Okonkwo was no coward

The book Things Fall Apart ending with Okonkwo's death became a topic of much controversies. This can only makes me wonder why would he just decided to end it right then and there. We as reading sew that Okonkwo from the very beginning that he lives fear of becoming a worthless musician like his father. This fear drives him to work tirelessly on his yam farm and fought bravely in battles against enemies. His effort earned him two titles and the respect of the clan. However, why did he decides to  throw this all away with and take the coward way out under the pressure of the white men. We question ourselves, "Why can't he just resisted the change brought by the white men and fight to protect the ways of his people."Yes, although this is the reaction that we would all expect from the Okonkwo, because he literally says to retaliates, it was not a possibillty. The elder had decide it would be more tragitity to go to war with the white men because the white men were too powerful. So they decided to let the white men roam free. For Okonkwo this would mean he would have to adapt to the white man way thus hurt his pride to have to bow down to the masters. Thus the one way left to keep his integrity and honor is by dying with it...

Things Fall Apart #2

I know this was discussed in class, but I find Nwoye's conversion and his character very interesting.  I would like to talk about Nwoye's character and why him converting is so fitting and how he uses his conversion to cope with his father's overbearing expectations.  From the beginning of the book, we see Nwoye as a sensitive boy who thinks about the actions of the Ibo Society.  For example, the killing of the twins and the killing of Ikemafuna all caused "effeminate" emotions to stir inside of him.  His father saw this as a weakness which created a rocky relationship between Nwoye and his father.  He wanted someone who was like him: strong, no emotions, hard working, and no effeminate features.  I love when Nwoye converts to Christianity because I see it as Nwoye standing up to his father and him embracing himself.  Its as if he is making a statement that this is who he is and I don't care if you accept it or not.  Christianity, in my opinion, served as an escape for him from his father's expectations.  He could convert and become equal to his father and gain an education and become the person he wants.  Also, Christianity was a light of hope for him.  He understand that Ikemafuna and all of those twins who were killed would be saved through Christianity.  This gave him hope and convinced him further to reason and negotiate with the white men and listen to what they say.  In Okonkwo's eyes, however, this was the worst decision he could have made.  Okonkwo was so mad he almost choked his son to death.  To him, converting to Christianity was more of Nwoye's effeminate side showing which made him more angry because Nwoye was becoming more and more like Unoka, Okonkwo's father.  I also think that Nwoye's conversion to Christianity was some of the reason behind Okonkwo's suicide.  These are some of my final thoughts on Things Fall Apart.

Okonkwo's deficiencies

Okonkwo is hailed as a great warrior and the prime example of a "man" in Igbo society. He has recieved many titles, fought in many wars, and is very strong. He strives his best to gain prestige and rise above all else. However, he has many shortcomings that will lead him to his untimely end. Okonkwo hates and despises all forms of feminity, and tries to assert his dominance by beating his children and wives. He stubbornly sticks to his ideal of what a man is, without knowing what it is to be a "human." He regrets the time spent in his mother homeland, where he could have learned what it means to be a family, instead planning about what would he do to rise up again when he returns to his old village. Even with the old man's lecture of how "mother is supreme," he didn't take it to heart and only acted to keep up his appearance. Failing to notice so many things, he also is unable to accept change. When the missionaries started appearing and winning people to their faith, Okonkwo sees them as unsightly and detestable, failing to see that his son has been won over by them. Even worse, he tries to prevent Nwoye from going to them by beating him, which had the opposite effect. Okonkwo continued to be stubborn until his life was finally extinguished. Such is the flaws of this "tragic hero".

Okonkwo Struggles

Okonkwo the main the character in the book Things Fall Apart struggles between what is right and his own image. For example when asked to murder Ikemefuna deep down he never wanted that to happen. He only murdered him in fear of being looked upon as weak or womanly. In the Igbo society the male is always supposed to look strong and one to do all the hands on work. Okonkwo takes a bit too far because he beats his wives and bad mouths his son Nwoye. I think Okonkwo acts like that because his father Unoka was seen as weak and a lazy musician. Okonkwo told himself he never wanted to be his father and tuhat may be the reason for his anger and "braveness". Although Okonkwo hardly ever shows love for his family he still does.He chased a priestess who had taken his daughter in the Evil Forest. Okonkwo pride gets the very best of him all the time. His own wife went to go fetch his gun and commented on how bad a hunter he was. Okonkwo then proceeded to grab his gun from her and shoot at her with it missing her. In conclusion Okonkwo is man who chooses pride over what is right
 

Nwoye and Okonkwo

     In the novel, Nwoye is seen as very weak and unhelpful in the beginning. Okonkwo sees him becoming lazy like his father and he has basically given up hope on his son. When Ikemefuna comes to the village to live with Okonkwo, he is very shhy and is depressed because he misses his family. After a while, Nwoye and Ikemefuna start talking and they develop a strong bond. This relationship helps with Ikemefuna's depression and Nwoye's laziness. Nwoye looks up to him and is motivated to become more like the man people want him to be. He finally enjoys being asked to do the tough chores in the household and likes to help out around the house. He and Ikemefuna begin to sit in Okonkwo's obi rather than listen to Okonkwo's wives tell stories. It it is also said that Nwoye goes on rants about the problems and troubles that women cause him. Okonkwo likes this part of Nwoye because it is a very apparent trait that Okonkwo shows on a regular basis. I do not like how Okonkwo supports this behavior; however, this is part of the Igbo culture as a patriarchy, so what seems to be disrespect is not seen as unexceptable. It is hard to imagine having to disrespect your mothers ans sisters in order to gain respect in the eyes of your father.

