Okonkwo Sympathy

In the story of Things Fall Apart, the emotional understanding of one man in the Igbo culture is put to the test. Okonkwo is a man of many words: strength, courage, power etc. He is known in his clan for being one of the strongest men, both physically and mentally. Sympathy is not something many describe Okonkwo as, but they are wrong. Okonkwo is a sympathetic character as it can be seen through other characters such as his second wife Ekwefi and her daughter Ezinma, but also a boy named Ikemefuna. Okonkwo has a deep love for his daughter Ezinma and his second wife Ekwefi. After Ekwefi had born nine children that had all died she finally had Ezinma who lived past what was expected. Ezinma is where Ekwefi had put all her love, Ekwefi would
let nothing happen to Ezinma and neither would Okonkwo. One night Agbala, a priestess, had come for Ezinma and “Okonkwo pleaded with her to come back in the morning because Ezinma was now asleep”(Achebe 100). First off, Okonkwo never pleads and the fact that he did just because Ezinma was asleep illustrates how much he loves his daughter. Later on Ekwefi decided to follow the Agbala because she was very worried. After an entire night of walking as she was waiting Okonkwo came and said “‘Go home and sleep’... ‘I shall wait here’” (Achebe 108). This action emphasizes the way Okonkwo feels because he not only cares about his daughter, but he knows how his wife feels and wants to help and support her. Afterall, actions speak louder than words. Besides his family he also loved someone else, Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna was part of a trade between clans, and Okonkwo was put in charge of watching him. After a few weeks Okonkwo was already very fond of the child he would go “to big village meetings or communal ancestral feasts he allowed Ikemefuna to accompany him, like a son” (Achebe 28). Okonkwo treating Ikemefuna shows how much he actually loved the boy because he took him in as one of his own even when he didn’t have to treat him like a son. Far more into the book there have been orders to kill Ikemefuna. After his death “Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after the death of Ikemefuna” (Achebe 63). This is a crucial moment for Okonkwo because it shows that he is sympathetic and is able to grieve even though he is always emotionless. Okonkwo is truly hurt by the death of his ‘son’ that he will not even eat food. This is a clear sign that he is not, in fact, emotionless. He is a sympathetic person. All of these actions that Okonkwo has shown all lead to one conclusion. He is a sympathetic character. This can be seen as his character develops from showing emotion to his wife and daughter to taking in a boy who wasn’t his and loving him. Okonkwo is sympathetic and he has the love of his family to prove it.