Okonkwo as a Father

Okonkwo as a father is a different side of Okonkwo as a man. He feels that showing that you care is a sign of weakness so it is hard to tell at some points that he truly loves his children. He beats his children and wife multiple times, but caring is shown when Ezinma is sick and when Chielo takes her to the Oracle. He takes to control and uses every option possibly to ensure his daughter’s welfare and when she is taken to the Oracle he follows them even though it is against what the gods say. Okonkwo is a providing, caring father but does not always show it.

kiwi- Okonkwo as father

Okonkwo believes that being a good father means being a man. Being a man will set an example for his son and what he is expected to grow into. Okonkwo is always focused on this goal and is positive he is going to turn Nwoye into a strong man; he knows it is going to take a lot of work. Okonkwo always seems concerned that Nwoye has many of the same characteristics as Unoka, Okonkwo’s father. Never the less, Okonkwo begins to shape Nwoye the way he wants him, with Ikemefuna’s help. Although Okonkwo is a tough father figure to Nwoye, he has a sweet side for his daughter Ezinma. When Ezinma falls very ill, he is highly concerned with her well being, although he does not show it. I believe that despite the fact that Okonkwo is tough on his children, he is a good father based on the fact that he wants what he believed is best for his children.

Kiwi- things fall apart

“ Fortunately, among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father. Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things” (Achebe 8). In the beginning of the novel, Okonkwo states that he does not respect his father, Unoka, because he was not seen as a man to the village. Unoka is seen as a coward and is looked down upon because he owed money to many people, he never took a title and he never became a warrior. Okonkwo was a man because of what he had. “His fame rested on solid personal achievements”(Achebe 3). He was successful because he had two farms, three wives, and had thrown the Amalinze Cat, which gave him a title in his village. Okonkwo then gets thrown out of his village because he accidentally kills a boy of their own. My prediction of part two is that Okonkwo will lose everything he has. Ironically he will still believe he is a man, but according to his own standards of what a “real” man is, he technically be considered the same as his father, a coward.

Okonkwo as a Man

Within the first sentences of the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonwo's characteristics as a man are shown. Okonkwo grew up being ashamed of his father and continued to feel that way even after his death. Watching his father do nothing with his life and make nothing of himself forced Okonkwo to hate everything that his father loved and he closed himself off from emotion. His main goal was to be a real man, unlike his father. It is said in the first chapter that Okonkwo is the way he is because he is in fear of being like his father; as an agbala or in debt.
Okonkwo shows little to no emotion because in his culture that is how a man should act. He is strong and made a name for himself because of that. He has many wives and children, which are the only things he shows any sort of feelings for. As a man, he is a genuinely good individual but because of his fear of inadequacy and his quest to be the opposite of his father, he sometimes commits malicious acts just to ensure his pride. The perfect example of this situation would be when he murdered Ikemefuna. He was very fond of the boy who referred to him as father, but he killed him so that he did not seem weak to others. Okonkwo felt remorseful after his act, but soon got over it. In many cultures a man who cries or shows that something has hurt him he is considered weak which is why Okonkwo acts the way he does.

banana - Things Fall Apart - Crime

The most prominent instance of crime in part one of the book involves Okonkwo, whom inadvertently murders a young man. The village is informed of the death of Ezeudu, a respectable and successful man whom Okonwko was acquainted with. At the funeral, guns are fired in salute, then a cry of agony is heard followed by screams of terror. In the middle of the chaos, Ezeudu's sixteen-year-old son is dead in a pool of blood. During the gunfire, Okonwko's gun had exploded and a piece of iron pierced the boy's heart. Though his crime was unintentional, Okonkwo was forced to flee from his clan. Killing a clansman was a crime against the earth goddess. Crime was categorized into two separate groups; male and female. Female crimes were inadvertent, while male crimes were intentional. Since Okonkwo's crime was female, he would be allowed to return to his clan after seven years. Friends of Okonkwo's family helped them move their most important items out of their compound. After they had left, The villagers destroyed Okonkwo's compound and farmland, as a way to cleanse the area for the earth goddess. Though crime was not a repetitive theme in part one, it was an extremely important aspect of it, which led to part two. In part two, I believe Okonkwo's luck will continue to worsen as a result of his crime. The title of the book also foreshadows the misfortune that is yet to come for Okonkwo and his family.

banana - Things Fall Apart - Ezinma

Ezinma is Okonkwo's daughter from his second wife, Ekwefi. Ekwefi had numerous troubles with childbirth in the past, with nine unsuccessful pregancies resulting in unborn babies or children who ended up dying at a very young age. Ezinma was the first child to make it past age four, so Ekwefi feels a very strong attachment to her and is extremely protective. Okonkwo also is particularly fond of Ezinma. Though it is in his nature to support and favor masculinity, he knows Ezinma is special. He even states that he wishes she were a boy because she would make an excellent son. One night, Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves, summons Ezinma to see the Oracle. Though Ekwefi protests, Chielo takes her. Ekwefi follows Ezinma and Chielo all night, despite the impenetrable darkness and fear. By morning, she sees Okonkwo and he tells her that Ezinma is safe. This strange meeting of Ezinma and the Oracle leaves the reader wondering what business the Oracle has with Ezinma, and why it was so urgent that she come see him. In part two, my prediction is that something bad will happen to Ezinma. Her meeting with the Oracle seems to have a hidden reason, which I believe will be revealed in part two. Additionally, Ekwefi had so many problems in the past with losing children, it almost seems inevitable that something would happen to Ezinma.