Things fall apart #2

As I'm getting  closer to the end of this novel certain questions tend to come across my mind. For   example whether or not Ekewfi and Okonkwo are actually married. The novel states that she was married to another man since Okonkwo was too poor to marry, and when he does older she leaves her current husband for Okonkwo. Which makes me wonder if they are properly married, if that were the case then would that mean that Ezinma is a child out of wedlock? That may not be the case here but the thought still wanders about in my mind. Also another thing that seems odd to me is that even though Okonkwo accidentally killed his clansmen was it really necessary for him to be exiled for seven years? I would understand if it was one or two years but seven isn't that too extreme? Who really knows it is there culture after all. Overall I enjoy the novel and hope that the ending won't so disappointing.

While Okonkwo is having his own problems and anger issues, I feel anxious about what has become of Nwoye. Despite the book revolving mainly around Okonkwo and those directly near him, I want to know what has become of Nwoye. It feels as if he was the main character most people our age could relate to, with trying to find himself and feeling like an outcast. I personally know too much about feeling left out and alone, and it made me connect more with Nwoye. But I dislike how the author simply brushed over him. How could Nwoye just convert and be disowned and still not have problems of his own afterward? Nothing is ever black-and-white on either side--Christian or Ibo. We were fed Ekwefi's emotions and her past, and came to enjoy her and Ezinma, and yet the person we were fed tiny bits and pieces of has suddenly disappeared before we could finally read a passage that was all in his head. Sure, we had the time right after Ikemefuna was killed, but in all these years he has grown, and yet we know nothing of what has become of him.

I wonder what has become of him; I wonder if Okonkwo sometimes misses his son, or even thinks about him without hatred due to his "abandonment". But, I ask, did Nwoye really abandon his family? In my mind, he was abandoned by them, or more specifically his father. He tried to appeal to his father, but he wasn't accepted for who he was and he was put off constantly. The hole that was left by Ikemefuna's death, in place of where his father should be, was filled with Christianity. It helped him. I long for more from Nwoye and less from a main character I can barely stand.

Things Fall Apart #2

We're nearing the end of the novel and I've noticed that Okonkwo hasn't changed at all. At the beginning, I always thought that he would have a change of heart and be kinder towards his people and family. But ever since the Christians came and tried to convert their people to their religion,, abandoning African traditions, you can start to see Okonkwo getting even more angry. I feel like the last straw broke inside of him and he went mad the moment Nywoe abandon his father's beliefs and converted to a Christian. After that moment, it's shown that Okonkwo has a sort of vendetta against the Christians, wanting to wipe them out of existence.
I think there was always that hope that something good would happen to Okonkwo that would help us see a kinder side to himself when he got banished, but it looks like it went in the wrong direction. Sure, he did worry about his daughter Ezimna when Chielo took her to see her gods, but it seems that a sliver of kindness goes to Ezimna. Maybe because she's want he looks for in his sons. However, it changes when he wishes she was rather a boy than a girl. That's seems a little harsh because he's not fully accepting that women can also have qualities of a man, that women should be women and men as men.  But Ezimna breaks that rule and he feels that it's a blasphemy towards what he always believed in.

Things Fall Apart #2 Blog

In a always-changing world, human beings yearn to be as comfortable as possible with their surroundings. Sometimes, getting used to a new idea can be a real pain, especially when it goes against something you believe. Nwoye's conversion to Christianity describes the modern view that people have on new ideas. The fact that the entire clan was shocked by Nwoye's decision clearly shows how people's initial feelings towards change are negative. Many of the worldwide laws of math and science we have today were originally rejected. However, as time goes on, people get accustomed to change.
The conversion of Nwoye also gives some insight on why many people choose to convert, whether it be in North America, Asia, Africa, or Europe. In the modern world, people change religion because another might appeal more to them. It's not really a matter of tradition and culture. It's simply a matter of finding benefits. Nwoye disliked his father's inability to put emotions aside when making decisions due to the great amount of honor Okonkwo had, and Nwoye obviously didn't want to get mistreated anymore. After this, Nwoye sought for change and this culture presented by white man became the change he was looking for.

Things fall apart

Through out the book the character that interests me is Ezinma. Eznima is Okonkwo's favorite child. Okonkwo loves Ezinma because she has the character traits of a women which makes Okonkwo respect her. Ezinma has little of Okonkwo's traits, For example she has temper tantrums like Okonkwo. Ezinma's relationship with her mother Ekwefi is really close because shes the only daughter that survived. Ezinma calls her mother by her name and always asks questions. Ezinma's love from her mother is eating forbidden eggs in the locked bedroom that's meant only for the elders to eat. Ezinma has an inborn confidence that outshines most of the girls. Shes able to have a conversation with elders and does tasks that's meant for boys.  Enzima is a ogbanje child. Efwefi said that shes the spirit of the first child. Enzima grows to be like her mother and lives a typical life of Umuofia.

