How Does Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo was a much respected man. He had done a lot for his name and his family. This started to deteriorate, though, when he got upset with his wife, Ojiugo. He felt that she was being neglectful and thought that she cared more about being pretty than being a good mom. For this reason, Okonkwo, seeking perfection in everything, his wife included, decided to beat Ojiugo. “When she returned he beat her very heavily” (Achebe 29). This was highly frowned upon – especially under the circumstances. Okonkwo did this during the Week of Peace. He broke the peace of the sacred week and was looked down upon very much because of it. His community was disappointed in him and suddenly saw that he was not, by any means, as perfect as they thought him to be. This is when he began to truly fall apart. …show more content…
He had an adopted son, who he liked very much, named Ikemefuna. The problem, though, is that Ikemefuna was summonsed to be killed. Okonkwo is informed that he should not take part in the murder because of his affection toward his son. When Ikemefuna, though, begins to cry out for Okonkwo’s assistance, Okonkwo refuses to look weak because of his pride and therefore ends up killing his own son himself. Although it is not what he wanted to do, he felt that it was what he had to do. The downside to this, though, was that he fell into a deep depression from no longer having his favored son. “He did not sleep at night. He tried not to think about Ikemefuna, but the more he tried the more he thought about him” (63). This event is another instance that is a part of his life falling