Fathers and sons worldwide have had power struggles and brawls over the superiority of themselves since the beginning of time. Mothers and daughters, more loving and gentle, have been seen as more level-headed and open to new things for eons. Nothing since has changed. Written by Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart explores these types of parental relationships and their differences in a culture. In Things Fall Apart, the relationships between the parents and their children play an integral role in the actions of the characters, and the culture as a whole. Okonkwo grows up to be a warrior because he lived in fear of being like his father, Unoka. Okonkwo was ever the fighter: strong, devoted, and masculine. His father, however, “was lazy and
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Terrified of messing up and getting beaten, Nwoye is effortlessly kind and loving to everyone in the village. He was scared of being like his father, so he began to oppose violence and wanted to be more level- headed. Okonkwo, however, viewed Nwoye was “already causing [him] great anxiety for his incipient laziness,” (13), and was worried that Nwoye would turn out like Unoka. Just like the relationship between Unoka and Okonkwo, Nwoye is scared of being like his father, and is a foil to him (153). When Okonkwo was acting manly, Nwoye was listening to the stories of the women. This, through, makes Okonkwo mad, and he beats Nwoye for acting too feminine. Nwoye acting emotive is seen as weak and something only a woman would feel. In the relationships driven by fear, there is no trust or love between the people …show more content…
Ekwefi had ten children, but Ezinma was the only one who lived. Ezinma was “determined to nurse [Ezinma] to health, and she put all her being into it,” (79). Their relationship is built on respect and love, so they are trusting and have a strong bond. These women are strong in the society, and are the backbone for all of the morals of the villages. They are not masculine, yet they represent strength in love. The women represent that love is stronger than fear, even when it could be deadly. When Ezinma was in the evil forest, Ekwefi followed her because she was scared for Ezinma’s wellbeing. Even though it was dark and at night, she was “all alone in that fearful place. She thought of all of the terrors of the night… Her blood [ran] cold,” (104), and she endured all of this just to watch her daughter. The women in the village would do anything to help their children, as they are driven by love, instead of hate, fear, and spite. In this novel, the actions of the characters affect the whole village based off of how they were treated as children. When shown love and positivity, children grow up to love and respect their parents, and be like them. If they are shown abuse and neglect, though, they become opposites of their parents in attempt to forget them. Many mothers are seen as caring, while fathers are more of a force of dominance that involves competition. Many problems
Terrified of messing up and getting beaten, Nwoye is effortlessly kind and loving to everyone in the village. He was scared of being like his father, so he began to oppose violence and wanted to be more level- headed. Okonkwo, however, viewed Nwoye was “already causing [him] great anxiety for his incipient laziness,” (13), and was worried that Nwoye would turn out like Unoka. Just like the relationship between Unoka and Okonkwo, Nwoye is scared of being like his father, and is a foil to him (153). When Okonkwo was acting manly, Nwoye was listening to the stories of the women. This, through, makes Okonkwo mad, and he beats Nwoye for acting too feminine. Nwoye acting emotive is seen as weak and something only a woman would feel. In the relationships driven by fear, there is no trust or love between the people …show more content…
Ekwefi had ten children, but Ezinma was the only one who lived. Ezinma was “determined to nurse [Ezinma] to health, and she put all her being into it,” (79). Their relationship is built on respect and love, so they are trusting and have a strong bond. These women are strong in the society, and are the backbone for all of the morals of the villages. They are not masculine, yet they represent strength in love. The women represent that love is stronger than fear, even when it could be deadly. When Ezinma was in the evil forest, Ekwefi followed her because she was scared for Ezinma’s wellbeing. Even though it was dark and at night, she was “all alone in that fearful place. She thought of all of the terrors of the night… Her blood [ran] cold,” (104), and she endured all of this just to watch her daughter. The women in the village would do anything to help their children, as they are driven by love, instead of hate, fear, and spite. In this novel, the actions of the characters affect the whole village based off of how they were treated as children. When shown love and positivity, children grow up to love and respect their parents, and be like them. If they are shown abuse and neglect, though, they become opposites of their parents in attempt to forget them. Many mothers are seen as caring, while fathers are more of a force of dominance that involves competition. Many problems