Examples Of Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart

The Martyr A man’s quest to rebuild a once sacred tradition is soon forgotten and he himself, massacred by his own hands. Umuofia, a war like a village is quickly torn apart when white colonists ravage there once sacred religion into corruption and in this, a man named Okonkwo faces them and tries to summon an insurrection to chase the “evil” and bring back a once peaceful village. Okonkwo ultimately loses himself in search of his ideals through his own actions and radical perspectives. Okonkwo's actions tend to be wrapped around his ideals that he must outgrow his father’s shadow and that to be successful, one must commit to physical labor. Being weak in the land of Umuofia is usually seen as being feminine. “ When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. Any wonder then that his son Okonkwo was ashamed of him? Fortunately, among these people, a man was judged according to his wort hand not according to the worth of his father…He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams and he had taken two titles” (16). Okonkwo usually averts from emotions for he believes showing emotions besides anger may lead to being weak and feminine, something that his father was quite
“Afraid? I do not care what he does to you. I despise him and those who listen to him. I shall fight alone if I choose” (240). Okonkwo mainly talks about Egonwanne the town crier. Egonwanne’s nature of having a persuasive voice alerts Okonkwo’s plan of fighting against the “tyrannical” nature of the white men and their new religion. Okonkwo proudly declares his courage to fight whoever he wants eventually gets him into even deeper into his beliefs of masculinity and towards his religion. Upon his discover that everyone is resilient to change Okonkwo is even more driven to hatred. This evidence was mainly foreshadowing his gruesome