Okonkwo's Relationship With Others In Things Fall Apart

In some ways, people are never really themselves. They are the combined images of what others perceive them as. Only when all the opinions are seen together does one truly know an individual. In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character, Okonkwo, views himself as a born leader and fierce warrior, deserving of respect from all he encounters. However, throughout the story, the reader comes to realize that there is far more to this man than first appears. The best way to find out the true nature of Okonkwo is to examine his relationship with others; namely, his father, son, and daughter. Okonkwo’s relationship with his father is stressed, to say the least. Unoka is the opposite of his son; calm, musical, a soft man who simply …show more content…
This is shown through his relationship with his eldest daughter, Ezinma. “Okonkwo was specifically fond of Ezinma. She looked very much like her mother, who was once the village beauty. But his fondness only showed on very rare occasions” (39). He constantly wishes that she was born a boy, showing that he holds her in higher regard than his other children, as he wants her to be able to do more. When the priestess of Agbala takes her, he and his wife follow, even when told to stay behind, out of fear for the well being of their child. This more than anything else shows the importance he gives her, as he would never defy customs in such a way in any other circumstance. Clearly, there is far more to the brave, ferocious Okonkwo than meets the eye. He is not only a fearless warrior; he is a begrudging son, an uncompromising man, and a caring father, when he feels the urge to be one. In all honesty, he is more a man to be pitied than to be respected. The reader is able to see these traits only through the examination of Okonkwo’s relationships with those around him. In the end, it was Okonkwo that truly fell