Character Of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart
The character of 'Okonkwo" plays the role of protagonist in the novel "Things Fall Apart" written by Chinua Achebe. A powerful character who flaunts his prowess in wrestling from his childhood. Despite being a son of a lazy and idle father, Unuoka, he has no hesitation to toil under the harsh sun. He has no respect for his father because he led a wasteful life and died a painful death, probably didn't find a place of burial.
All his life, Okonkwo keeps a thought of humiliation due to his unworthy father who didn't earn even a single title. His hatred against his father's life moulded him to become a hard, arrogant person from his childhood. When he became a respectful person later in his life, he also targets weak or low people who have no titles.
One main characteristic of Okonkwo is his rashness and short-tempered nature. He never talked softly. For minute reasons, he beats his wife and sons but later he regrets internally but he never apologizes. But he is a decent man who loves his family and his village.
He was a great warrior and had led his village in fierce battles with other villages. He was feared by other villages and leaders of Umuofia usually sent him as an ambassador to other villages for the purpose of ending war. He is always eager to fight and terms those as "cowards" who don't share his inclination to fight.
He respects his elders and respected members of the village. His desire is to become the greatest man in his village who holds many titles. He is worried about his son, Nwoye, who he claims, is quite lazy, unlike his Okonkwo. But he shares a bond with her second wife's daughter, Ezinma. He wishes many times that she should have been a boy.
Okonkwo is a part and parcel of patriarchal society. He believes that the female characteristics are the sign of weakness. In his culture, calling a male person "Agbala" is offensive not just because it means a woman, but their whole society is male-centric.
Perhaps, we can't blame Okonkwo for his highly masculine superiority, as a culture affects an individual who is nurtured in it.
Okonkwo is a very egoistic person. Although, the colonial missionaries intrude into his world Okonkwo and like-minded people, from the beginning, watched them with suspicion. He not only believes in their religion but he also watches those people with complete disregard. The blend of his hot-headedness and his old age prevents him to be open to new things, unlike Nwoye who is quite young and young people are flexible to new thoughts.
Moreover, his dignity is most important for him, for he didn't want to be killed by Colonial people, so he took his life himself, saving his pride.
He was a great warrior and had led his village in fierce battles with other villages. He was feared by other villages and leaders of Umuofia usually sent him as an ambassador to other villages for the purpose of ending war. He is always eager to fight and terms those as "cowards" who don't share his inclination to fight.
He respects his elders and respected members of the village. His desire is to become the greatest man in his village who holds many titles. He is worried about his son, Nwoye, who he claims, is quite lazy, unlike his Okonkwo. But he shares a bond with her second wife's daughter, Ezinma. He wishes many times that she should have been a boy.
Okonkwo is a part and parcel of patriarchal society. He believes that the female characteristics are the sign of weakness. In his culture, calling a male person "Agbala" is offensive not just because it means a woman, but their whole society is male-centric.
Perhaps, we can't blame Okonkwo for his highly masculine superiority, as a culture affects an individual who is nurtured in it.
Okonkwo is a very egoistic person. Although, the colonial missionaries intrude into his world Okonkwo and like-minded people, from the beginning, watched them with suspicion. He not only believes in their religion but he also watches those people with complete disregard. The blend of his hot-headedness and his old age prevents him to be open to new things, unlike Nwoye who is quite young and young people are flexible to new thoughts.
Moreover, his dignity is most important for him, for he didn't want to be killed by Colonial people, so he took his life himself, saving his pride.