Pride And Manhood In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

“ If you don’t like my story write your own”- Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe a man who wanted to speak for himself on his own culture. The main character Okonkwo is known in his village for his fierceness, and honor. He goes through his life pretending not to care about much, and giving off a manly facade. The reality was that he was afraid of being the same man his father had been his entire life. When his village is almost unrecognizable due to culture clash, and new leaders villagers look to him to lead the way. After very little efforts he commits suicide. In doing so he is now looked at as the same coward he feared being, and no matter how hard he tried was just like his father in the end. Throughout the novel Chinua Achebe shows the reader that
Pride, and manhood were two traits that were very important to Okonkwo. He wanted to be viewed as a proud man, and wanted his sons to be perceived in the same light. His flawed relationship with his father directly affected his belief of what it was to be a “man”. He was known for being wasteful, lethargic, and for that reason he didn’t view these qualities fit for a man. His idea of being a man often correlated to violent actions, and aggression. He often did not think about things before acting ignorantly, and letting anger be his only visible emotion. He even refers to the clansmen who have adopted into the new cultures and religion as women, and weaklings for not standing ground and battling the new terms. Okonkwo’s “masculine” views, and actions are products of the insecurities he has within himself. He is so afraid of being viewed as a coward that it caused him to act out in hostility. This point also relates this theme to the previous one mentioned, as his insecurity, and manhood is a direct result of him trying to avoid who he is, and his true