Okonkwo Character Analysis

Character Analysis

In Chinua Achebe’s illustrative novel, Things Fall Apart, the author tells of a story of a “well known” kinsman, who uses fists instead of words. Despite Okonkwo’s initial conditions and the “effeminate” legacy left by his father, the protagonist acquires the high position of a warrior and leader of the Umuofia Clan. Throughout the novel the maturation of Okonkwo is characterized by his war-like, apathetic, and resolute personality through his infancy, leading to altercations in his own culture and to his own demise.

In his motherland, he learns why “Mother is Supreme” and learns to appreciate the femininity in his culture. The child belongs to the father however Okonkwo learns that women have as much worth as men. The years in exile develop him to become more understanding and patient. The place of his mother kindles his fiery personality. He notices that his motherland had blessed him with “yam […] abundantly” and that his daughters are becoming prettier everyday. Despite this shift in his personality, Okonkwo's harsh mentality holds him back. He sees his son as a ‘great abomination” and “no longer [his] son.” This ultimately leads to his death. In the end, he commits suicide and despite his attempts to defend his belief of masculinity, he appears to be displaying the only characteristic he does not want to reveal: cowardice.

The violent personality of Okonkwo demonstrates great prosperity and fame however at the cost of family, culture, and life. At one time, he rejected the matriarchal culture in Umuofia. He later understood its importance of femininity in his motherland, but his return to Umuofia brought the fear of weakness again. In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the author permits us to see the development of Okonkwo’s personality to his death. Thus, Okonkwo's life fell apart.

One may ask oneself the cause of Okonkwo’s strong personality. The reader may assume that his father, Unoka, has the fault because of his “lazy and improvident” actions and thoughts. However if the reader observes closely the characteristics of Okonkwo, the reader can see that Okonkwo’s own thoughts develop the personality that defines him. Okonkwo’s personality forms after his father’s failure in maintaining his family and removing his debts to every kinsmen. He feels “ashamed of him [his father]” and “was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death”. This fear is what drives his aspirations to become the “fiercest.” Okonkwo is haunted by his father even after his death because his son was not a “flaming fire.” He was afraid that his son “resembled his grandfather, Unoka.” He despises his son because of the similarity between his father and his son. He even assumes that “perhaps he was not his son” and threatened to “wipe [him] of the face of the earth.” This development of his personality lead him to break the laws set by divine authority.

Okonkwo's developed personality surprisingly surpasses the expectations of Umuofia culture. He broke one of the “Week of Peace," which was seen as a scared week of purity to thank the Earth goddess. His belief that if he “showed any emotion openly," he would look “effeminated” and therefore be looked upon as weak. Therefore when one of his wives neglects her preparation of food, he beats her. Even after his other wives reminded him about the sacred week, he “was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for the "fear of a goddess.” He is committed in his belief that he could not look weak and feminine. In another instance, the clan decided to kill his adopted "son," Ikemefuna. The clan told him that he needed not to go and watch his son's death, however his personality does not allow him to look “weak,” so he participated in the killing. In the arrival of the white man, Okonkwo’s personality leads him to commit murder. After his exile, he feels as the white man effeminated the whole clan. He tries to stir up a rebellion however despite the abhorrence against white man, the people question “Why did he do it?”. The reader can see that Okonkwo’s personality begins to change when he moves to his motherland.

Citations

All quotes from the novel Things Fall Apart

Images from:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37781.Things_Fall_Apart

https://thingsfallapart793.wordpress.com/home/character-analysis/

Okonkwo Character Analysis

Sudeep Annem