The novel, “Things Fall Apart”, by Chinua Achebe, tells the tragic yet heroic story of the demise of a legendary man called Okonkwo. Okonkwo, the son of Unoka, whose reputation of discontentment preceded him, also condemned his father, seeing him as weak and soft. Ashamed of his father’s inability to demonstrate, what he believed to be the strength, wealth and overall dignity of a man, Okonkwo was determined and therefore destined to live a life furthest from the complacent nature of his father.
Consequently, Okonkwo created his own legacy, one of heroism, masculinity, strength, bravery, as well wealth; the legacy of an Umuofian man. One in which he had determined and believed would be honoring the village, culture, and roots; earning him …show more content…
Specifically, Okonkwo‘s inner struggle and desire to maintain traditional values and manifested feelings evolving from his disapproval of his father, while dealing with a changing society. All in which might possibly lead him to characteristics similar to that of the man who swore to never emulate.
Throughout the readings Achebe illustrates the ways in which Okonkwo father serves as motive for his own comportment. As he viewed his father as failure and considered him to be weak, he feared that could be his own destiny, and as a result he would go to any extreme to disprove this; by going to the opposite intemperate.
Achebe writes, “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father (Achebe 4)”. I believe this to be a perfect example of why it was extremely important for Okonkwo to be seen as successful, strong, and powerful. For example, he absolutely refused to be seen as weak, which motivated his temperament with his wife and children as well. This is clear when Achebe writes, “Even as a little boy he resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him his father was agbala,
Consequently, Okonkwo created his own legacy, one of heroism, masculinity, strength, bravery, as well wealth; the legacy of an Umuofian man. One in which he had determined and believed would be honoring the village, culture, and roots; earning him …show more content…
Specifically, Okonkwo‘s inner struggle and desire to maintain traditional values and manifested feelings evolving from his disapproval of his father, while dealing with a changing society. All in which might possibly lead him to characteristics similar to that of the man who swore to never emulate.
Throughout the readings Achebe illustrates the ways in which Okonkwo father serves as motive for his own comportment. As he viewed his father as failure and considered him to be weak, he feared that could be his own destiny, and as a result he would go to any extreme to disprove this; by going to the opposite intemperate.
Achebe writes, “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father (Achebe 4)”. I believe this to be a perfect example of why it was extremely important for Okonkwo to be seen as successful, strong, and powerful. For example, he absolutely refused to be seen as weak, which motivated his temperament with his wife and children as well. This is clear when Achebe writes, “Even as a little boy he resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him his father was agbala,