

He views that he is ‘the chosen one’ due to his large, and growing wealth/power. “Okonkwo was popularly called “the roaring flame””(153). Okonkwo sees the negative ability that he has due to his bad temper. This temper causes members of the clan to question Okonkwo’s ideas and motives. He takes out his anger on his wifes and kids, despite them being innocent and helpless. “He pressed the trigger and there was a loud report accompanied by the wail of his wives and children”(39). Okonkwo shows no feelings for others, and often forces things onto others because this is the only way Okonkwo knows to ‘lead’ others. He does not know when to give others control and take a step back himself. At first it is planned that Umofia will make the kill, “...Umofia has decided to kill him”(57). However Okonkwo did the killing himself to make him look stronger. Okonkwo wants to show off his strength, however the thing that Okonkwo ceases to understand is that his tribe does not respect this kind of act. Especially to someone that he considered his

His tragic downfall truly begins when his is sent away because of an accidental murder of a boy. Okonkwo and his family are exiled from the tribe for seven years and Okonkwo is stripped of the fruits of his hard work. While he is away the white missionaries move into the village. They preach against the culture and its violent ways, causing Okonkwo to become saturated with rage. Seven years later, Okonkwo is able to return. He plans to reestablish himself and his position with the help of his family. However, Umofia is not as it once was. The white men have moved in and dismantled the tribe with their laws and government. Okonkwo wishes to fight, but the clan does not agree with his suggestion. After realizing the fate of the village, Okonkwo chooses to take his life. He would rather die than watch everything he had worked for fall apart because of weak people. His tragic flaw, a fear of weakness, is so strong it destroyed him.

Often times, authors use literary elements to convey important central ideas in a text. In the novel, “Things Fall Apart,” Chinua Achebe uses misogyny to enhance the central idea that men are held superior to women. Misogyny is simply defined as the hatred of women. Achebe uses symbolism and the cultural components of Igbo, an African culture, to enhance sexism as the reoccurring theme throughout this novel. Okonkwo is a man held with high respect in the book, and does everything in his power to be anything, without resembling his father.

The central theme in Achebe Chinua's novel, Things Fall Apart, is masculinity. The main character, Okonkwo has an obsession with being masculine and refuses to look weak. From the beginning of the novel, it is clear that his idea of his own self worth and his masculinity are strongly interrelated. This obsession is a result of his unsuccessful father, Unoka, who is very cowardly and fears the sight of blood. Okonkwo makes a vow at a young age to be nothing like his father so he adopts opposite ideals that his father stood for. Okonkwo has three wives and several children who he is extremely harsh and violent towards because he wants to hold a strong warrior-like reputation. He is extremely cruel to his eldest son, Nwoye, which eventually drives him into the hands of the Christian missionaries. Okonkwo is also is haunted by a fear of seeming weak. Masculinity is the theme of Achebe Chinua's

Okonkwo has a tragic flaw, dark downfall, but does not recognize his flaw as the cause of his downfall. This conveys the theme that one’s insecurity will lead to their demise, regardless of their intent. First, Okonkwo’s flaw is his insecurity rooted in his need for masculinity. Okonkwo fears the idea that “he should be found to resemble his father” and was a “man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood” (13, 10). Given how Okonkwo’s father was a man of no wealth or status, he was seen as feminine. Refusing to resemble his father, Okonkwo becomes a strong, masculine man. Additionally, Okonkwo’s downfall was the result of multiple events that threaten his masculinity. Okonkwo’s first major offense was killing Ikemefuna out of fear of weakness despite being told to “not bear a hand in his death” (57). Additionally, the crime that forced Okonkwo into exile is when his “gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced the boy’s heart” (124). Furthermore, Okonkwo’s need for power causes him to kill a messenger as his “machete descended twice and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body” (204). As a result of his need to appear masculine, Okonkwo makes one foolish decision after another that culminate to his downfall. His refusal to not kill Ikemefuna was done out of fear of seeming weak, his crime that sent him to exile was deemed

All the traits perceived to be “manly” -- strength, successful yam farming, and bravery -- are possessed by protagonist Okonkwo. He is a man of action, the exact opposite of his lazy father Unoka, who is a failure because he is continually in debt and and an unsuccessful yam farmer. Okonkwo makes a continuous effort to be a real man and not appear weak to his tribe. Okonkwo's obsession with appearing manly can be seen when he kills the messenger after a tribe meeting because he is sick of the peaceful attitude toward the Western culture. Okonkwo demands from his tribe a war against the white men, and seeing the soft hearts of his neighbors, takes matters into his own hands by murdering to his enemy. Okonkwo's refusal to pursue a path of peace can be attributed to his unwillingness to give up his inclination toward war. The cultural collisions of African and Western culture exemplify Okonkwo's stubbornness and inability to give up the air of a very masculine man, and this, coupled with the new presence of Western culture, leads to his suicide.

