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Succesful Men In Things Fall Apart

Decent Essays

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace within itself” by Nelson Mandela. The novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is about the downfall of a strong clan and a strong man. The story narrates the life of Okonkwo and how he is seen as a successful man and was respected in his clan. The men in the Ibo culture are characterized a certain way to demonstrate how they contribute to their downfall and how they are affected, so the reader can understand how everything in Umuofia fell apart due to colonization. The men in Umuofia are represented as successful as shown in the novel through the main character, Okonkwo, as he is the embodiment of a successful man in Ibo culture. He earns his success from scratch as he was left with nothing from his deadbeat father, Unoka. Okonkwo is able to obtain such status in Umuofia by becoming a great wrestler in the nine villages, gaining two titles, warrior and being a prosperous farmer of yams that allows him to be able to sustain his three wives and children. Being viewed as a successful man, not a weak man is very significant to Okonkwo as it is known to the readers his greatest fear, “It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father,” (13). The terror of being anything like his father pushes him to the limits …show more content…

As Umuofia had a reputation to withhold, “Umuofia was feared by all its neighbors,” (11). This clan is feared by the surrounding villages because they know that Umuofia and men are strong. As going to war against them was something they want to avoid. The power and fear they had was something that made Okonkow and the men of Umuofia proud of being part of this clan. Which is why the invasion of the missionaries has such an impact on Umoufia because it is clan who is stable and suddenly it all falls apart because of these white men in less than 10

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