Preview

All Things Fall Apart And Fadwa Tuqans In The Aging City

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
742 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
All Things Fall Apart And Fadwa Tuqans In The Aging City
Literature for centuries has looked as if it would evolve and change to become very object oriented, unreserved and optimistic. However, it has in fact become very profound, and based on a character's eternal quest for their own personal identity. Great authors authors such as, Mark Twain, Chinua Achebe, Clarice Lispector, Arthur Miller and Fadwa Tuqan contributed heavily to this growing and evolving theme. World literature has become fascinated with societal outcasts, the individual who goes against set tradition in order to attain some arcane knowledge or some personal identity And it is this pursuit for ones personal identity that leads the main characters in Chinua Achebes' All Things Fall Apart, Clarice Lispectors Preciousness and Fadwa Tuqans In The Aging City to develop either a cultural or gender identity.

In Achebes' All Things Fall Apart Okonkwo is a self-made and well respected member of the Umuofia clan. Though much of his life has been influenced by an internal fear of being like his father. Okonkwo considers most of his fathers' attributes to be feminine, thus resulting in Okonkwo's behavior stemming from a reactionary desire to be completely …show more content…
She believes that she is ugly and irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. She thinks that if she stays to herself and avoids the happenings around her that the people and the world will in turn not see her. However she soon learns that no matter how hard you try to be invisible to the people around you. You can never escape the evils of the world we live in. After being groped by the two boys before school, she realizes that maybe the way she is going about life is not the most beneficial to her overall well being. She in turn decides to take better care of herself, but also accept her existence as an individual thus developing and starting to come into her own personal identity as a
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Okonkwo's Downfall
    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Okonkwo's Downfall

    Throughout the novel, Things Fall Apart, many characters played an important role. But the most prominent role played was by Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a completely self made individual that against all odds, rose to the challenge of life. No matter what life threw at him, he always met that challenge with brute force and determination. However, never did Okonkwo imagine that his downfall would be because of his own tragic flaw. Okonkwo's violent and rash nature made him difficult to work with and gave people the wrong image of who he was. He was so distracted by trying to be anyone other than his father that he lost himself along the way.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Still Life With Tornado By A. S. King
    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Summary Of Still Life With Tornado By A. S. King

    Instead she wanders the streets following a homeless guy trying to figure herself out. As progresses she realizes how much of a mess her parents marriage really is. She has recurring run ins with her younger and older self that fill her in on all the things she has forgotten about which makes her realize how blinded she's been to all the problems she has at home.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis Of Dillion And Jazz Luther In The Book 'Define Normal'
    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Character Analysis Of Dillion And Jazz Luther In The Book 'Define Normal'

    In other words, she sees the looks teachers give her, and it inspires her to do better in her school work and prove to them that her image does not define her personality. Her mother tries to get her to act like the rich kid she is, but the more her mother tries, the more she rejects the idea and rebels. She wears black and dyes her hair unnatural colors to hide where she really comes from, a rich family. She also hides her love for playing piano because she does not want to be classified as a rich kid, but doing so gets classified as a punk or a goth. Antonia, the other main character, is classified as smart or a teacher’s pet, so a teacher’s pet and a punk; that is not usually the types that are best friends. In the beginning of the book, they did not even want to be seen together. By the end of the book , that did not matter anymore because they were proud of each…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Radical Change in "Things Fall Apart"
    • 1535 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Radical Change in "Things Fall Apart"

    In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo’s conformist reality and stubborn mindset causes him to alienate himself from the clan that is timidly embracing the change the white people bring. In the beginning of the book, we are informed Okonkwo is a strong, determined man--much unlike his father. Okonkwo’s crude fear of failure and weakness and ending up like his father drove him to change his lifestyle and become a better man. However, this initial change led one of the most respected clansmen to his demise. Okonkwo was so compelled by fear that it clouded the fact that he was, in fact, just like his father: “But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness” (Achebe 9). After his exile, Okonkwo constantly tried to reissue order among the clan, but it appeared as though he was too late. When Obierika told Okonkwo of the white man’s invasion, the stubborn…

    • 1535 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Okonkwo's Actions In Things Fall Apart
    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Okonkwo's Actions In Things Fall Apart

    In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s actions can justify why he is an ambitious and intense leader that uses fear to control his followers. His fear tactic was also applied in his family life. In the novel, Okonkwo expresses multiple times how he does not want to be like his father; who was lazy and unsuccessful. Having this detached relationship as a child influenced him to treat his children and wives with aggression. For example, when Nwoye, his son, joined the church, Okonkwo was so enraged by it that he physically abused him. This resulted in his children and wives to do everything he said because they feared for their safety. I believe that the lack of affection that was giving to him as child had an impact on his behavior. If he had someone…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Regarding Like Water For Chocolate
    • 831 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Regarding Like Water For Chocolate

    A firm belief in his way of life forced Okonkwo into his success at the beginning of Things Fall Apart. As it is noted in chapters one to three, Okonkwo’s birth had left him much to be desired. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had (Achebe 16).” Indeed, with a father like Unoka, a “lazy and improvident” man, it is hard to imagine how Okonkwo left his circumstances when his father was one that “was poor” and left “his (Unoka’s) wife and children had barely enough to eat” (Achebe 04 & Achebe 05). Yet these experiences forced Okonkwo toughen up early in life. Okonkwo’s “whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (Achebe 13). After considering how Okonkwo’s spent his entire childhood under the shameful shadow of his father, it makes sense that “even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala” (Achebe 13).…

    • 831 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart
    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Essay On Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart

