Okonkwo is impulsive; he acts before he thinks. Consequently, Okonkwo offends the Igbo people and their traditions as well as the gods of his clan. Okonkwo is advised not to participate in the murder of Ikefemuna, but he actually kills Ikefemuna because he is "afraid of being thought weak."
Full Answer
What is Okonkwo's attitude?
Okonkwo consciously adopts opposite ideals and becomes productive, wealthy, thrifty, brave, violent, and adamantly opposed to music and anything else that he perceives to be “soft,” such as conversation and emotion. He is stoic to a fault. Okonkwo achieves great social and financial success by embracing these ideals.
What does Okonkwo's treatment of his family tell about his personality?
Okonkwo considers many of his father's characteristics to be feminine. Much of Okonkwo's behavior results from a reactionary desire to be completely unlike his father. This means that Okonkwo attempts to work hard, provide for his family materially, be brave, and be masculine in every possible way.
What is Okonkwo's attitude now that he has been exiled?
Okonkwo begins his exile deeply discouraged and unmotivated. While striving for even greater manliness, he committed a female murder — that is, he accidentally killed a boy during the funeral ceremony. Making things worse (in his mind), he has been exiled to the woman's side of his family.
How does Okonkwo culture affect him?
Okonkwo sees the way the colonizers are living in their land as a direct insult to himself and his culture which causes tension between the two groups. Okonkwo is not in the slightest pleased by western ideas or their ways of life which makes him lash out because of his background as a war hero and village leader.
How does Okonkwo's identity change?
Okonkwo was the man who all the other men looked up to and wanted to be, until christian missionaries and ruined his life. At least that's what Okonkwo believes. After they “ruin” his life he changes into a man who doesn't take responsibility for his own actions and wrong doings.
How does Okonkwo's life fall apart?
In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's fear of weakness along with the arrival of Christianity causes Okonkwo's downfall. One of the main causes of Okonkwo's downfall is his fear of being like his father, who was weak and considered a failure.
How does Okonkwo react to his exile?
How does Okonkwo react to his exile? Depression, no reason to continue working hard at his goal to become a lord of Umuofia since it cannot be achieved now.
Why is Okonkwo depressed?
They build homes and plant yams, but Okonkwo becomes depressed because of how his life has turned out. His uncle Uchendu, after helping to conduct a final marriage ceremony for his son and daughter-in-law, reminds Okonkwo to be strong and to recognize that life is not easy for anyone.
How does Okonkwo feel about his new life?
According to Achebe, how does Okonkwo feel about his new life? Okonkwo does not approve of his new life, but he accepts it because he has no other choice. He does not want to lose his spot on top with his society but he learns to accept that it will happen sooner or later, and Uchendu helps him accept it.
What kind of character is Okonkwo?
Okonkwo is renowned as a wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams (a "manly" crop). He has three wives and many children who live in huts on his compound. Throughout his life, he wages a never ending battle for status; his life is dominated by the fear of weakness and failure.
What is Okonkwo's sense of identity?
Okonkwo's response about Ibo and Western ideas proves that a challenge to culture is also a challenge to identity. Okonkwo's sense of identity is influenced to be an ultimate Ibo man, but the fear of being like his father Unoka challenges him.
How does fear affect the actions of Okonkwo?
The protagonist Okonkwo is dominated by his fear instead of mastering it. Fear leads him to abuse his wives, look down on his family members, and never admit his failure. Effects could be either positive or negative, but these fears only generate negative effects for Okonkwo.
What did Okonkwo think of the tribes?
At first, Okonkwo thinks he and other tribal leaders can stop the missionaries and oust them from the community.
What was Okonkwo's tribe before he was exiled?
Before the exile, Okonkwo was a leader of his tribe and someone who mostly adhered to the traditions of his people. He is seen overstepping those bounds a few times early in the novel, but once he is separated from his tribe, Okonkwo arguably becomes even more closely tied to its traditions.
What is the fate of Okonkwo?
Okonkwo, realizing the fate of his village is to be taken over, kills himself. In Igbo society, committing suicide is a desecration to the earth and to the clan. Okonkwo ends up following the path of his own father, whose death was also shameful. Okonkwo wished to be a hero and a great man of his clan.
Why is Okonkwo so hardworking?
Okonkwo’s hardworking nature is influenced by his father’s inability to leave him anything, such as a farm, a title, or a young wife. Okonkwo had to work on his own to achieve success, engaging in sharecropping and taking care of his mother and siblings when his father wouldn’t.
Why is Okonkwo ashamed of his father?
He is ashamed of his father, Unoka, because Unoka was constantly in debt to others and lived a financially unsuccessful life. This shame drives Okonkwo's attitude and fear of failure. Okonkwo desires to be as unlike his father as possible.
What does Okonkwo do with Ikemefuna?
