Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty.
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”― Bertrand Russell. In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, a story that takes place in Niger about the Ibo culture and people. One of the characters in the story is Okonkwo, who is one of the main characters of the story. Okonkwo resided in a manly and violent clan. He thought very little of the people with no titles for in his mind the men were failures. Okonkwo was a very presumptuous, manly, and headstrong man. Who doesn't want to be like his father, Unoka, who, in Okonkwo’s mind was a failure. His fear of failure made him cruel. Wanting to share was how humanity is cruel to what we don't know or what …show more content…
How? By Okonkwo beating his wife and children if they did a task erroneous. “But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess.” (30) even if it was during the Week of Peace. Okonkwo wasn't afraid of the gods, but he was afraid of being like his father, a failure. His father wasn't manly, but Okonkwo was. His father was indigent, but Okonkwo was prosperous. Okonkwo did everything in his power to not be a failure and if that meant being cruel, unruly, and not fearing the gods, then so be it. “and he was not afraid of war. He was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father, he could stand the look of blood.”(10) Achebe is making known how Okonkwo compares himself to his father who wasn't a “real man”. He isn't scared of a little blood, of war, of the darkness of the world. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.”(13). The wives along with the children are living in perpetual fear of Okonkwo because they don't know what's he's going to act due to his unruly impatient temper. His fear of failure forces him to wish to be superior meaning he will do anything to not be a failure. Consequently being cruel to his loved ones, then that's the way it is. “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”― Bertrand Russell. In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, a story that takes place in Niger about the Ibo culture and people. One of the characters in the story is Okonkwo, who is one of the main characters of the story. Okonkwo resided in a manly and violent clan. He thought very little of the people with no titles for in his mind the men were failures. Okonkwo was a very presumptuous, manly, and headstrong man. Who doesn't want to be like his father, Unoka, who, in Okonkwo’s mind was a failure. His fear of failure made him cruel. Wanting to share was how humanity is cruel to what we don't know or what …show more content…
How? By Okonkwo beating his wife and children if they did a task erroneous. “But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess.” (30) even if it was during the Week of Peace. Okonkwo wasn't afraid of the gods, but he was afraid of being like his father, a failure. His father wasn't manly, but Okonkwo was. His father was indigent, but Okonkwo was prosperous. Okonkwo did everything in his power to not be a failure and if that meant being cruel, unruly, and not fearing the gods, then so be it. “and he was not afraid of war. He was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father, he could stand the look of blood.”(10) Achebe is making known how Okonkwo compares himself to his father who wasn't a “real man”. He isn't scared of a little blood, of war, of the darkness of the world. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.”(13). The wives along with the children are living in perpetual fear of Okonkwo because they don't know what's he's going to act due to his unruly impatient temper. His fear of failure forces him to wish to be superior meaning he will do anything to not be a failure. Consequently being cruel to his loved ones, then that's the way it is. “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and