Things fall apart

The book Things Fall Apart, continually keeping me reading because it is such a wonderful book. it is
full of foreshadows, mysteries, and many other things. For example, when the the white men came, the villagers decided to kill him. This foreshadows that some thing will be going in the future. A couple of days later, missionaries showed up looking for land and followers, so Nwoye decided to join the missionaries. This caused tension between Okonkwo and Nwoye because Okonkwo saw the church as being a place to tell stories and become a women, Okonkwo really hated that because it made Nwoye him look girly in Okonkwo's eyes. And to Okonkwo, he sees himself with no fear, full of respect, and a good warrior. Furthermore, Okonkwo want's his son, Nwoye, be really manly and not be like Okonkwo's dad. And there are many other conflicts ahead, and if you want to read about them, then get Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe and read about them.

Dvided

     At the beginning of the book you see Okonkwo as a success story. The boy who fought against the odds, and in  the end surpassed his failure of a father. Sadly this is only one side of him, for it is the mask he wears to hide the fear in his eyes and the insecurities that scarred him. Okonkwo fears to appear weak like his father, and this fear leads him to constantly want to seem manly. He would hide his weaknesses such as his affection for Eznema and Ikemefuna through violence and harsh words masking what he truly feels, and allows his view of manliness and the tribes traditions blind him. For instance with Eznema he wishes that she was a boy because of her strong demeanor, determination, and spirit. While he is disappointed with having Nwoye as a son because has hauntingly similar mannerisms to his grandfather, thus illustrating that within the tribe Okonkwo felt pressures to become or at least appear strong in order to be "better" than his father so he projects these fears onto Nwoye through beating him when he expresses weakness to fit their culture's idea of manliness. Sadly most of the actions that Oknonwo takes are motivated by fear, thus making him the biggest hypocrite in this book. Secondly when the Oracle declared that Ikemefuna shall be killed in the name of the woman that died three years ago Okonkwo chose to participate even though many would understand why he wouldn't due to him viewing Ikemefuna as a son and Ikemfuna viewing him as a father. This relationship is literally hacked to pieces by Okonkwo himself out of fear of being viewed as weak as he delivered the killing blow to Ikemfuna. After this we see Oknowo drink palm oil for days and stop eating for while as well due to his guilt from killing Ikemefuna, killing his son. In addition we see Nwoye snap back into reality with this shocking realization of the horrors that the tribe does in the name of tradition, and in a way of forcing him to grow up with this sudden experience of the real world and not the stories that his mother tells him. These acts of aggression in the name of fear and "manliness" have lead to Okonkwo to become secluded from the tribe, but not physically for he doesn't really fit in .

Okonkwo and Ezinma

     As we know, Okonkwo is not the best at expressing his emotions and giving affection. Once we get deeper into the book, we see a slight change in his attitude, especially towards his daughter Ezinma. Okonkwo has a deep respect for Ezinma because she has traits that he would want his son, Nwoye, to possess. He feels like she is the only child that he has that will please him. For this reason, Okonkwo develops a soft spot for Ezinma.
     This metaphorical "soft spot" can be seen when Ezinma is taken by Chielo the priestess. When this happens Ezinma's mother goes after her. Okonkwo then proceeds to ask her what she is doing and once she says she is going after Ezinma he lets her leave. If this were to be any of his other children, Okonkwo might have scolded Ekwefi and/or beat her. This is a major event in the book because it is one of the first times Okonkwo subtly expresses his feeling towards another person.
     I also think that Okonkwo is more gentle to Ezinma because she is a female. In Igbo society, females were viewed as weak individuals. This process of thought could have also influenced Okonkwo's decision to let Ekwefi follow Chielo.

Things Fell Apart

One chapter that stood out to me in Things Fall Apart was chapter 13. Specifically, towards the end, when Okonkwo was exiled for accidentally killing a clansmen. Okonkwo is in his obi is thinking, "Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertantly?" (117) I believe that this is so hypocritical of Okonkwo to say. Ikemefuna was killed for an offense he had no part in, he was even benefiting Okonkwo's family, yet Okonkwo still killed him. In this section, it also brings up the topic of the twins. His twin children had no part in any crime they were only born, but they had to be punished. This shows that Okonkwo is selfish. He only started to think about justice when he was the one being punished.

My favorite line in the book is when Obierika tells the District Commissioner and his soliders that Okonkwo was "...one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog (179)." This quote shows the real effect of fear. Okonkwo, a man of pride and confidence, let his fear of being like his father take control. He didn't want to be weak. He wanted to fight in a war to show his power. A man of insecurity, Okonkwo really had to kill a man to show his strength, but in reality it only showed his weakness. Since he is unable to show his emotions, Okonkwo kills the messenger of the white men. Even his village is shocked and asks why he killed that man because they know that there was no reason and they could have talked it out. This is also relating to the quote from page 117. The man Okonkwo killed committed no crime, he was simply a messenger.

 Throughout the novel I have wondered why certain characters react the way they do during the novel. When Ikemefuna dies Nwoye shuts down and loses a part of himself.When Ikemefuna is about to die Okonkwo can't deal with whats happening in a seemingly normal way, so to prevent the men of thinking of him in a negative or feminine way he kills Ikemefuna instantly. He is also saddened by his death but he just becomes more closed off and cruel. I think that Nwoye and Okonkwo deal with heartbreaking experiences in a way that prevents them from being seen as weak or vulnerable. This feeling stems from the perception of men and masculinity, and in Igbo culture masculinity is seen as strong and dominant over weak women. These feelings  force men like Okonkwo to become a cruel, stern, and isolated from his family and himself. Okonkwo's fear of vulnerability plagues him throughout the novel and causes him to make decisions that completely change everything.

 

 

Things Fall Apart : Culture

Time and time again the Igbo culture is heavily mentioned and that's because its extremely important in their society. After reading most of the book I have more of an understanding and respect for their culture. However it makes me think about if there culture was different or not such a heavy influence how would it change the story and ultimately history.

From what I read i learned the Igbo culture is based off spiritual beliefs and rituals, they also believe in bad and good omens. This is highly interesting because throughout the story they do things that would seem questionable or odd to us but to them it makes perfectly good sense. For example when Okonkwo is banished the group of men from his tribe go and burn down his house to rid of the bad blood he's brought into their society/clan. At first when I read that they burned his house I thought it was out of anger but then I continued to read and realized it was almost to purge the clan of any bad vibes or negative energy. I really appreciate Achebe for writing this book because he gives us a sense of what happened from a forgotten point of view.

Things Tend To Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart has a specific aspect to it that gives it something different from that of other historical fiction novels, which is the level of humanity given to the novel's characters. In this case, specifically Nwoye. Although the novel primarily focuses around Okonkwo, the amount of emotion and character given to Nwoye is substantial. During key moments in the novel, Nwoye exhibits certain emotions that men in his society, especially his father, consider womanly. One such moment is when Okonkwo returns from having killed Ikemefuna. Without a word being spoken, Nwoye knew what had happened and this caused him to give up being what his father wanted: a strong, self-sufficient man who never showed his emotions aside from anger. Ikemefuna's death was the trigger to Nwoye's division from his faith.
I'm particularly intrigued by his dynamic because of how easily it can be related to. He loses faith in his religion when he sees it forsake those that don't seem to deserve its wrath, and he divides from it. I respect that, because he was willing to forego the wishes of his father to be a strong man and pursue a life that fit him. He chose to divide, knowing it would upset his father, in the name of personal enlightenment.

Things Fall Apart

     The book is nearly over and so far from what I've read some characters have changed more than others. The character who we see change more than any other has to be Nwoye because at the beginning of the book he feels lost and doesn't understand some of his people's customs. Nwoye realizes that what they're doing is wrong when he is walking near the Evil Forest and something breaks inside of him when he hears the twins crying. He later feels the same way when he sees his father after he takes Ikemefuna because he knows that he killed him. As soon as the missionaries show up Nwoye is captivated by the “the hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer...the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed.” He decides to hear their stories and he becomes a different Nwoye, one who feel like he belongs now.

     At first, it seemed like Okonkwo was changing when he realized that Nwoye was becoming more manly because of Ikemefuna's presence around him. However, even though Ikemefuna was changing Nwoye, Okonkwo still decides to go with the plan to kill Ikemefuna in order to make himself seem strong and not weak. Later in the book Okonkwo is enraged when he finds out that Nwoye is listening to the stories told by the missionaries. This causes Nwoye to leave his home and convert to Christianity. Okonkwo tells himself that “Nwoye was not worth fighting for” because he reminded him of his father and since he doesn't want to be like his father he doesn't fight for the return of his son. This shows that Okonkwo has not changed since he still feels the same about his son.

Things Fall Apart: Abuse and Fear

In this novel there are many characters that capture my interest. There was a lot of problems everyone suffers from. Okonkwo the protagonist of the story is consumed by fear his whole life. He wants everything he has control of to be perfect. He has done what he could, but his first born son Nwoye isn't honorable to him. Okonkwo's reasoning to fixing these problems that has unsatisfied him is by abusing Nwoye. He doesn't just abuse his son, he abuses his wives and children so they can be perfect. Nwoye's only change has not come from his father ,but an adopted son named Ikemefuna. Later on in the story Ikemefuna is murdered by Okonkwo because of his fear towards everyone in the town seeing him as weak. The feeling I get from his family while reading this book is just seeing him as a master. There isn't any love he shows or anyone shows. To me he's really demanding and they really don't have anything to fulfill his wish. Even though his favorite child is Ezinma there is no love or affect shown to her at all.

