Okonkwo: Overwhelmed By His Past
In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe depicts the life of a struggling man, Okonkwo, who is torn between misfortunes from the past, dealing with his father, Unoka, and his ambitions in the present. Struggling to lead his life according to his ambitions, Okonkwo must first overcome his past, and because of forces beyond his control, he is obliged to live a life of inevitable fate.
The relationship that Okonkwo has with his father, Unoka, is that of animosity. Okonkwo bore “no patience with his father” (4). He was ashamed of Unoka, who was the village failure, and was afraid of seeming like his father.
It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. ...
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As time progresses, he becomes obsessed with the concept of being different from his father, beginning his life having nothing.
With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had. . . . But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future. It was slow and painful. But he threw himself into it life one possessed. And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death. (18)
Okonkwo will try whatever he can to be unlike Unoka. He is determined to gain respect and admiration by Umuofia, unlike his father. The strong passion that he owns will assist in outlining his future fate, which will eventually guide his life to ruin. Okonkwo is troubled with inner conflicts that will lead to actions that are beyond his control, and will eventually lead to his downfall.
In his efforts to live his life by acquiring his desires, Okonkwo strives ...
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over his family. He shows lack of concern with the Gods to maintain respect and uphold his status within the clan. In the fear of becoming like his father, Okonkwo believes that he must not show emotion. The conducts of his act are in conflict with the moral order. With this flaw, Okonkwo will be faced with forces beyond his control, which will eventually lead to his ruin. In order to maintain status in the clan, Okonkwo feels that it is nessessary to be included in the deed of killing Ikemefuna. Okonkwo was the man who gave Ikemefuna the final strike: “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (61). Weakness was a sign of ...
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"Okonkwo: Overwhelmed By His Past." Essayworld.com. August 31, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Okonkwo-Overwhelmed-By-His-Past/89181.
"Okonkwo: Overwhelmed By His Past." Essayworld.com. August 31, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Okonkwo-Overwhelmed-By-His-Past/89181.
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