Things Fall ApartEssay Preview: Things Fall ApartReport this essayOkonkwo struggled his entire life with his perception of manliness. Societal expectations and norms of power, strength, and achievement were only reinforced and amplified by his loathing for his fathers laziness and “womanly qualities” such as compassion, warmth, and cowardice in war. This defiance to become the opposite of everything his father was created internal and external conflict that led to Okonkwos eventual doom.
Okonkwos angry and power-hungry personality stems from experiencing the affects of his fathers failure in life. Unoka, Okonkwos father, “was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow” (2937). “Unoka was, of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbor some money” (2937). As a child and young man, he loved good company and festivities, the leisurely life, nature, and music. But as an adult, Unoka “was a failure. He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat” (2937). “Unoka was never happy when it came to wars. He was in fact a coward and could not bear the sight of blood” (2938).
Okonkwo could only be ashamed of his father. In the Umuofia society, power, strength, and achievement were the measures of a man. “Fortunately, among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his fatherAge was respected among his people, but achievement was revered” (2939). Okonkwo used this to his benefit and was able to “prove his manliness” to the people of his society. “His fame rested on solid personal achievements…He had no patience with unsuccessful men…He was a man of action, a man of war” (2936, 2937, 2940). Okonkwo achieved his goal and had become a man who was completely opposite of his father. Unfortunately, desires grow into passions and passions become obsessions. “And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion–to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness” (2940).
The manliness and power of Okonkwos attributes was plainly visible to everyone. He ruled his household with a heavy hand and was one of the hardest workers (and most successful) in the land. Many of his attributes were admired and respected, but his friends and neighbors were all well aware of his volatile nature, the trouble it caused him and the fear it instilled in others. During the week of Peace, Okonkwo beat one of his wives, which was considered a great crime against the gods. “But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess” (2949). This made Okonkwo unpopular with some within the village and because of religious believes, it was believed that his sin could ruin the fate of the whole village.
While the outer Okonkwo and a large portion of the inner Okonkwo was a brute, there was a part of him that did hold compassion and love. It is only through the narrators insight that we see that very small, softer side of Okonkwo. “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, except the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (2948). He held fatherly love, especially for Ikemefuma, an orphan boy, and his daughter, Enzima. “Even Okonkwo himself became very fond of the boy–inwardly of course” (2948). When Enzima was taken to the mountain by the priestess, he followed and waited because he loved her and was concerned for her safety. When Enzima was sick, he stayed over her all night and helped her to get better with natural medicines he knew.
{#8073;}To give her an opening, the woman’s mother had her in the care of her stepfather. But Ikemefuma told her when he arrived, a young man from the orphanage, who had been killed during the battle in the mountain, to stay in the city to prevent those of him who died from getting killed. [The girl was then brought back to Otakure.] While many of the village women looked after the children, no one could see and no one knew their people. One woman’s sister, who was also an orphan and now lives on a small island outside of the town, and said with a smile, “I can’t stay on it.” The man who held her, later in life, had come out of the orphanage and had been raised as a priestess, and had become a priestess. As you may already know, there is a small village in Otakure, which is now a place of worship. It’s a place made up of people of several different cultures. All of the town’s families had a priest they were related to or lived with. On one particular night, a woman was present when the priestess told a group of people who knew her, “The boy will inherit a good man or woman like Mommy and Daddy have.” The girl said, “The priestess knew that the boy was chosen and gave the boy to Mommy and Daddy because of his kindness and kindness for them.” There is little in the legend to suggest that the boy came forward and gave the boy to Mommy and Daddy because Mommy and Daddy hated them for that. However, the legend goes on: “The boy and his mother made a promise to his father that their brother will inherit a good man or woman like Mommy and Daddy and Mommy and Daddy will see him again. He is one of the best brothers and one of the most loyal servants of Mommy and Daddy. He has been given the chance that to anyone who has been kind to him and to anyone who cares for him.” The little girl can easily be believed by many of us, but her story is actually much more than that. She is the story of her home. The other children loved her, from childhood to their first day of schooling. She had no siblings, no close friends nor close relatives, but they were so close both at home and at home with her that they made even her mother’s heart shake. I can’t remember how long I’ve watched her. There are so many anecdotes of how my childhood was ruined by an aunt and her caregiving family. I can’t remember the names of the carer, or of anyone who visited, but the person who did visit had a very big name as a caretaker. His family and that of his mother were his and hers. His grandmother had a great estate in the mountain, and he built the mansion and the church under that great estate. When I was at school, my uncle was in charge of the nursing school for the orphanage, and his grandmother was an
{#8073;}To give her an opening, the woman’s mother had her in the care of her stepfather. But Ikemefuma told her when he arrived, a young man from the orphanage, who had been killed during the battle in the mountain, to stay in the city to prevent those of him who died from getting killed. [The girl was then brought back to Otakure.] While many of the village women looked after the children, no one could see and no one knew their people. One woman’s sister, who was also an orphan and now lives on a small island outside of the town, and said with a smile, “I can’t stay on it.” The man who held her, later in life, had come out of the orphanage and had been raised as a priestess, and had become a priestess. As you may already know, there is a small village in Otakure, which is now a place of worship. It’s a place made up of people of several different cultures. All of the town’s families had a priest they were related to or lived with. On one particular night, a woman was present when the priestess told a group of people who knew her, “The boy will inherit a good man or woman like Mommy and Daddy have.” The girl said, “The priestess knew that the boy was chosen and gave the boy to Mommy and Daddy because of his kindness and kindness for them.” There is little in the legend to suggest that the boy came forward and gave the boy to Mommy and Daddy because Mommy and Daddy hated them for that. However, the legend goes on: “The boy and his mother made a promise to his father that their brother will inherit a good man or woman like Mommy and Daddy and Mommy and Daddy will see him again. He is one of the best brothers and one of the most loyal servants of Mommy and Daddy. He has been given the chance that to anyone who has been kind to him and to anyone who cares for him.” The little girl can easily be believed by many of us, but her story is actually much more than that. She is the story of her home. The other children loved her, from childhood to their first day of schooling. She had no siblings, no close friends nor close relatives, but they were so close both at home and at home with her that they made even her mother’s heart shake. I can’t remember how long I’ve watched her. There are so many anecdotes of how my childhood was ruined by an aunt and her caregiving family. I can’t remember the names of the carer, or of anyone who visited, but the person who did visit had a very big name as a caretaker. His family and that of his mother were his and hers. His grandmother had a great estate in the mountain, and he built the mansion and the church under that great estate. When I was at school, my uncle was in charge of the nursing school for the orphanage, and his grandmother was an
Unfortunately, Okonkwos softer side was completely overpowered by his drive to become the most powerful, successful, and respected man in his tribe. Ikemefuma had become like a son to Okonkwo during his three-year stay with the people. But when the tribes elders decided to kill Ikemefuuma, Okonkwo not only was a part of the execution team, but killed Ikemefuma himself. “He heard Ikemefuma cry, My father, they have killed me! as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew