Okonkwo Research Paper

Okonkwo is a well-respected man and warrior of Umuofia who rose from poverty and descended to destitution. As a boy Okonkwo was able to work hard and gain status, at his height he was progressively disgraced by a series of his own actions and banished from the tribe for several years. After returning Okonkwo gained some traction in his village but was imprisoned and died disgracefully through suicide. The most harmful event in his personal tragedy is the accidental murder of a clansman which led to his exile.
Okonkwo has grown up hating his father due to his laziness which caused his family to starve and go deep into debt. From boyhood, Okonkwo would grow yams to support his mother and sisters which begun his success. Okonkwo feared laziness and cowardice holding himself to high standards and giving him a great work ethic which all the leaders of the clan saw. Because he showed that he was not afraid of hard work after his father’s death he was able to borrow seed yams from Nwakibie to start his own farm at eighteen; most boys inherited farms from their fathers.
Our protagonist’s first year of farming his own yams was plagued by natural disasters which
were detrimental to all farmers in Umuofia. However, Okonkwo was able to get through the terrible year and made a vow that if he could get through that year he could go through anything. This further advanced his work ethic and would allow him to get higher in the ranks. Okonkwo proved himself as a great wrestler by defeating the Cat and a great warrior in battle.
We are able to see Okonkwo’s status through the trust the clan has for him when sending him as an emissary. He traveled to the tribe of Mbaino to exact a virgin and a boy for killing a wife of Umuofia and threatening war. It is also notable that Okonkwo is husband to three wives and has taken three titles at this time; four titles is the maximum amount a man can take in the tribe. His downfall begins with the disruption of peace week.
Peace week is a time when there is no quarrels or work in the tribe in order to appease the gods. This tradition ties in with the sowing of the seeds and beginning of their agricultural endeavors. Okonkwo made the mistake of breaking this peace by beating his third wife for not cooking dinner, which would otherwise be acceptable. This act is considered a crime against the Earth and required him to make a sacrifice. Even though Okonkwo made this sacrifice it is thought that his family will continue to suffer due to his disrespect to the gods. His second foley occurred when participating in the sacrifice of his adoptive son Ikemefuna; this aide was not necessary and costs Okonkwo the respect of his eldest son. Although he has made these mistakes Okonkwo is able to maintain his status and is even able to be an egwugwu of the tribe; a spirit figure, judge, and jury. The most detrimental action to his life is the misfire of his gun and the murder of a clansman at a funeral. This murder, although accidental, caused Okonkwo and his family to be exiled for seven years and Okonkwo lost all his status. In his mother village his eldest son Nwoye, still bitter over Ikemefuna, converts to Christianity and disgraces his family. We see this is where Okonkwo lost some of his hardened shell and he has to eventually be called out by his uncle.
During Okonkwo’s absence Umuofia grows soft and is essentially run by the Christians.
With Okonkwo’s ideas, the people of Umuofia would not have been taken over in such a manner, Okonkwo is very aggressive and fearless and would definitely have lead the tribe to war if need be. However, the tribe is now weak and only after the Christians have unmasked and killed an egwuwu did they react with any sort of force. After this act of force Okonkwo and five other men were called by the Commissioner and imprisoned; these men were beaten, starved, and dehumanized for days. Their release was only allowed when the tribe paid a hefty fine and after this abuse, the tribe failed to stand up against measly messengers. After killing a messenger and seeing the weakness of his tribe Okonkwo commits suicide tarnishing his
reputation.
If it were not for Okonkwo’s exile he would not have been so demoralized. In his mother tribe, we see him go through a sort of depression, we see this when he remembers he used to be called roaring flame and a flame burns and fizzles out much like him. When he comes back to Umuofia he sees that his village is taken over and begins to believe that his efforts and goals are futile and useless. This takeover of his tribe would not have happened under Okonkwo’s influence due to his brusque and brave nature. Once he sees his tribe is weak he loses his will to be a fighter and he gives up and kills himself.