    Okonkwo, a character with a complex and difficult personality, from Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, struggles to show emotions other than anger. Okonkwo, as a leader of the tribe to which he belongs, believes that showing affection is a sign of weakness. His behavior makes him struggle with his relationships with his wives and children, as he is very strict when it comes to disciplining them. However, he is not emotionless, he just refuses to let his emotions be known to the people surrounding him. The treatment towards the members of his family and expectations of discipline and obedience in his household make him an unsympathetic character for the reader, due to his difficult personality.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Things Fall Apart
    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Things Fall Apart

    In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe introduces his main character, Okonkwo. In spite of his father being a failure, Okonkwo starts working hard and sets goals for himself so he will not end up like his father. He wants to be prosperous and works hard to gain this, but does not always make the best choices. He is strong and hardworking, but he is also violent and very impatient.…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Chinua Achebe's: Okonkwo Essay Example
    • 1499 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Chinua Achebe's: Okonkwo Essay Example

    Okonkwo is introduced to the reader with a sense of urgency and importance in the opening sentence: "Okonkwo was well know throughout the nine villages and even beyond." (Achebe 3) The reason was a result of him bringing honor to his village for being the fiercest wrestler when he was a younger man. Achebe's physical description of Okonkwo is one of reverence, and could be used to describe many of the men in Umuofia. He is large, and his facial structure makes him seem to wear an angry expression at all times. The fact that his three wives could hear him breath while he slept, even though they lived in separate houses creates a strong image. Okonkwo personality is that of quick to anger and prone to expressing his anger through his fists. One important quality of Okonkwo is his desire to be successful-he has no patience for men like his father who had taken no title and died heavily in debt.…

    • 1499 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A comment on okonwo's suicide in TFA
    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A comment on okonwo's suicide in TFA

    Okonkwo as described in the novel is in constant fear to be anything like his father, he hated everything that reminded it of Unoka, and he is in a never ending battle against failure, weakness and fear. This made him commit mistakes and get into trouble, as he once offended the Igbo community, got exiled for killing a kid by mistake for seven years, and he deliberately killed Ikemefuna following the Oracle’s orders and refusing the advice of letting someone else do it, some say he did it for he wanted to hold no grudge against that person, some say it’s another try of him to prove he is not weak nor afraid. Another important incident related to the British coloniser that brought Christianity to their community, Okonkwo could not tolerate this, and…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    things fall apart
    • 556 Words
    • 2 Pages

    things fall apart

    It is evident in nearly every aspect of Okonkwo that he is indeed a very robust and powerful man, and yet on a few rare occasions, achebe reveals that Okonkwo is capable of human thought and emotion..“He was afraid of being thought weak.”(Things Fall Apart, p. 61) In a rare moment Okonkwo questions his masculinity and believes himself to have become “a shivering old woman”(Things Fall Apart, p. 65) when he is thinking about how he killed Ikemefuna. As you can see Okonkwo fig leafs or just plain outright lies to himself saying that he is a very in the saddle man but the truth is once he kills a boy he becomes very lethargic.…

    • 556 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Work
    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Work

    In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character Okonkwo has only one tragic flaw; he has raised himself so that looking weak or effeminate is the worst thing to him that he could do. Okonkwo is a model clansman based on his success. However, he is more alienated from his culture based on his lack of respect for it. In this research paper, I’ll walk through a character analysis of Okonkwo.…

    • 1052 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Thinks Fall Apart - Okonkwo as Father Figure
    • 940 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Thinks Fall Apart - Okonkwo as Father Figure

    In the novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe, we are introduced to the main character Okonkwo. He was born and raised in the village of Umuofia. He is a man with three wives and many children. Throughout the novel we are encouraged to focus on the relationships forged between Okonkwo and his own children. He does not seem to be, in my opinion, a good father. In fact, Okonkwo seems to fail as a father because he allows the mistakes of his own father Unoka to affect how he fathers his own children. Another reason I feel as though Okonkwo is unsuccessful as a father is because he allows his culture to dictate to him. Finally, I believe that Okonkwo allows his need to appear 'manly' and masculine to determine his decisions. He does not allow feelings to interfere with his actions.…

    • 940 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Chinua Achebe's Characters In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chinua Achebe's Characters In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    Understanding that his clan would not go to war, Okonkwo wipes his machete and leaves. After this, the local leader of the white government came to Okonkwo's house to take him to court. He found a small group of men sitting in front of Okonkwo's house. They told him that Okonkwo was not at home. After asking a couple of times, the man became angry and demanded that they take him to Okonkwo. They took him to Okonkwo to discover that he had hanged himself. He commited suicide rather than be tried in a colonial court. This action ruined his reputation and was considered an abomination. The conflict is between the traditional society of Umuofia and the new customs introduced by the white people, which are adopted by many of the tribe members. Okonkwo also tries to be as different from his departed father as possible. He is weak, lazy and effeminate so Okonkwo strives to be masculine, strong and respected. The story is told in chronological order with some emerging flashbacks which makes the plot simple to follow. Major themes in the story are greatness and masculinity. Okonkwo is determined to be a powerful and strong as possible. He rises from humble beginnings to a position of power and leadership and is also a wealthy man. He is decisive and tenacious but his greatness emanates from the same features that are the origin of his shortcomings. He is haunted by a fear of failure and that is what makes…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Okonkwo's Downfall in: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
    • 1348 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Okonkwo's Downfall in: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

    In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, things fall apart for the character Okonkwo because of his character traits. Okonkwo is a very structured man with little patience for whatever he believes is wrong. Some of Okonkwos negative character traits include his violent temper, which gets him in trouble with his religion, clan, family and the missionaries, and his constant battles with his own father which cause him to believe in what is wrong, even if he is aware of what is right. As well, Okonkwo being such a structured man is a good feature of his personal nature, but even this has a negative effect on his life. Okonkwo is an extremely complex character created by Chinua Achebe, and his life falls apart because of all of these factors.…

    • 1348 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics