Examples Of Unoka In Things Fall Apart
THINGS FALL APART
1. Unoka - because he was weak and was considered to be an “agbala” or woman. He hated the sight of blood, etc.
2. One should be able to stand the sight of blood, be aggressive, own barns, have wives etc. to be considered a real “MAN” according to Okonkwo. He had 3 wives, four children, earned many titles, took home 5 heads/death from battle. He was a wealthy farmer who owned 2 barns etc.
3. Ikemefuna was a young boy that Okonkwo had to take care of. He was given to Okonkwo as a peace offering from another village. The other village, Mbaino killed a woman from Umuofia and a young virgin and Ikemefuna was given to the village as a peace offering. Okonkwo was troubled by his death because he became like a son to him. Ikemefuna …show more content…
even referred to Okonkwo as his father. Okonkwo was hurt because he looked at him as his own, but out of pride, he participated in his murder. In fact, he dealt the final blow to kill him.
4. Obierika was Okonkwo’s friend. When Okonkwo visited him after the killing of Ikemefuna, Obierika told him that he should not have participated in the killing of Ikemefuna since Okonkwo had grown him up like his own son. He said that the Earth Goddess could wipe out an entire family for this type of action. Obierika refusal to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna in light of Okonkwo’s action showed that he was wise and had a different temperament from Okonkwo. Where Okonkwo is volatile and prone to action, Obierika is thoughtful, even philosophic. Obierika did not believe that slaying one’s child was necessary to gain the admiration or approval of the rest of the clan. Obierika believed in performing actions that were pleasing to God and not merely acting to seem strong in the eyes of men.
5. Ezinma was Okonkwo’s daughter. She was more of a boy than a girl, in terms of her attitude and behaviour. He preferred her and wished she was a boy more than his son Nwoye. She understood him.
6.
An ogbanje child is a child that has an evil spirit. This type of evil child when born, will die and implant himself/herself in its mother’s womb to be reborn as a means of tormenting its mother and family. Ekwefi was known to have ogbanje children. At the death of her third child, Onwumbiko, Okonkwo called in another medicine-man, Okagbue Uyanwa, who ordered that there be no mourning for the dead child. Okagbue took a razor and mutilated the dead child’s body. He then took it away to bury in the Evil Forest holding it by the ankle and dragging it on the ground behind him. He did this as a way of discouraging the evil spirit or ogbanje child from coming …show more content…
again.
7. Okonkwo was exiled because he unintentionally shot and killed a clansman during the funeral festivities for Ezeudu. Okonkwo had committed a female crime because his act was done inadvertently. The sixteen year old boy who had been killed was the son of Ezeudu. Okonkwo was exiled in order to cleanse the land he had polluted by shedding the blood of a clansman and to exact punishment for an offence he had committed against the great Earth goddess.
8. Okonkwo feared becoming like his father Unoka who was lazy, improvident and quite incapable of making provisions for the future. He held no titles, owed many people, was weak and womanish and hated the sight of blood. He had only one wife and owned no barns. Okonkwo tried to distance himself from his father’s legacy by being a fearless wrestler who defeated Amalinze the Cat. He held titles, had three wives and several barns of yams. He was courageous and took charge of his family with a heavy hand.
Okonkwo’s pride and fears contributed to his downfall because he tried so hard to distance himself from his father’s legacy that he ignored the advice of elders such as Ogbuefi Ezeudu who told Okonkwo not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna.
The Oracle of Hills and the Caves had pronounced Ikemefuna’s death. Okonkwo did not listen though. He had to prove his manliness/ strength by showing he was not afraid of blood. He dealt the last blow thereby killing Ikemefuna. Even Obeirika admonished him for the part he played in the killing. Obeirika said that “if I were you I would have stayed at home. What you have done will not please the Earth. It is the kind of action for which the goddess wipes out whole
families.”
And so, like some sort of premonition, Okonkwo was sent into exil for seven (7) years after he unintentionally killed a clansman. He lost his premises, his barns/yams/animals as this was deemed a crime against the Earth Goddess.
