Things Fall Apart Research Paper

Okonkwo’s main characteristics as he is depicted in the first few chapters are he is a well respected warrior and determined individual of the Umuofia clan throughout the nine villages and beyond. Okonkwo is a well

Every action Okonkwo carries out is “dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (Achebe 13). This fear stems from his hatred towards every one of his father's attributes. Thus, his character depends so much on comparing himself to someone else's identity, that Okonkwo cannot verily become aware of his own inner qualities. Speaking to Okonkwo, Unoka, his father, says “‘a proud heart can

This connects Okonkwo to a lion, which is often thought of as a strong, courageous, and noble creature. A lot of what is implied here refers to the theme of Self-Made Man by showing just what kinds of troubles Okonkwo had to go through as he was younger to get to the point he was at then. It could also be in reference to Masculinity of Males by showing us just what they are expected to be able to deal with in the worst of times. If one cannot survive such a time, they are expected to die with no sympathy from the others. The man is supposed to be seen as the calming influence in the family, for so long as he is strong, so is his family.

Achebe tells us this story through examples of imagery, theme, and symbolism. He combines it all to tell us the story of Okonkwo and his

The first symbol we see in Things Fall Apart is Okonkwo’s father, Unoka. Unoka was a failure all throughout Okonkwo’s childhood, he was lazy and a coward. He is a significant symbol in the novel because he is the reason why Okonkwo is the way he is. Okonkwo doesn’t want to be a failure

Okonkwo is portrayed as a respected individual in many ways. He was a well known person through out the 9 villages and beyond. His successes were based wholly on his personal achievements. For example, he was a warrior and wrestler who gained respect through his athletics. Manliness was a

Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood.” (10). He was also described as “a man of war.” Not being afraid of war or the look of blood shows that Okonkwo is brave.

To broaden the idea of destiny, Achebe uses Okonkwo to convey his message of how one’s brutal actions can slowly build up and eventually explode, harming things surrounding him. Okonkwo is depicted

Through reading the novel Things Fall Apart, which tells a story about the main character Okonkwo and the Igbo people before and after the europeans show up, and research on the modern-day Igbo people. There have been many discovered similarities and differences within the Igbo culture after the Europeans came into contact with them. The europeans, overtime, have imprinted their ideals into Igbo life The Igbo culture seems to of stuck to their traditional marital rituals and entertainment. In the novel it says,”The second day of the new year was the day of the great wrestling match between Okonkwo’s village and their neighbors”(39).

First, Okonkwo starts off as a poor child, as shown when the book states, “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had, he did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit” showing that Okonkwo and his family were penurious, compared to others in the Igbo tribe (Achebe 16). Eventually, through his hard work and effort, he became a noble leader, which emphasizes his role as a tragic hero. Throughout the story Okonkwo goes through many challenges, but “In the face of futility, however, he maintains his nobility of character”(Gaydosik).

Okonkwo was a very large and tall man. He had big bushy eyebrows and a huge nose. As stated in Things Fall Apart, “He was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look (3-4).”

Achebe and Adichie teach us about the importance of notice other culture around us and that their is always more than one side of a story. As I listen to the Adichie and read Achebe, I began to notice how much I don't know. How important Things Fall Apart is not only to teach us about African culture, but to know there side of how colonization began. All in all Things Fall Apart teaching us different cultures in the world, people, and that we should know more about the world we live in.

Different countries have people that hold many different views and beliefs. In Nigeria the Igbo area is located in the southern area of the country. And within this area is Umuofia, which is where the Ogidi tribe lives. These people have beliefs that rest strongly on religion and faith in god. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe takes a look at the life of an African tribe that has been isolated from the outer more technologically advanced world where science has become a part of religion proving that certain things live sickness are not caused by evil spirits. But the African tribe has no knowledge of this and they live in a society where there traditions, beliefs and there forms of communication differ from are own.

The description given early in the novel clearly establishes his character as being a strong and wealthy man who is well respected among the rest of the tribe due to his superior fighting abilities and his influential personality. Having achieved such elite status within the Umuofia clan, Okonkwo appears to be old-fashioned as it is seen in his approach in raising his family and tribal people. However, Okonkwo’s character changes incrementally with the emergence of a boy, Ikemefuna, from a neighboring village, who was brought to him because of his brutal attack against his wife Ojiugo during the ‘week of peace’. Amongst the Umuofia clan, the ‘week of peace’ is a tribal ritual whose conditions are not to complete any evil sins in a certain week span. After having accepted Ikemefuna into the family, Okonkwo experiences a shift in his mental state. Shortly hereafter, he questions this change, which demonstrates his lack of willingness to change which is clearly demonstrated in the book in several different ways like in chapter Eight, Okonkwo proclaims to himself, “When did you become a shivering old woman, you, who are known in all nine villages for your valour in war” (Achebe 56). This represents that his character has become a weaker, less influential individual amongst the nine tribes where he is well known. Symbolically, this depicts a fragile reputation in Okonkwo’s status within the community to which he belongs.

Through the narrator’s thoughts, the theme was initially found. For example, in the text, Achebe states, “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness. It was not external but lay deep within himself lest he should be found to resemble his father” (Achebe 13). The narrator’s thought allows the reader to determine that all