A Justifying Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Antoinette Andrews
ENGL 2112 – World Literature - Modern, section 1 & 90
Dr. Eugene Ngezem10/21/14
A justifying Achebe’s title Things Fall Apart with Okonkwo
Author Chinua Achebe speaks of a tribe that is united and resilient; nine villages that have their strong beliefs and customs but things falls apart for the villagers by the tongue, customs, and trickery of the “white man”. In Things Fall Apart Achebe not only shows the downfall of a whole clan but of one special character named Okonkwo. Okonkwo a stern and well respected warrior is brought to dismay leading to his own death, he is a symbolism of his own village soon to be fate for most in Africa. Men and women live to learn, accomplish, and make a means for themselves. When …show more content…
With his heavy abusive hand and bad temper Okonkwo placed strain on his family. As ill-tempered and irate as Okonkwo was he still loved his people, his family and believed strongly of his gods, leading to his demise. When Okonkwo was told by his people to take in a young boy, an offering to settle an unlawful event, he did so. Although Okonkwo never showed love, the boy named Ikemefuna grew on Okonkwo to a point in which he wished the boy was his true son. When his faith and clan said that the boy must die he did not question it but did the dreadful act of killing him. When the boy ran to Okonkwo crying “my father, they have killed me! Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 61). Ikemefuna death had a snowball effect of negativity for Okonkwo, because of his own attitude and anger but maybe too his beliefs in his …show more content…
With the help of the Europeans or “ashy buttocks” (Achebe 174) beliefs Okonkwo’s entire existence fall apart leading to his own undignified death. Wrapped in the with a heart of war and anger, but also in his head strong customs, and being unchangeable Okonkwo takes matters into his own hands. Blood thirsty he kills one of the messengers of the white Christians. Believing the clan would do nothing that his people were weak and going to be destroyed, he took matters into his own hand ending his life rather than forfeiting to the ways of others or being punished by someone outside his people. Okonkwo’s own fear of not being manly, of others not being manly leads him to not only fall apart but to do the weakest act of his people and kill
ENGL 2112 – World Literature - Modern, section 1 & 90
Dr. Eugene Ngezem10/21/14
A justifying Achebe’s title Things Fall Apart with Okonkwo
Author Chinua Achebe speaks of a tribe that is united and resilient; nine villages that have their strong beliefs and customs but things falls apart for the villagers by the tongue, customs, and trickery of the “white man”. In Things Fall Apart Achebe not only shows the downfall of a whole clan but of one special character named Okonkwo. Okonkwo a stern and well respected warrior is brought to dismay leading to his own death, he is a symbolism of his own village soon to be fate for most in Africa. Men and women live to learn, accomplish, and make a means for themselves. When …show more content…
With his heavy abusive hand and bad temper Okonkwo placed strain on his family. As ill-tempered and irate as Okonkwo was he still loved his people, his family and believed strongly of his gods, leading to his demise. When Okonkwo was told by his people to take in a young boy, an offering to settle an unlawful event, he did so. Although Okonkwo never showed love, the boy named Ikemefuna grew on Okonkwo to a point in which he wished the boy was his true son. When his faith and clan said that the boy must die he did not question it but did the dreadful act of killing him. When the boy ran to Okonkwo crying “my father, they have killed me! Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 61). Ikemefuna death had a snowball effect of negativity for Okonkwo, because of his own attitude and anger but maybe too his beliefs in his …show more content…
With the help of the Europeans or “ashy buttocks” (Achebe 174) beliefs Okonkwo’s entire existence fall apart leading to his own undignified death. Wrapped in the with a heart of war and anger, but also in his head strong customs, and being unchangeable Okonkwo takes matters into his own hands. Blood thirsty he kills one of the messengers of the white Christians. Believing the clan would do nothing that his people were weak and going to be destroyed, he took matters into his own hand ending his life rather than forfeiting to the ways of others or being punished by someone outside his people. Okonkwo’s own fear of not being manly, of others not being manly leads him to not only fall apart but to do the weakest act of his people and kill