Preview

Ibo Culture

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1808 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ibo Culture
In this paper I will compare and contrast one aspect of pre and post colonial Ibo culture and the way that lives are lived and the way they are affected, in the Ibo agricultural culture era, wealth is not displayed by riches but by yams!? In the Ibo cultures yams are used to show wealth as compared to the U.S that had grew wheat, corn and a lot more to show that they were successful, in the Ibo culture they use yams as a trade/currency due to its rarity and its flavor/delicacy and the difficulty level to harvest the yams especially in the harsh weather that costed most farmers there whole heaps of yams. Respect, Honor, Status

Okonkwo was brought to wealth and respect by becoming a warrior of …show more content…
Like ethnic groups in nigeria today, each have their own techniques and instruments, and songs. bronze carvings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries have been found depicting musicians and their unique instruments, like unoka and his unique instrument and creative way of playing it is similar to the way people play their music and instruments today in nigeria. In addition to his creativity and ability to play the flute is very rare in this day and age in the us beside school bands, it could be a very sought upon talent in nigeria and would have lead unoka to more opportunities to succeed and okonkwo may have not thought of his father was worthless okonkwo may have not been how he is …show more content…
I know you will not despair. You have a manly and a proud heart. A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and bitter when a man fails alone.” so he was showing compassion for okonkwo and saying that is it's better to fail together then for him to fail alone but okonkwo saw that as being effeminate when he was showing emotion that he didn't like. Even though Unoka’s words are given generously to keep hopes high, Okonkwo still did not appreciate unoka's speech. Okonkwo doesn’t value words he prefers action over speech. However, this renders him unable to appreciate the little sincerity's of others words and keeps him from expressing himself in a way that most people understand, so we can conclude that both unoka and okonkwo are polar opposite because okonkwo disapproved of unoka's bad habits and wanted nothing to do with him after the feeling of betrayal of
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Okonkwo In Chinau Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Okonkwo In Chinau Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    One of the characteristics that is common amongst tragic heroes is how valued and respected they are. In the village of Umoufia, Okonkwo is one of the most respected men who has gained his fame and respect from his own personal achievements. The narrator introduces this fact in the beginning of the book, stating: “Okonkwo…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Okonkwo And Unoka Research Paper
    • 156 Words
    • 1 Page

    Okonkwo And Unoka Research Paper

    Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was extremely lazy and sickly, while Okonkwo was constantly active and seen with respect throughout the tribe. Unoka had one wife and no title, which showed his lowly importance in the tribe. Unoka was weak and couldn’t support his family, which causes Okonkwo to start working at a young age, so he could take care his family. “Unoka, the grown-up, was a failure. He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat.” Okonkwo lived in constant fear of failure. Okonkwo didn’t like showing emotions, unless it was anger. He ruled his household with a heavy hand and with constant threats to his many wives. “His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.…

    • 156 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Okonkwo Insecure Research Paper
    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Okonkwo Insecure Research Paper

    Okonkwo was insecure because he didn’t want to turn out like his sluggish father Unoka. Unoka borrowed money from many people and would never pay people back (Achebe, ). Okonkwo didn’t owe anybody anything because he earned all the items he owns. Okonkwo was stronger and more confident than Unoka, but felt insecure because he thought he’d end up being lazy like his father. Unoka was a bad farmer and couldn’t grow any…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Okonkwo's Fear Analysis
    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Okonkwo's Fear Analysis

    Okonkwo’s fear drives him to strive for success and honor in his clan; his fear is responsible for his high social status and his title. Okonkwo’s father had left him with absolutely nothing of value; no yams, no wives, not even a compound. He has to work very hard to build up his worth in the village and clan. “Any one who knew his grim struggle against poverty and misfortune could not say he had been lucky. If ever a man deserved his success, that man was Okonkwo.” (34, Achebe). Okonkwo couldn’t deal with just being happy, as Unoka had valued life, he needed the honor and the social status. He needed to wash away the stain that was his father. “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond, His fame rested on solid personal…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Things Fall Apart: Was Okwonko a Hero?
    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Things Fall Apart: Was Okwonko a Hero?

    Okwonko did not have a solid family conection. Infact he absolutly resented his dad, and his oldest child did not want anything to do with him. "Even as a little boy he had resented his father 's failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala." ( Achebe 13) Okonkwo despised everything his dad was and did. His dad played the flute, so Okonkwo thought that music was for the weak. Okonkwos dad was afraid of blood, so Okonkwo strived to be a great warrior. All of these qualities that he thought was weak, he tried to make sure his children never got invlovled in them, and because of this his oldest chiled Nwoye hated him. "Okonkwo 's first son ,Nwoye, was then twelve years old but he was already causeing his father great anxiety... he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating."( Achebe 14) Okonkwo thought that Nwoye was becoming to much like his father, so he had to "correct" him and make sure that he wouldn 't become the very thing he hated most. In doing so he made his own son want nothing to do with him.…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gender In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gender In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    Okonkwo despises his father for those exact reason. He feels like being kind or caring shows you have feelings and emotions, and that makes you look feminine of womanly like. Okonkwo’s father was also given the name of “agbala” which means a womanly like person, Okonkwo was very ashamed of this fact. “Even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness… agbala was not only another name for a woman. It could also mean a man who had taken to title” (chapter 2, paragraph 12). Okonkwo never shows his affection to his adopted son Ikemefuna. “Okonkwo refused to let his feelings slip”(chapter 4, paragraph 7). He was not willing to show emotion of love or happiness as he feared of being seen as a unmanly person. One thing you can see about Okonkwo is that he has to resist his strongest emotions that were unmanly. He had to enforce very strict gender roles on his family and subordinates. He is very on board with this gender diversity and he seems like he will want to continue this…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Unrealistic Expectations Lead to a Downfall
    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Unrealistic Expectations Lead to a Downfall

