Things Fall Apart Okonkwo's Identity

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.”

In all English literature their are elements for example, Conflict, Theme, Dynamic Character, Static Character, Climax and the list goes on. At the beginning of the story Okonkwo was a strong brave warrior who feared no one. However when the story gets into more depth and the characters faces struggles Okonkwo tend to change in the story. From one strong warrior to someone who killed a child. From someone who never used to listen or respect his wife to a husband who shows a little change in him.

Through the character of Okonkwo, Achebe illustrates the dangers of being selfish. Although successful, Okonkwo is one of the most aggressively selfish men among the Igbo people based on his self-centered needs and desires. This characteristic is prevalent throughout the entirety of the novel, and there are always consequences to his actions. For example, Okonkwo is fond of calling men “women” to make himself look more masculine. He does this to Osugo in front of a group of men in a meeting. “Okonkwo knew how to kill a man’s spirit. Everybody at the kindred meeting took sides with Osugo when Okonkwo called him a woman” (Achebe 26). Since the other men sided with Osugo, Okonkwo’s punishment for this narcissistic outburst is embarrassment. Continuing,

18. Why is Okonkwo disappointed with his son Nwoye? What values does Okonkwo associate with manliness? How does Nwoye relate to these values? Compare Okonkwo’s attitude toward Nwoye to Okonkwo’s attitude toward his daughter Ezinma (presented in Ch. 8).

Nwoye Struggles with his identity and it has led him to embrace a new culture, which has Basically saved him, and shows the good effects colonialism can have on people.

Everyone in the book Things Fall Apart must make decisions throughout the book, some of these decisions are minor, while others are major. Characters also make decisions that can be good or bad, some of the decisions affected just that person, and while others affected the people they love and know. In the book, every action has a consequence, some of these make the characters’ lives better while others turn their worlds upside down. In this essay, I’m going to talk about the decision that Okonkwo made when he was younger.

“‘An Umuofia man does not refuse a call,’ [Okonkwo] said. ‘He may refuse to do what he is asked; he does not refuse to be asked,’”. In the novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, a leader named Okonkwo faces many challenges. Umuofia is a village that was apart of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria around the 19th century which is during the pre-European imperial era. Okonkwo tries to achieve greatness and be better than his father by gaining titles within the tribe, but the struggles during that era and tribal issues get in the way.

In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe it is demonstrated how the Ibo culture slowly deteriorated from their own culture. The Western ideas influenced a different impact on certain characters, this also included characters like Okonwo and his son Nwoye. Many from the Ibo culture were confused by the merge of the European people slowly but subtly trying to enforce and covert their religion upon them. The books ending explained why the book was written in the first place, which was to “break the silence” that existed from the unheard side of the colonized people. The novel explained the impact Nwoye encountered with Western ideas was a clear and positive one. Nwoye felt like he resonated, was wanted, and more suited in the new culture

Following Nwoye’s departure from Okonkwo’s Mbanta compound to become a Christian, Okonkwo sits in his hut and ponders the state of himself and the state of his son, where he has a temporary reminiscence of an old powerful nickname. Achebe tells us,

Okonkwo’s life is the main thing that is falling apart, at the beginning of the book Okonkwo tells how he started from nothing a built his way up to a great man. Okonkwo was going to hoping on becoming the next leader of his village. His life falls apart because he disobeys the gods, this is why his life is falling apart. He helps in the murder of Ikemefuna( a boy whom Okonkwo took under his wing and was a better son than his actual son).

Okonkwo’s Response Okonkwo was known as the most powerful and the bravest man of the ibo tribe. Okonkwo also suffered from a bad temper and his fear of becoming his father and looking weak to others. Okonkwo had a challenge with western ideas. In the beginning of the novel “ Things Fall Apart” okonkwo was powerful and nothing could change his ways, the misunderstandings between the british colonists and ibo culture had an affect on okonkwo

In ‘’Things Fall Apart’’, Okonkwo presents multiple themes throughout the text. You can see these emotional struggles Okonkwo face as one gets further into the text. One of these themes is that success is the result of hard work. In the text Okonkwo worked hard to feed his 8 kids and support his 3 wives. This would not be possible if he were not to have worked hard enough to become this successful.

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

Fear is a powerful tool that if used incorrectly, can control how one lives. Okonkwo’s life is one that is dominated by fear. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart follows the Ibo people, set during the time of the colonization of West Africa, in the town of Umoufia. The protagonist, Okonkwo, is a strong follower of his culture’s rigid expectations and practices. While Okonkwo’s steadfast adherence earns the respect of the townsmen, many detest the cultural expectations and practices they are forced to follow. When Christian missionaries introduce Christianity to Umoufia, many of the Ibo people are quick to convert, including Okonkwo’s own son. This new religion slowly undermines the Ibo culture and religion Okonkwo firmly believes in, leading to his downfall. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s fear of weakness along with the arrival of Christianity causes Okonkwo’s downfall.

Okonkwo is a strong and confident man who has vowed to never be like his father Unoka. His father was lazy, unsuccessful and carried no titles. The relationship between Okonkwo and his father motivated Okonkwo to gain titles and become successful inside the clan. In this sense, Okonkwo has gained many titles, has three wives, and respected by the clan. Okonkwo chose to feel that identity in the clan was most important, and through this he had become a presence in the clan, noticed by the elders. However after the arrival of missionaries, who had come to convert the clans to Christianity, Okonkwo’s view is completely contradicted by the missionaries. Okonkwo had grown accustomed to members of the clan being ranked by certain tiers, while the