Things Fall Apart

         So in this novel it has mentioned what Nwoye has gone through many challenges as he matures and those obstacles are not good ones.  Nwoye is not like his father as we said before and well his relationship with his father,before Ikemefuna's arrival, was not at all affectionate.   During the three years Ikemefuna stayed with Okonkwo, Nwoye managed to establish a trust with Ikemefuna, in which changed him.  Nwoye began to work as hard as his father and Okonkwo was fond of him then.  Later in Things Fall Apart  the relationship with Nwoye and Okonkwo sort of goes downhill.  Okonkwo does not want to know anything about Nwoye after Nwoye converts to the religion of Christianity and the new ways of the white men.  Okonkwo is furious about Nwoye's actions and beats him which causes the departure of Nwoye from home. Nwoye resembles as Unoka in some cases, but throughout the book there have been times were Okonkwo has compared Nwoye and his father together.

Nwoye

In Things Fall Apart, the relationship between Nwoye and Okonkwo certainly catches my interest and has me asking questions between the two. I keep on thinking about the possible outcomes during the story if something in particular did or did not happen. What if Okonkwo wasn't so obsessed of not being like his father, would Nwoye not convert to Christianity if Okonkwo showed him love and acceptance? Or what if the missionaries came sooner and a lot of people converted to Christianity, would Ikemefuna still be able to live? Or what would happen in the novel if Okonkwo and his family converted to Christianity?
   If Okonkwo wasn't so obsessed of not being like his father, I think that Okonkwo could have been a lot nicer person to his children and wives but at the same time, look a lot weaker in the clan and a lost of respect would most likely happen. I think that if the missionaries came a lot sooner and a lot of people converted, Ikemefuna's death could have been avoided which would have an impact on Okonkwo and Nwoye. If Okonkwo and his entire family converted to Christianity, I think that there would be major conflict between him and the clan since Okonkwo is so highly respected, for him to turn against the clan's traditions and beliefs would certainly turn the village into chaos.    

Things Fall Apart

So far in Things Fall Apart, its been an interesting set of events.  I really like the explanation on Okonkwo's character with a backstory about his dad.  However, I really don't like his actions towards his family and other people, he can be a little nicer towards them.  We can get into depth into other characters other than Okonkwo like Ekwefi about how her attitude developed because of how many of her children died at such a young age.  Also, Nwoye we can also see his character change because of Ikemefuna.  He had someone to look up to and seeing how grounded and showing the type of guy Okonkwo was looking for in his sons, he started to changed his ways and start to become from a boy to a man.  But, near the end of chapter 7, there is also something changing inside of Nwoye.  These details help me a lot in connecting with the characters and helping me know more about how they developed into the character they've become.  Even though, the language is a little hard to understand, but after doing careful rereadings on the same paragraph, I start to understand what the author is trying to say.  Probably something I don't like about it is how women in the book can't stand up for themselves.  I know in the time period it was written women didn't have many rights, but in the period we're living in right now, I start to not like how women are treated or how they act throughout books or movies.  It's a really interesting book, hoping it gets even more intense throughout the chapters.

All things fall apart

All things fall apart so far I am really enjoying the book. Although I don't like the disrespect to women I realized thats just part of the culture. In the book Okonkwo is someone who has a bit of an anger problem. For example he shot at his own wife because she said something about his hunting skills. I wonder if this anger will continue on in the future when the Europeans come in. I predict that it will because I doubt Okonkwo will let his village and way of life be stripped away from him. I think he will realize that showing emotion doesn't make a person weak. I predict he will show emotion when fighting for his family and trying to adapt and survive the Europeans. Lastly Nwoye will most likely convert with the Europeans because he doesn't agree with his father's views and see the Europeans as a new hope.

Thoughts So Far On Things Fall Apart...

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe so far has been really interesting from the main character Okonkwo to the overall customs and beliefs that the Igbo society has. Okonkwo despises his father and if he sees any of his sons with those quality's he beats them out of them. Women in the Igbo society did not have much independence they were negotiated with the grooms family and were expected to tend to their husbands with the help of their daughters. What makes the main character Okonkwo so sad is his inability to show emotion in fear of being seen as weak. On the other hand his son Nwoye who Okonkwo believes is lazy and weak has doubts about the rules of his tribe. Hopefully along the novel Okonkwo learns that expressing your feelings and showing emotion does not make you weak.

Things Fall Apart

 Things Fall Apart for what I have read so far is very interesting mainly because of the unique perspective.Historical fiction novels i have read from the past haven't had this perspective of a native African during Imperialism. Okonkwo's characterization throughout the beginning of the book is insecure, cruel, and hot-tempered; furthermore, I'm intrigued to find out how his character changes once colonization comes into the picture.I'm also interested in seeing how his relationship with his wife and children specifically, Ekwefi, Nwoye, and Ezinma throughout the novel.This novel uses Okonkwo's negative demeanor to highlight his insecurities that many men face because of society's perception of what a man should be. his characterization highlights this in a way that isn't overbearing but is noticeable enough to analyze fairly easily. 

Thing Fall Apart: Femininity

WHAT'S WITH THE FEMININITY?

... more like the lack of it ...