    Okonkwo never understood the concept of going with the flow or adjusting to circumstances. It started in his childhood. His father, Unoka, “had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt” (Achebe 8). He was a poor farmer and a coward in war. The people of Umuofia called him an agbala, which means woman. Okonkwo was immensely ashamed by him, and his life was definitely affected because of him. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit,” (Achebe 16). In a perfect world, his father would have been a bloodthirsty warrior, with many wives and children, and a number of cowries. Okonkwo was narrow-minded, and this quality backfired in the form of shame and discontent. “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father,” (Achebe 2). Unoka never had the money to support his family, and this disgraced Okonkwo. Okonkwo was never able to understand his father and his different ways. Since Unoka was his father, he couldn’t say anything to him, but in his heart and mind, he meant nothing to Okonkwo.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Things Fall Apart Study Questions.
    • 3186 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Things Fall Apart Study Questions.

    Unoka was tall and very thin. He was lazy, reckless, and quiet. He was a loafer, never gave back the money he borrowed from people and because of that everyone in the village swore not to give him any money. Unoka was a coward when it came to war and he could stand blood.…

    • 3186 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Things Fall Apart Ikemefuna Quotes Analysis
    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Things Fall Apart Ikemefuna Quotes Analysis

    In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo worries that after his participation in the killing of Ikemefuna his emotions will show as a sign of weakness. Expressing emotions as a male is seen as a sign of femininity and therefore a sign of weakness in Ibe culture. Okonkwo tries to hide his emotions behind his actions and temper that lead to the foreshadowed ending of the village slowly falling apart.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Norman Mailer Quotes
    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Norman Mailer Quotes

    He was masculine, hardworking, reputable, and wealthy. He didn't want to be like his father, a failure. Okonkwo believed his father was a failure because the man was very lazy, disgraceful, and poor. Over the years in his village it was said by the elders, “...if a child washed his hands...and so he ate with the kings.” This quote indirectly characterizes Okonkwo, displaying how he knew what he had to do if he wanted to be a great hero, furthermore developing his character as a young man. Towards the end of the novel one can imagine Okonkwo as a tragic hero because, like other tragic heroes, he has one major flaw. His main flaw develops from his fear of being like father, whom he dispised. He as well can't display his emotions because he doesn't want to look weak or sissyish, and when he does show any emotion, it is an uncontrollable rage. As a result of his flaws, Okonkwo has suffered countless tragedies, which ultimately leads to his ironic death. Okonkwo's tragedy was due to many things that happened in Umuofia, but the main reason was the arrival of the white missionaries, “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” (chpt. 20). Okonkwo says this, due to his…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Things Fall Apart
    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Things Fall Apart

    Chapters 17-19 chronicle the last years of Okonkwo’s exile and his eventual return home. Identify three key events and explain their importance. Use textual evidence. 1 ½ pg. Min.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mabo Culture
    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Mabo Culture

    Culture is a concept that can be interpreted in multiple ways depending on an individual’s perspective of the word. To one individual culture may refer to the customs and beliefs a society or certain group of people has regarding their religion. However, to a different individual, their definition of culture may be based on the customs and beliefs a group of people has due to the generation they grew up in. Regardless of the definition of culture that is being discussed, it is impossible to ignore the fact that in the world of human rights culture plays an important role. The many understandings of culture make it so that it sometimes fits well with human rights while other times it can be more of a liability. Furthermore, when culture is used…

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Okonkwo, Things Fall Apart
    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Okonkwo, Things Fall Apart

    Okonkwo is one of the most influential men in the Ibo tribe. In his tribe, he is both feared and honored. Which is evident by this quote, "Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond... [He] had brought honor to his tribe by throwing Amalinze the Cat..."(Achebe page:3) This suggests that in Okonkwo's society, power is achieved by making a name for yourself in any way possible, even if that means fighting and wrestling to get your fame. Although honor is a good thing, when people have to fight to gain it, it becomes an object of less adoration. Okonkwo's "prosperity was visible in his household... his own hut stood behind the only gate in the red walls. Each of his three wives had her own hut... long stacks of yams stood out prosperously in [the bam]... [Okonkwo] offers prayers on the behalf of himself, his three wives, and eight children." (Achebe page:14) Okonkwo has also worked and tended to his crops in a very zealous fashion, and drives everyone around him to work as hard as he does. Because of this, he earns his place as one of Umuofia's most powerful men. In many cultures, a big family is a source of pride. Although Okonkwo is not always pleased by his children and wives, it also brings him a source of pride to have three wives and eight children. Large families mean that the head of the family is able to support all of them. Okonkwo's devotion to his crops and family gives to him the respect that any father and husband deserves, and in his culture, being able to fight and kill, as well, gives him even more…

    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Is Okonkwo Selfish
    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Is Okonkwo Selfish

    By Comparing Okonkwo and his father, Unoka, we found out they are quite different people. And the time that affected Okonkwo the most is when he was growing up, because he needed to support the whole family. Overall, Unoka is actually the one drives Okonkwo’s…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Character Of Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 260 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Character Of Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    Throughout the book Things Fall Apart, we see Okonkwo’s character change numerous ways. At the beginning of the book you see Okonkwo “come up from the coldest places.” One example of Okonkwo progressing from a rough place is on page 18, “With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had,” (Achebe). Unfortunately, Okonkwo did not have the life most men in Umuofia had. Most of the men in Okonkwo’s tribe were able to gain respect by having a father with high status. Sadly, Okonkwo’s father was a failure and Okonkwo could not inherit anything from him. In the end, Okonkwo had to gain his triumph by himself. Another example of Okonkwo coming up from a rough place is on page 16, “Okonkwo did not have the…

    • 260 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics