Things Fall Apart
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of a man named Okonkwo. He had to build his life from the ground up, due to the lack of support from his lazy, dishonorable father. In the Ibo culture a man was hardworking and independent. Okonkwo was a perfect representation of a true man. In fear of being like his father he worked very hard to get where he was at the top of the clan.
Even though Okonkwo had a hard beginning with his lack of a fatherly figure, he was still a genuine man in the Ibo culture because he worked extremely hard even under his circumstances, people feared him and he was very strong, and finally he stood up for what he believed in even …show more content…
When Okonkwo came back to Umuofia from Mbane after his seven year exile was over he found out the white missionaries came. He was outraged and could not believe his people were not fighting harder. He always thought of them as strong warriors and now they were acting like what he considered a woman. Okonkwo could not believe they just allowed the white people to step all over them. Without any question or hesitation he told Obierika, “We must fight these men and drive them from the land,”(176). While many gave in to the Christian missionaries, Okonkwo was to willing to abandon all of his beliefs. He wanted his people to rise up against the whites and defend their culture. A true man would not give up and would be persistent in preserving something they believe in, like Okonkwo’s was with his religion. He would rather die than convert to Christianity and let down his ancestors. At the end of the novel, Okonkwo realized that Obierika may have been right all along and that it really was too late. Too many people have converted and not enough people supported him to allow any change or revolution against the whites. He was convinced that his people were too weak and soft and that their was no hope. Okonkwo would still never give in and instead of accepting his defeat and converting, he hung himself. He could no longer survive with his changed village and was extremely disappointed that they did not fight like he expected them to. Ending his life was the only other way he could “win” against the whites and prevent converting. After Okonkwo’s suicide Obierika told the Commissioner, “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself,”(208). This depicts how well respected Okonkwo was, and was even considered a great. A true man’s legacy will live on, and even though Okonkwo took his life he still fought right up to the very end of his life when he
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of a man named Okonkwo. He had to build his life from the ground up, due to the lack of support from his lazy, dishonorable father. In the Ibo culture a man was hardworking and independent. Okonkwo was a perfect representation of a true man. In fear of being like his father he worked very hard to get where he was at the top of the clan.
Even though Okonkwo had a hard beginning with his lack of a fatherly figure, he was still a genuine man in the Ibo culture because he worked extremely hard even under his circumstances, people feared him and he was very strong, and finally he stood up for what he believed in even …show more content…
When Okonkwo came back to Umuofia from Mbane after his seven year exile was over he found out the white missionaries came. He was outraged and could not believe his people were not fighting harder. He always thought of them as strong warriors and now they were acting like what he considered a woman. Okonkwo could not believe they just allowed the white people to step all over them. Without any question or hesitation he told Obierika, “We must fight these men and drive them from the land,”(176). While many gave in to the Christian missionaries, Okonkwo was to willing to abandon all of his beliefs. He wanted his people to rise up against the whites and defend their culture. A true man would not give up and would be persistent in preserving something they believe in, like Okonkwo’s was with his religion. He would rather die than convert to Christianity and let down his ancestors. At the end of the novel, Okonkwo realized that Obierika may have been right all along and that it really was too late. Too many people have converted and not enough people supported him to allow any change or revolution against the whites. He was convinced that his people were too weak and soft and that their was no hope. Okonkwo would still never give in and instead of accepting his defeat and converting, he hung himself. He could no longer survive with his changed village and was extremely disappointed that they did not fight like he expected them to. Ending his life was the only other way he could “win” against the whites and prevent converting. After Okonkwo’s suicide Obierika told the Commissioner, “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself,”(208). This depicts how well respected Okonkwo was, and was even considered a great. A true man’s legacy will live on, and even though Okonkwo took his life he still fought right up to the very end of his life when he