       As I read this book, I find it weird how everyone seems to disapprove femininity. Everything in the tribe seems to be based on masculinity. It does do some good sometimes. It drives people to do things they wouldn't want to do. Okonkwo had shown off his discipline and masculinity in strength through the things he does. With his masculinity, he threw the cat on his back. In doing so, he won his wife Ekwefi with his brute strength. When it come to planting, hunting, and disciplining his family, he doesn't fail to teach them a lesson. But at the same time, it can overshadow this idea of displaying love mistaken as seeming weak or feminine. Displaying love and being weak aren't the same thing, but the confusion between them can make a person do something they don't want to do. Okonkwo, afraid of seeming weak and effeminate kills Ikemefuna, although he had loved and grown fond of him. If he just shown a bit of femininity, or love for Ikemefuna, Ikemefuna probably wouldn't have had to die. 

        Masculinity isn't wrong, but femininity isn't wrong either. A pretty good balance of them would do, and as I continue to read, I'd like to see some growth in Okonkwo's character, especially in displaying affection for those he loves... unless his great flaw is his fear of being seen as weak like his father. 

Thing Fall Apart


I'm amazed about how Unoka neglected his family, and he acquired an extreme amount of debt due to his lazy actions. This attitude lead to him having barely enough money to feed them, yet there was always some for palm oil.This irresponsible behavior lead Okonkwo to be manipulated by the fear of becoming his father. This fear ruled over his every action, and that is why he is emotionally distant to wives and children in order to hide any weakness. In addition begins to see a laziness in Nwoye, so he would beat him because he feared that he would end up like his grandfather. Okonkwo's fear pressures him to act in his version of what a man should be based of cultural expectations. Sadly this fear and pressure to appear strong in front of others leads him to cut down some one he cared about. Ikemifuna. He was so afraid of being perceive as weak in front of the other tribe member's that he killed his adopted son after he screamed for Okonkwo to help him. This fear of being weak has helped him in becoming a wealthy yam farmer, but it is consuming and driving him mad. Hopefully in the future he will be able to learn from his mistakes and be able to over come his childhood traumas.

Things Fall Apart

                      When Ikemefuna's death came in the novel my reaction was just shocked. What made my heart drop the most was that Ikemefuna ran up to Okonkwo saying "My father they are killing." I was not expecting the fact that Okonkwo had raised his machete and had cut down his adopted son, and he really cared for Ikemefuna. Even though he wasn't his biological son Okonkwo still accepted him because he enjoyed the fact that his actual son Nwoye had someone to look up to, and started to slowly act like a man. Another thing that I found surprising was that Okonkwo actually felt and let his emotion of pain show, especially for a man who hides his emotions in fear of being seen as weak. 

Things Fall Apart

While reading Things Fall Apart I began to see the dynamics of the Ibo culture and how it is very different from what we would consider the norm. For example, we pride ourselves that we created a society solely based on the one's abilities and not their gender. This is not the case for the Ibo people where it is a male dominated society and the women only duties are to bare children and fulfill their pleasure of their husbands. Another thing that I notice is that males are expected to an honorable life by not showing any attachment and emotion. They believe that those who possessed these traits can be seen as a weakling and is looked down upon. We can see this come into play throughout Okonkwo's relationship and his family. He little attention to his three wives and shows no emotion to his children, even to his daughter Ezinma. 

Things Fall Apart

In the Spanish language, there is the word "machismo."  I haven't really been able to find a translation in English rather it's a few words.  It's a simple way of describing honor, respect, and courage.  However, it is worth mentioning that it has a bad connotation to it.  Okonkwo takes this negative connotation.  He presumes his power by beating his family.  It's rather the entire community that share these cultural conducts.  Personally, I hate this.  I could not imagine ever living in a society like this, where people with power have the opportunity to hurt others without a valid reason (at least to me).  The character I relate myself with the most is easily Nwoye because of his sensitiveness.  There is never a reason to hide your tears from anything.

Things fall about

In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, one of the characters that interest me was Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna character traits were sharp, clever, hard working friendly. He was sharp because he was about to detect danger. For example when they were going to take him away, he knew something was going to happen and turned multiple times when they were discussing how to kill him. He's clever because he knew a lot of useful things to teach Nwoye. Ikemefuna was from Mbaino however he lived with Okonkwo in Igbo because the villages didn't want war and he was the price to pay for peace. Okonkwo think Ikemefuna as a son. He also liked him because who he was and what kind of character traits he has but Ikemefuna was treated the same as Okonkwo's family. Nwoye sees him as an older brother and trys to be like him because of how strong and manly he is. That's what kind of son Okonkwo wants.

Things Fall Apart

     One thing that caught my eye when I was reading Things Fall Apart is the way Okonkwo seems to think that his father is the epitome of all things that were bad for a man. Due to Okonkwo's fear of being like his father, he strived to be the total opposite of him, not realizing that some traits of Unoka were actually good. Since Okonkwo was only focused on the bad traits of Unoka, he failed to realize that there are some traits that would benefit him in the future, hence leading him to become the hot-headed, cold-blooded man he is today. Unoka may have been a good-for-nothing, but he knew how to enjoy life, take things as they go, and be kind and patient. Try as he might, Okonkwo have become the person he wanted to be, a prosperous and independent man, but he has lost one thing that is very important to a human being in general, his compassion. He had lost his compassion for human beings, living in fear of not being what a "man" is, and results to beating his children and wife to assert his dominance. He neglects his emotional self, and this have been and will be a fatal flaw to him. This was one thing that I found interesting in Things Fall Apart.

