Things Fall Apart: Okonkwo Character Analysis Essay
In the novel Things Fall Apart, strength and pride are very important aspects of the main character, Okonkwo, however, these traits may sound like excellent traits to possess but because of the way he was raised, Okonkwo harbours many of his emotions under an outer shell of violence, strength and pride. His traits can be shown by looking at where he has come from in his life, for example, Okonkwo has acquired a large amount of wealth in his life because of his hard work and dedication which he also puts towards his family, unfortunately, his family also suffers greatly because of this due to Okonkwo’s high expectations of his children and his violent ways when they do not live up to them. Secondly, Okonkwo possesses hidden emotions that are similar to his father’s but he lives in denial that he is anything like his father but he is more like him than he thinks. Lastly, Okonkwo is driven by what his father is not because Okonkwo doesn’t want to be anything like his father which causes him to make rash decisions occasionally that could make him carelessly become violent. In this essay, Okonkwo’s character will be carefully analyzed and his multiple layers of personality will become clearer.
Okonkwo has been through very many hardships in his life including being treated poorly by his father who he views as an anti-role model in a way which has heavily influenced the way he is now and how he treats himself and his tribe mates. Firstly, his constant desire to be as distant from his father as possible has created the fear of being like him or polluting his life with laziness and irresponsibility which lets him focus his time on his tribe mates and family. Secondly, Okonkwo has identified the way his father raised him and he is constantly trying to raise his family differently but occasionally lets fear get the best of him and he starts to act violent. Lastly, Okonkwo’s decision to take in Ikemefuna and keep him in his family shows how he is accepting of others and
Okonkwo has been through very many hardships in his life including being treated poorly by his father who he views as an anti-role model in a way which has heavily influenced the way he is now and how he treats himself and his tribe mates. Firstly, his constant desire to be as distant from his father as possible has created the fear of being like him or polluting his life with laziness and irresponsibility which lets him focus his time on his tribe mates and family. Secondly, Okonkwo has identified the way his father raised him and he is constantly trying to raise his family differently but occasionally lets fear get the best of him and he starts to act violent. Lastly, Okonkwo’s decision to take in Ikemefuna and keep him in his family shows how he is accepting of others and