My answer is yes; even I could say that this story, "Things Fall
Apart", took place because of the fear of Okonkwo to turn out like his
father Unoka. Much of Okonkwo's life was dictated for the feeling of fear. Okonkwo
was so worried that he will become like his father: lazy, unable to support his
family, and a coward. Okonkwo considered his father to be feminine. Much of
Okonkwo’s behavior results from a reactionary desire to be completely unlike
his father. Because Okonkwo grew seeing his father incapable to take care of
his family, being weak, and being feminine, Okonkwo worked hard to provide for
his family materially, to be brave, and to be masculine. His desire brought him
to be successful in many ways: he became very wealthy, he got a high-ranked
position in the Umuofia clan, he got three wives, and was known for his
skill as a great wrestler and warrior. But he got in trouble many times because
of his desire of being better and better each day. His fear not just motived
him to be a better person but also motivated him to take actions which were
often unnecessary and ultimately destructive. One example to those unnecessary
and ultimately destructive actions was when he assisted in the murder of
Ikemefuna. Hi did not have to assist to that event, but he did it just to show
his clan that he was not weak like his father. This passage makes me think in
the story "Shooting an Elephant" where George Orwell ended killing
the elephant not just because it was the right thing to do, he did it just to
show the crowed behind him that he was not a loser. Anyway, backing up to
"Things Fall Apart" Okonkwo ruled for the fear of being feminine like
his father tended to beat his wives, be emotionally distant from his children,
and to disown his oldest son.
As the elders
said, “If a child washed his hands he could eat with kings”. (p. 8)
Unoka was just a loafer in the villages and Okonkwo was
afraid to be like him, so he tried hard to be different from his father. Hi
gained respect through the villages at the age of eighteen by throwing Amalinze
the cat. In the nine villages age was respected among his people, but
achievement was revered.
I think Chinua Achebe uses these
two characters to show us the many aspects of Ibo culture through different
perspectives, to give us a better knowledge of the story.
Hello my friend.I really like your blog and the way you describe and explain the story. You have answered the question correctly with good information from the story.You also have explained everything about Okonkwos father and why hes afraid of becoming like his father. You have proved to me that Oknokwo is not like his father by writing the different between him and his father.You only need to focus on spelling,and commas.You have a great blog my friend.
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ReplyDeleteI concur with Andres. As a result of growing up poor and seeing his father beng lazy, it made Okonkwo to worked harder as he could. however, it also caused him to fear, fear to be like his father. Okonkwo became so opposite of his father which was very gentle, easy going, sensitve and coonsiderate. unlike Okonkwo, he hated everything about his father. He became emotionless, and infuriated to everybody around him. Yes, his own son dstant himself away from his own father everytime he bared his hands on them. It was pressure who made Okonkwo to go againts his own desires or will. He doesn't want to looked foolished in the eyes off his clansmen.
ReplyDeleteGood job Andes. I think the fear affects Okonkwo’s actions by making him into a man completely different than his father. Okonkwo’s greatest fear is to become a man like his father, lazy, unmotivated, incapable of anything and has a huge amount of debt, which drives Okonkwo to be a strong hard worker. He is always pushing himself to has as many yams as possible in fear that he would slack off and not care like his father had done. Okonkwo fears of becoming a man like his father, and that his son will become a man like his father too. The fear drives Okonkwo to be hard on his son, hoping that they will become productive in there live like him.
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