Leading by Example : Things Fall Apart

     In the novel Things Fall Apart, the main character, Okonkwo has a high status and is well-respected in his village. He is known for his hot temper, introverted attitude, and insecurities. Throughout chapters 1-8 we see how his hot temper comes into play when he beats his third wife and shoots at the second one. My question is why is Okonkwo viewed as the epitome of a man in Igbo society? He constantly disobeys rules that are set and given to him. The two that occur within chapters 1-8 are when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna after he is told not and when he beats his wife during peace week.
     There is a point in the novel when Ikemefuna is told he his "going home". In reality, the were sending away so he could be killed. When Okonkwo found out the news that Ikemefuna was going to be killed he was warned to stay out of the killing by Ogbuefi Ezeudu, an elder in the village. It is a part of the African culture, like most cultures, to respect elders. However, Okonkwo lets his insecurities of being weak overwhelm him and he partakes in the murder of his adopted son. This is not the only event in which Okonkwo goes against culture and tradition, he does at well during peace week.
     The Igbo people have a tradition called the week of peace. During this week, they partake in no violent acts or start arguments. But of course, Okonkwo goes against this because he allows his anger to overtake him. His wife Ekwefi went to get her hair plaited or braided and he became angry. Since he beat his wife during peace week, Okonkwo's punishment is to pray to the gods.
     From what I can see Okonkwo shouldn't be considered the epitome of the Igbo man. He beats his wife without reason, disregards that orders of elders, and goes against the Igbo tradition of peace week. In my opinion, someone that is looked up to and described as a leader should lead by example. With the knowledge I have on Okonkwo at this moment I can't consider him to be someone worthy of looking up to.

Things Fall Apart

 
       In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is abusive towards his wives and children.  There are various passages in which Okonkwo disrespects his wives, especially Ojiugo.  During the week of Peace, Okonkwo beats Ojiugo for taking a few leafs from the banana tree.  It seems that he just took his anger out on Ojiugo, which is not right.  After this event, it shows that Okonkwo has a hard time to control his anger, but if he doesn't control it he can end up doing something severe.  I think that Okonkwo shouldn't be afraid to portray his emotions.  He is so caught up with the fear of becoming like his father that it prevents him from truly connecting with his children.  He notices that one of his children, Nwoye, is not as hardworking as he thought he would be and he is not proud of it.  Nwoye reminds Okonkwo of his father and that is kind of the reason he is too harsh on Nwoye, so that he can mature and become a man.  Men appear to be pressured under the stereotype of gaining power and having strength, also they are the ones who are depended on the most to provide for their families.

One thing I think is a key part to Things Fall Apart, is Okonkwo's relationship to his family and his demeanor. Okonkwo has been perceived as stern, determined, strict and over all emotionless since the beginning of the story. He has three wives, and a lot of kids and he rarely shows the slightest bit of affection. Okonkwo's dad was the town's disappointment, because of his lack of motivation and outrageous amount of debt accumulated. Because of Unoka's bad reputation Okonkwo is fearful of becoming like his dad, and disappointing his kids.
 I believe, although Okonkwo is very stubborn and aggressive at times there is still a sense of love and adoration for his children , but because expressing emotions is "womanly " he chooses not to show them. This is a very difficult situation for Okonkwo and his family because everyone is left with the wrong impression. I think Okonkwo will regret not being more sensitive and loving to his children later in the story.

Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart one of the things that surprised me was that Okonkwo isn't caring. Despite it being explained that he despises anything his father did or believed in and that affection was one of those things, I thought it odd that he doesn't show his family positive attention when supposedly his father gave him very little. Unoka was a low-life in Okonkwo's eyes, but just because the man valued tenderness, Okonkwo refused to allow himself that. I feel as if Okonkwo would be better off and less insecure if he was open enough to share his fears with those around him. Considering the culture though, it may be seen as a weakness to share those fears with his family. Or is it just in his head where such a thing is so big a weakness? It's hard to tell whether he is incapable of sharing his emotions or if he just refuses to in efforts of being the opposite of his father.

Things Fall Apart

One character that stands out to me in Things Fall Apart is Enzinma. In the novel, Enzinma is described as intelligent and hard-working, beautiful just like her mother. Being the only child, Enzinma is favored by her father Okonkwo. Although her mother loves her, Ekwefi is distant to Enzinma which makes her blossom into an independent young woman. What amazes me is that Enzinma was literally born to die. An obanje, which is a curse when a child is born, they die and go  back into the mother's womb, creating a cycle. However, she over comes that challenge and is called by the spirits into a cave and is cured, breaking the obanje cycle. This might represent Enzinma breaking the stereotypical cycle of the "housewife."