1. Unoka - because he was weak and was considered to be an “agbala” or woman. He hated the sight of blood, etc.
2. One should be able to stand the sight of blood, be aggressive, own barns, have wives etc. to be considered a real “MAN” according to Okonkwo. He had 3 wives, four children, earned many titles, took home 5 heads/death from battle. He was a wealthy farmer who owned 2 barns etc.
3. Ikemefuna was a young boy that Okonkwo had to take care of. He was given to Okonkwo as a peace offering from another village. The other village, Mbaino killed a woman from Umuofia and a young virgin and Ikemefuna was given to the village as a peace offering. Okonkwo was troubled by his death because he became like a son to him. Ikemefuna …show more content…
even referred to Okonkwo as his father. Okonkwo was hurt because he looked at him as his own, but out of pride, he participated in his murder. In fact, he dealt the final blow to kill him.
4. Obierika was Okonkwo’s friend. When Okonkwo visited him after the killing of Ikemefuna, Obierika told him that he should not have participated in the killing of Ikemefuna since Okonkwo had grown him up like his own son. He said that the Earth Goddess could wipe out an entire family for this type of action. Obierika refusal to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna in light of Okonkwo’s action showed that he was wise and had a different temperament from Okonkwo. Where Okonkwo is volatile and prone to action, Obierika is thoughtful, even philosophic. Obierika did not believe that slaying one’s child was necessary to gain the admiration or approval of the rest of the clan. Obierika believed in performing actions that were pleasing to God and not merely acting to seem strong in the eyes of men.
5. Ezinma was Okonkwo’s daughter. She was more of a boy than a girl, in terms of her attitude and behaviour. He preferred her and wished she was a boy more than his son Nwoye. She understood him.
6.
An ogbanje child is a child that has an evil spirit. This type of evil child when born, will die and implant himself/herself in its mother’s womb to be reborn as a means of tormenting its mother and family. Ekwefi was known to have ogbanje children. At the death of her third child, Onwumbiko, Okonkwo called in another medicine-man, Okagbue Uyanwa, who ordered that there be no mourning for the dead child. Okagbue took a razor and mutilated the dead child’s body. He then took it away to bury in the Evil Forest holding it by the ankle and dragging it on the ground behind him. He did this as a way of discouraging the evil spirit or ogbanje child from coming …show more content…
again.
7. Okonkwo was exiled because he unintentionally shot and killed a clansman during the funeral festivities for Ezeudu. Okonkwo had committed a female crime because his act was done inadvertently. The sixteen year old boy who had been killed was the son of Ezeudu. Okonkwo was exiled in order to cleanse the land he had polluted by shedding the blood of a clansman and to exact punishment for an offence he had committed against the great Earth goddess.
8. Okonkwo feared becoming like his father Unoka who was lazy, improvident and quite incapable of making provisions for the future. He held no titles, owed many people, was weak and womanish and hated the sight of blood. He had only one wife and owned no barns. Okonkwo tried to distance himself from his father’s legacy by being a fearless wrestler who defeated Amalinze the Cat. He held titles, had three wives and several barns of yams. He was courageous and took charge of his family with a heavy hand.
Okonkwo’s pride and fears contributed to his downfall because he tried so hard to distance himself from his father’s legacy that he ignored the advice of elders such as Ogbuefi Ezeudu who told Okonkwo not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna.
The Oracle of Hills and the Caves had pronounced Ikemefuna’s death. Okonkwo did not listen though. He had to prove his manliness/ strength by showing he was not afraid of blood. He dealt the last blow thereby killing Ikemefuna. Even Obeirika admonished him for the part he played in the killing. Obeirika said that “if I were you I would have stayed at home. What you have done will not please the Earth. It is the kind of action for which the goddess wipes out whole
families.”
And so, like some sort of premonition, Okonkwo was sent into exil for seven (7) years after he unintentionally killed a clansman. He lost his premises, his barns/yams/animals as this was deemed a crime against the Earth Goddess.