With Ikemefuna under his care, Okonkwo allows him to act much like his son, although Okonkwo never shows the boy outward affection. To Okonkwo, affection is weakness. When the village elders decide to sacrifice Ikemefuna, they tell Okonkwo not to take part in the killing. However, Okonkwo’s kills Ikemefuna himself.
Why did Okonkwo kill the messengers of the white men?
Okonkwo kills one of the messengers of the white men in his anger and hatred. As a result the men of the villages become even more conflicted instead of banding together.
How long did Okonkwo go into exile?
Okonkwo has no choice but to go into exile for seven years. Okonkwo then leaves with his family and returns to his “motherland” of Mbanta. After Okonkwo is banished, he loses his hope and ambition. His desire to become one of the lords of the clan is ruined, and Okonkwo feels that he has nothing to strive for.
What did Okonkwo's son convert to?
However, his son Nwoye converts to Christianity and leaves Okonkwo, his mother, and his siblings. Okonkwo is ashamed of this and realizes that Nwoye is like his grandfather Unoka. Okonkwo believes it is his fault for raising Nwoye with too much “fire,” as Nwoye has been pushed to become the “ashes.”.
Why is Okonkwo so famous?
Okonkwo was well known through out the nine villages because of his achievements in the tribe. Okonkwo had a great fear of becoming like his father. This had a rather large impact on his life and how his personality. Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was a lazy man whereas Okonkwo was a hard worker, Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy hand ...
What was Okonkwo's fear of becoming like his father?
Okonkwo's fear of becoming like his father was also what drove him to rule his house with a heavy hand. Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children,' (quoted on page 10). This quote explains directly how strictly he ruled his household ...
Why is Okonkwo's father not looked up to?
Okonkwo's father was a man who was not looked up to through out the village. This was because he was a man who was lazy and would not think of the future. On page 3 it is stated, In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of think about tomorrow.'. As a result of Unoka's lifestyle, Okonkwo despises a lazy lifestyle.
What are the changes in Elie's life?
The changes in Elie’s life throughout the story are shown in form of stages, the beginning stage where Elie feels no affection towards his dad, the second stage where Elie’s relationship with his father gets stronger than ever, and the last change, when Elie becomes indifferent towards his own feelings.
What is Okonkwo's opposite ideal?
Okonkwo consciously adopts opposite ideals and becomes productive, wealthy, thrifty, brave, violent, and adamantly opposed to music and anything else that he perceives to be “soft,” such as conversation and emotion. He is stoic to a fault. Okonkwo achieves great social and financial success by embracing these ideals.
Who is Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart?
Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo, the son of the effeminate and lazy Unoka, strives to make his way in a world that seems to value manliness. In so doing, he rejects everything for which he believes his father stood. Unoka was idle, poor, profligate, cowardly, gentle, and interested in music and conversation. Okonkwo consciously adopts opposite ideals ...
Is Okonkwo gruff?
Okonkwo is gruff, at times, and usually unable to express his feelings (the narrator frequently uses the word “inwardly” in reference to Okonkwo ’s emotions). But his emotions are indeed quite complex, as his “manly” values conflict with his “unmanly” ones, such as fondness for Ikemefuna and Ezinma.
What does Okonkwo decide to do?
Realizing that he is defeated and cannot save his village from the white men influences, Okonkwo decides to hang himself, which is consider as an abomination in Igbo culture. Okonkwo’s character greatly fits the Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero.
Why is Okonkwo violent?
Okonkwo is always harsh and violent with his family members because he doesn’t want to be seen as a weak person.
What did Okonkwo discover about the Igbo people?
But most important, Okonkwo discovers that the white men have settled down in the village. The white men establish a church and a school in the village, and then start converting Igbo people into Christian and attacking Igbo customs and faith.
How many wives does Okonkwo have?
From his hard work, Okonkwo has 3 wives with many children, a large compound with obi for each of his wives and a large stock of yams. Okonkwo earns himself respect from people both inside his clan and outside his clan through many of his achievements.
How long did Okonkwo stay in Umuofia?
Okonkwo’s self-realization starts when he comes back to Umuofia after his seven years exile with a great plan. However, after his arrival, he realizes that Umuofia is much changed and he is not as important and famous as he used to be before his exile.
Is there a war between white men and Igbo people?
Although there is no war between white men and Igbo people, the conflicts between these two groups still often occur, including the unmasking of Egwugwu, the burning of the church and the deceptive meeting held by the white men which results in the capture and humiliation of the five clan members, including Okonkwo.
Is Okonkwo a tragic hero?
In Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo can be considered a tragic hero because he meets all of Aristotle’s criteria by being a tragic hero by being a successful and respected leader in Umuofia, having a tragic flaw, and discovering his fate soon after his action.
What is the way Okonkwo hates his father?
Two ways that shows Okonkwo’s hate towards his father is the way he constantly beats his own son Nwoye. Another way is how Onkonkwo never wants to show any weakness and consciously adopts opposite ideals of his father.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and Unoka?
The relationship between Okonkwo and Unoka. In “Things Fall Apart”, many father and son relationships exist. The most notable one is the Okonkwo has with his father Unoku. Their relationship is a very strained in which Okonkwo grows up hating his father and consciously adopts opposite ideals. Unoku is often viewed as a poor, lazy man who ...
What does Onkonkwo worry about his son?
Onkonkwo worries about his son following in the footsteps of his grandfather that he even refers to him as being “old enough to impregnate a woman”. Okonkwo views his son as a symbol of laziness just like Unoka, and so he does his best to prevent this.
Why does Nwoye cry a lot when Ikmefuma is taken away?
This includes Nwoye crying a lot when Ikmefuma is taken away and that he prefers listening to his mother’s children stories rather than his father’s war stories. Nuroye struggles in the shadow of his powerful, successful, and demanding father that as a result he is subjected to beatings.
Does Onkokwo believe in anything?
Onkokwo does not believe in anything that he perceives to be “soft”, such as conservation and emotion. To say that the father and son relationship exists between Okonkwo and Unoka is impossible. He does not look up to his father in any way.
Why did Okonkwo fail in his mission?
Basically Okonkwo failed in his mission in raising his son in the right way and comprehends that he has pushed his son to his fate and becomes bitter. It is his fault that he lost a son. His rejection of his father’s way of life creates an ironic parallel rejection of his own son.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye?
The Relationship between Okonkwo and Nwoye falls apart. A relationship between a father and son can have a decidedly profound impact on each other’s lives. Whether this relationship is bifurcated, the psychological effects of having an intimate or inadequate parenting skills can have a nurturing or depriving effect on a child's personality ...
Why did Nwoye leave the tribe?
Nwoye felt no love or attention from his father. It is, therefore, no surprise that Nwoye left the tribe and converted to the “white man’s” religion, Christianity. He did this in an effort to seek answers to his troubling questions about Okonkwo and the other members in his society.
Why is Okonkwo's relationship with his son so tumultuous?
The reason for this tumultuous relationship is, Okonkwo is too engrossed in maintaining his status quo, and his relationship was governed by his own beliefs, principles and his own “right way to do right things”.
Why was Okonkwo's son erased?
The carved figure of a son that Okonkwo had predicted was erased due to his egoistic character and his terrible parenting skills. I can recall an incident, where one of my closest friends had a extremely unstable and difficult relationship with his father.
Why did Nwoye treat his family so strictly?
He treated his family very strictly as he believed that showing affection revealed a sign of social weakness; thus the disheartening lack of respect and love was a mal nourishing factor with in the family. This story maintained a constant theme of conflict. Nwoye, lives in perpetual fear of his father.
What were the consequences of the land mines?
The consequences of these hurtful land mines left mental scares that resulted in a schism, where the relationship between father and son became untenable. This also led to an emotional collapse with his father causing irreprehensible damage that affected and impacted his life today.
Why does Okonkwo repress his emotions?
And he did pounce on people quite often.'. He represses his emotions because he believes manly behavior requires stoicism. In addition, Okonkwo stutters. These limitations, along with insecurities due to his dad, may be behind Okonkwo's tendency to lash out as a first response when he is angry or afraid.
How does Okonkwo avoid responsibility for his actions?
On the other hand, Okonkwo avoids responsibility for his own actions by blaming his chi when he faces misfortune. 'Clearly his personal god or chi was not made for great things. A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. The saying of the elders was not true--that if a man said yea his chi also affirmed.
What is the conflict that Okonkwo faces?
Okonkwo goes into the bush and hangs himself in despair. Lesson Summary. Okonkwo is a Umuofia warrior who has achieved success while following the traditions of his ancestors. Much of the conflict Okonkwo faces is due to his warrior-like instincts and tendency to react in anger.
What does Okonkwo believe?
Okonkwo has conflicting ideas about his chi, or personal god. Okonkwo believes his chi rewards his hard labors. 'But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly, so his chi agreed.'
How many wives does Okonkwo have?
Okonkwo is able to work hard and become a successful farmer in spite of his father's failures. He eventually has three wives and eight children, and becomes a respected member of the Umuofia tribe. {"error":true,"iframe":true}. You must c C reate an account to continue watching.
What happens when Ikemefuna is killed by the Oracle?
Instead, he accompanies the posse intent on killing the boy. When another man strikes Ikemefuna with a machete, the boy runs toward Okonkwo seeking protection.
What is the last straw for Okonkwo?
Nwoye has rejected the religion and the culture of his ancestors by choosing another religion. The last straw for Okonkwo occurs when he beheads the messenger.