Women in the Igbo society are destined to live ordinary lives. You are expected to bear many children and take care of your husband. It bothers me that Enzinma has so much potential to live an extraordinary life but is restricted to be a normal Umuofian woman. Enzinma is different from all the other children in her village. She is smart and more mature,  calling her mother by her first name and not caring for gender roles. One example of her breaking the boundaries is when she sits like a man, or when she tries to do a man's job like taking Okonkwo's chair to the wrestling match. I predict that when Umuofia is colonized she branches out and does her own thing because she is nontraditional to the Igbo society. 

Things fall apart

Something that was interesting to me in Things fall apart was how much of an impact Ikemefuna's death had on Nwoye and Okonkwo. A man who is higly praised by all the villages and is always strong and never shows signs of fear was depressed and empty when Ikemefuna died. It amazed me how Okonkwo was so obsessed with pride and his fear of being weak that he killed one of his own to show that he was strong and not weak, no matter what situation he was in. I think that Okonkwo did not want to kill Ikemefuna because he was like a son to him and Okonkwo actually liked him but I can't believe that someone could have so much pride in them to do what Okonkwo did.
  Also, Ikemefuna's death was like a wake up call to Nwoye reminding him the traditions and practices these people have and I believe that this wake up call will have a bigger importance later in the book.  I think that Ikemefuna's death will give Nwoye and different view of his society and traditions.

Things Fall Apart

One thing that I have found interesting throughout the book is Okonkwo's fear of becoming like his father.  His father, Unoka, was a very lazy, music man.  He did not work hard and owed many debts to other people.  Okonkwo did not want any of his father's reputation rubbing off on him, so he did everything and anything to avoid that.   Though this fear has pushed him to become successful, it has also been his downfall.  He used this passion to drive himself to become successful man, one who is better than his dad.  He worked hard to gain respect and high status in his community.  Okonkwo liked to work and he pushed his sons to work just as hard and become successful.  However, even though his intention was to better himself, he is becoming a man who is short tempered and shows not emotion.  Because he is so afraid of being seen as a woman and weak, he shows never shows emotion and treats his children and wives so badly.  Also, he will do anything to look strong and successful even if it goes against his morals.  For example, when he killed Ikemafuna, he did not have to.  In fact, he was told not to kill him, but in order to look powerful and manly, he kills Ikemafuna.  After doing this, he does not feel any better and feels worse, but he cannot show any of this emotion since he cannot ever seem like a woman or like his father.  He has a fear for looking like a woman because he is traumatized by a childhood memory of people giving his father a womanly trait.  I look forward to seeing how else this fear will effect Okonkwo.

Things Fall Apart

So far the book, Things Fall Apart  has been very interesting because they live in a society that is completely different than the society we live in. The most interesting thing that I have come across is the Evil Forest because to the Igbo, this forest represents pure evil. The first time I read about this forest was when Unoka had died and they left him there to rot since his stomach and limbs were swollen. They didn't even bury him, which means that animals and insects probably ate him. Since he couldn't be buried like a normal person in his society, they should have at least buried him and all the other people rather than just throw them in the forest. 

Another thing that came up while I was reading the book was that twins were put in “earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest.” They did this because they had no explanation for why two babies were born from one pregnancy so they immediately associated them to evil. They were thrown in the Evil Forest just because of their thinking without giving the kids a chance to grow and prove that they were not evil. Maybe if they let them live for a few years they would realize they were wrong in thinking that twins were evil. However, that is how they were raised and that was probably how they treated twin ever since the Igbo society began. I have read of the Evil Forest two times and I feel like I am still going to read more about it since both times I have read about it, they have been very different types of encounters. 

Things Fall Apart

     Something that stands out to me in the book is the expectations that men are held to in the Igbo society. In this story, the men are expected to be strong leaders and are looked down on if they show their emotions. Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was a free-spirited musician who lived a life free of stress and ambition. For these actions, Unoka was shamed by the village and labeled as lazy, unmotivated and a worthless waste of space, considering that he did not help out during the harvest. Okonkwo is ashamed of his father and becomes a harsh, stone-faced father and leader of the Igbo who does not express his emotions, except for anger, for fear of being seen as weak or feminine. His fear of being shamed by the people because of laziness and gentleness like his father, he forces himself to hide his feelings and to focus on being an independent, determined, and ambitious provider for the people.
     In this society, men are unable to openly express themselves and must strive to make themselves what the people view as a "perfect man." This is troublesome to me becasue the men in this society restrtain themselves from showing love to their families and from doing or saying what they want. The idea of strong is misinterpreted by this society because they view it as being strict and emotionally unresponsive rather. However, being strong means that even if you are suffering and have become emotionally broken, you are able to find ways to overcome the obstacles that you endure and recover from them. By expecting the men to hide their emotions the Igbo society is essentially forcing the men to have stone-cold, inhuman personalities.

Thing Fall Apart

                    In the novel, Things Fall Apart, we see the main character, Okonkwo, act as a ticking time bomb ready to injure anybody. For example, we see him lose control of his emotions on page 25, in the middle of the page, where he beats up his youngest wife only because she did not cook the afternoon meal. Another time he looses control is on page 33 when his second wife "killed" a banana tree when all she did was cut some leaves to wrap some food. As you can see, Okonkwo, has a real short temper, but he is nice at times.