People are lead to believe that generations are perpetual; they remember the past, create the present, and inspire the future. In a perfect world, perhaps this would be true. However, we live in an ever-changing world, with ever-changing personalities and environments that force us to forget the past. This claim was not formed from ideas regarding rebellious teens, but rather the literature of an intellectual African native. Chinua Achebe successfully alludes to the ideas involving tradition and change in his novel Things Fall Apart; mainly focusing on how those of younger generations forget the traditions of those that are old. Throughout the novel, he applies the differences between generations of an Igbo tribe to develop three ideas regarding
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The most interesting about the main character, Okonkwo, is his ideological detachment from both his father Unoka, and his son Nwoye. As the novel begins with the story of Okonkwo’s father and his leisurely attitude on life, Achebe states, “Unoka was like that in his last days. His love of talk had grown with age and sickness. It tried Okonkwo’s patience beyond words” (25). There is a disagreement between Okonkwo and his father, as their differing outlooks on life are completely different. An additional disconnect regarding Okonkwo and his oldest son Nwoye is present; another less than optimal father and son relationship. Nwoye caused his father “great anxiety for his incipient laziness”, and in turn called for his father Okonkwo to correct the behavior (13). After constant “nagging and beating”, Nwoye was seen to be “developing into a sad faced youth” (13). The beating and mistreatment of Nwoye is seen as another detachment from generation to generation. All three characters have different viewpoints than the others, resulting in fractures amidst their attachments to one another. People often develop different perspectives on parenting or ethics, thus subsiding all relationships between generations. Achebe fittingly included these elements to render inevitable changes and disconnects between all child-parent
The most interesting about the main character, Okonkwo, is his ideological detachment from both his father Unoka, and his son Nwoye. As the novel begins with the story of Okonkwo’s father and his leisurely attitude on life, Achebe states, “Unoka was like that in his last days. His love of talk had grown with age and sickness. It tried Okonkwo’s patience beyond words” (25). There is a disagreement between Okonkwo and his father, as their differing outlooks on life are completely different. An additional disconnect regarding Okonkwo and his oldest son Nwoye is present; another less than optimal father and son relationship. Nwoye caused his father “great anxiety for his incipient laziness”, and in turn called for his father Okonkwo to correct the behavior (13). After constant “nagging and beating”, Nwoye was seen to be “developing into a sad faced youth” (13). The beating and mistreatment of Nwoye is seen as another detachment from generation to generation. All three characters have different viewpoints than the others, resulting in fractures amidst their attachments to one another. People often develop different perspectives on parenting or ethics, thus subsiding all relationships between generations. Achebe fittingly included these elements to render inevitable changes and disconnects between all child-parent