Okonkwo is not happy with himself and really beats himself up because he wanted to become one of the lords of the clan. Since he committed the “sin” his chance of becoming a lord of the clan are close to nothing now. Things are slowly starting to fall apart for Okonkwo because he feels defeated and now everything he did for himself is getting taken away from him and his family. What caused his downfall was actually the fact that he accidentally killed the son of Ogbuefi Ezeudu. Okonkwo was then sent over to his motherland for 7 years.

Parents Just Don’t Understand Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe is a novel of plenty misunderstandings between father and son relationships. Okonkwo and his father, Unoka, have several misunderstandings as Okonkwo is influenced by the clan’s traditional views and Unoka is not. The other problematic relationship is between Okonkwo and his son, Nwoye. Okonkwo's traditional viewpoint clashes with his son, as Nwoye has more of a liberal way of living like his grandfather Unoka. These problematic relationships take a toll on Okonkwo as he does not understand how to control his hubris emotions which is factor of his suicide.

       The book Things Fall Apart successfully expressed how Chinua Achebe had succeeded in writing a different story. It pointed out the conflict of oneself, the traditional beliefs, and the religious matters of the Africans. Throughout the novel, Chinua Achebe used simple but dignified words and unlike other books, he also included some flashbacks and folktales to make the novel more interesting and comprehensible. Things Fall Apart was about a man named Okonkwo, who was always struggling with his inner fear although he was known for being a strong, powerful, and fearless warior. He feared of weakness, and failure more than the fear of losing

The stereotypes of Africans used by people throughout the whole world, influenced Chinua Achebe to write his novel Things Fall Apart in mind about ending the stereotypes used about the Africans. Things Fall Apart is about a man named Okonkwo that always struggles with himself and is known for being a strong, powerful, and a brave warrior. He fears weakness and failure more than the fear of dying and that foreshadows the consequences of his actions at the end of the novel. By writing the novel Things Falls Apart Achebe tries to make readers understand the stereotypes about Africans are simply false. Achebe addresses the stereotype through the missionaries and how they were treating the Africans.

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, tells two stories that are interlaced with each other both centering on the main charter Okonkwo. The first story is that of conflict between the individual and society. This story outlines Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second is a story is a clash of cultures, and the disappearance of Okonkwo’s world when aggressive missionaries arrive.

After killing one of the messengers who came to disband the meeting of Okonkwo’s people, instead of the support Okonkwo hoped for in his people, they had turned on him and set the missionary people free.Okonkwo ends up killing himself, his, “...body was dangling” (Achebe 207). Instead of proving his masculinity and strength for killing the white missionary, Okonkwo is showered with doubt and judgement for his actions. Okonkwo realizes that his society has changed, and his actions did not make him look strong but rather weak in their eyes. The fear of looking and being regarded as weak by both his society and the new society that has joined them consumed him so much to the point where he chooses to kill himself. The power the fear has over one can lead them into destructive ways, not only to the people around them, but also to themselves. Okonkwo’s fear has driven him to destruction and failure. To the people surrounding him, and finally to

In the text Okonkwo is determined not to carry on his father’s legacy. He is a successful wrestler and a yam farmer, traits the Igbo people, his tribe, found admirable. Despite his achievements, his life is dominated by the fear of becoming like his father. He wants so badly to perpetuate the image he wants for himself that he shuns anything he sees as weak or feminine. This overcompensating behavior is violent and erratic which makes him a danger to his family. This hubris is what will ultimately lead Okonkwo to his downfall.

In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart Okonkwo’s identity of being a respected clansman is challenged, after the arrival of the missionaries, Achebe utilizes this to bring out the theme “a man’s violence will be his