Okonkwo's Childhood In Things Fall Apart
Experiences play an extremely important role in the development of a person. They offer an explanation as to why people turn out a certain way. Take identical twins, for example. They have the exact same genes and every part of their biological makeup is identical. Logically, because of their identical DNA, they should have the exact same beliefs and make parallel decisions as they grow up. However, identical twins do not grow up to be the exact same person. When they grow up, two separate individuals grow from their same genetics. The sole factor that causes their differences is their experiences. Without undergoing different situations, identical twins would have identical personalities. Their experiences shape them into who they are and
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He becomes a victim as the experiences of his youth turns him into a poorly acting adult. While Okonkwo’s villainous tendencies exist in abundance in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a victim of his harsh childhood which causes him to hate everyone and everything that fits his perception of unsuccessful and weak,while developing a self-concept that revolves directly around weath and strength.
Because of Okonkwo’s harsh childhood, Okonkwo grows up with the notion that being unsuccessful is the worst possible fate as his self-concept develops around the idea of affluence. As a child, Okonkwo grows up poor and all he knows are the hardships of his father. Specifically, “He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer... ”(5). As a result of his poverty, Okonkwo believes that everything unsuccessful is automatically terrible. This rough childhood in which his father had no money or titles victimizes Okonkwo because it makes him grow up with the belief that the only way to live a fulfilling life is to be …show more content…
For Okonkwo, weakness exists in any situation in which there is an absence of strength. During Okonkwo's childhood, his way out of poverty is wrestling. As a teen, Okonkwo is the first person to ever beat the great “Cat”. (CITE). As a result, his fame spreads like wildfire across Umofia. After society glorifies his wrestling, Okonkwo comes to an understanding that in order for him to succeed, he always has to be the strongest person. Unfortunately, Okonkwo's self-concept comes to include an exaggerated idea of strength. He learns to think of himself as a man full of machismo who believes he is the strongest person of his time. He assumes what makes him, him is that he is a strong and manly. He is revered for being the strongest wrestler, but that causes him to believe that he always has to be the strongest person in order to keep succeeding. In terms of self-concept, The individual self consists of “attributes and personality traits that differentiates us from other individuals” (Kendra). For Okonkwo, he believes what made him different from others is his extreme strength. Through this, Okonkwo learns to hate weakness because he believes the only way to succeed is through brute force. He views weakness as a threat to everything he ever hopes to become. In his adulthood, his childhood directly influences his
He becomes a victim as the experiences of his youth turns him into a poorly acting adult. While Okonkwo’s villainous tendencies exist in abundance in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a victim of his harsh childhood which causes him to hate everyone and everything that fits his perception of unsuccessful and weak,while developing a self-concept that revolves directly around weath and strength.
Because of Okonkwo’s harsh childhood, Okonkwo grows up with the notion that being unsuccessful is the worst possible fate as his self-concept develops around the idea of affluence. As a child, Okonkwo grows up poor and all he knows are the hardships of his father. Specifically, “He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer... ”(5). As a result of his poverty, Okonkwo believes that everything unsuccessful is automatically terrible. This rough childhood in which his father had no money or titles victimizes Okonkwo because it makes him grow up with the belief that the only way to live a fulfilling life is to be …show more content…
For Okonkwo, weakness exists in any situation in which there is an absence of strength. During Okonkwo's childhood, his way out of poverty is wrestling. As a teen, Okonkwo is the first person to ever beat the great “Cat”. (CITE). As a result, his fame spreads like wildfire across Umofia. After society glorifies his wrestling, Okonkwo comes to an understanding that in order for him to succeed, he always has to be the strongest person. Unfortunately, Okonkwo's self-concept comes to include an exaggerated idea of strength. He learns to think of himself as a man full of machismo who believes he is the strongest person of his time. He assumes what makes him, him is that he is a strong and manly. He is revered for being the strongest wrestler, but that causes him to believe that he always has to be the strongest person in order to keep succeeding. In terms of self-concept, The individual self consists of “attributes and personality traits that differentiates us from other individuals” (Kendra). For Okonkwo, he believes what made him different from others is his extreme strength. Through this, Okonkwo learns to hate weakness because he believes the only way to succeed is through brute force. He views weakness as a threat to everything he ever hopes to become. In his adulthood, his childhood directly influences his