Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe 's Things Fall Apart is authentic narrative written about life in Nigeria at the turn of the twentieth century. Tribal lifestyle in Nigeria is centered on traditions and culture. A minor character and also a very important character, who demonstrates the opposite of tribal lifestyle but yet gives meaning and life to the themes of the book is Unoka; Okonkwo’s father. Unoka is the most important character because his behavior and how it affects Okonkwo, shows the importance of the themes: greatness and ambition, fear, masculinity/femininity, and fate/religion. Unoka lacked responsibility. He was poor, lazy, and neglectful of his wife, and he did not plan for the future. During his life,
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Unoka had no masculinity at all. “He was a tall but very thin and had a slight stoop. He wore a haggard and mournful look except when he was drinking or playing on his flute.” (Achebe 4). Okonkwo had a strong need to be different from his father. Okonkwo thinks that his father does not show masculinity and therefore he himself grew up being very masculine. No masculinity is equivalent to being a woman, which caused Unoka to have a humiliating reputation. In most cultures an individual’s gender will influence their characterization. For instance, Ibo tribes in Africa classify people according to their gender. Women are thought as lesser individuals who are to some extent weaker, than men. Men on the other hand are thought of as strong beings with much expected from them. “Okonkwo sees it as his duty as a man to be strong, to provide for his family, to be a great warrior and have title within the clan, and to instill all of these values in his children to pass on to future generations.” (Scanlon 1). According to Okonkwo it was better dead then to summit to femininity, any feminine action on a man’s behalf is considered to be humiliating his reputation. “When a man says yes his chi says yes also.” (Achebe 27). The belief that he controls his own fate is of central importance to Okonkwo. “Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi or personal god and evil fortune followed him
Unoka had no masculinity at all. “He was a tall but very thin and had a slight stoop. He wore a haggard and mournful look except when he was drinking or playing on his flute.” (Achebe 4). Okonkwo had a strong need to be different from his father. Okonkwo thinks that his father does not show masculinity and therefore he himself grew up being very masculine. No masculinity is equivalent to being a woman, which caused Unoka to have a humiliating reputation. In most cultures an individual’s gender will influence their characterization. For instance, Ibo tribes in Africa classify people according to their gender. Women are thought as lesser individuals who are to some extent weaker, than men. Men on the other hand are thought of as strong beings with much expected from them. “Okonkwo sees it as his duty as a man to be strong, to provide for his family, to be a great warrior and have title within the clan, and to instill all of these values in his children to pass on to future generations.” (Scanlon 1). According to Okonkwo it was better dead then to summit to femininity, any feminine action on a man’s behalf is considered to be humiliating his reputation. “When a man says yes his chi says yes also.” (Achebe 27). The belief that he controls his own fate is of central importance to Okonkwo. “Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi or personal god and evil fortune followed him