I. Introduction: Thesis Statement: "Everything Falls Apart" is about a struggle between change and tradition, as the protagonist Okonkwo undergoes many cultural conflicts that lead to his final downfall.
II "His whole life was marked by fear, fear of failure and weakness."
- To be considered a woman.
- become your father.
- Having an unproductive life and an ignominious death.
third "When a man says yes, his chi says yes too."
- Gain status and respect.
- He doesn't want to borrow seeds, but he does anyway.
- He started his farm before the townspeople.
IV "Okonkwo's chi is not made for great things."
- sent into exile.
- very proud
- terrible temper.
Family relations of V. Okonkwo.
- He put his culture before his family.
- He abuses his son.
- He abuses his wives.
MOUNTAIN RANGE. University Degree. Okonwo's pride and fear drive him to condemn himself.
in Chinua Achebethings fall apartThe reader glimpses the culture of a member of an African tribe and how his ideals influence his concept of identity in the face of cultural change.things fall apartit is a struggle between change and tradition, as the protagonist Okonkwo suffers many cultural conflicts that lead to his final downfall.
Achebe wrote of Okonkwo: "His whole life was marked by fear, fear of failure and weakness." Three examples of this fear are the fear of being seen as effeminate, the fear of becoming your parent, and the fear of becoming a parent. lead an unproductive and shameful life. Ikemefuna's death is an example of Okonkwo's immense fear of being seen as effeminate is an example of his fear of weakness and failure, as the point of his culture is to be perceived as masculine, and to be perceived as effeminate is to be perceived as effeminate. like weak. and at the same time failing in his central objective of culture. This situation is mentioned in the text when the author says: “It made him feel like an adult; and they no longer spent the nights in the Mother's hut while she cooked, but sat with Okonkwo in his obi...” (p. 45). Though she embraces her son and tries hard to get him to sell himself as a woman, she fails, ultimately playing a role in the boy's execution. In many ways, Okonkwo's success can be seen as a product of his fear of weakness and failure. Another example of her fear of weakness is not her fear of work, but her fear of weakness and failure in relation to her father and her desire to never be like him. As mentioned in the text, Okonkwo's father was lazy and carefree. The man was reputed to be "poor, and his wife and children had enough to eat ... they swore never to lend him again because he never paid him back". so powerful that it ends up becoming the determining factor that makes him successful and the main cause of his failure with his family. Okonkwo's greatest fear can be attributed to his relationship with his father, but also to his relationship with his culture, as what he fears most is suffering an unproductive life and an ignominious death. These fears fueled Okonkwo and allowed him to develop the skills he needed to succeed.
Three examples that led to or explained Okonkwo's success are his obsession with gaining status, his refusal to accept handouts, and his desire to be the first to enter adulthood at a young age. For Okonkwo, success is based on acquiring and growing materials and their power. Okonkwo starts working hard to gain status and respect. He says: “I started taking care of myself at an age when most people were still nursing at their mother's breast. If you give me yam seeds, I won't let you down” (21). Okonkwo's obsession with success becomes an important part of his character throughout the novel and can be credited as a key trait contributing to his success. This obsession manifested itself in many materialistic ways. An example of the values that drive Okonkwo's success is that he doesn't want to borrow seeds of great wealth, but strives to start harvesting early. His ambitions to start farming at a young age led him to grow up at a young age and gain an advantage in his life-enhancing status in his tribe before his peers. The three qualities demonstrated by Okonkwo make it clear why he achieved success in his tribe. Achebe makes it clear that "Okonkwo's desirelicehe is not "made for great things", which ultimately becomes the cause of his failure.
Three examples of why Okonkwo's actions led to his failure are his exile, his pride, and his inability to control his temper. The fact that Okonkwo is in exile is an example of his ultimate failure. Basically, he's sent to cut off a man's head, but when he's exiled for seven years, he's never the same. Okonkwo's biggest tragic flaw, which led to his downfall, is his pride. Ultimately, pride is the quality that leads to suicide. He is arrogant with his impatience and expectations that others will not be as successful as his pride makes him feel hypocritical. Okonkwo has established himself as a self-made man and this makes him impatient with others who do not have the same status. For example, when meeting tribal elders, you will consciously refer to a man as a woman and say, "This meeting is for men." that way. However, Okonkwo had to apologize to him. Another flaw Okonkwo has that leads to failure is his temper. Okonkwo is very strict and critical of his son Nwoye for following in his footsteps. Okonkwo fears that Nwoye is a failure, so he allows his temper to get the better of him due to his fear of him and mistreats his son. He is also violent towards his women due to his temper and fear of losing authority over them. He finally breaks Peace Week rules when he beats his wife for not bringing him dinner. Okonkwo's combination of pride and uncontrollable temper led to his decision to commit suicide after returning from a 7-year exile, but his failures also contribute to many of the conflicts he has with his family.
Achebe wrote that Oknonkwo had conflicts or problems in his family relationships. Examples of this can be seen in Okonkwo's family interactions. An example of Okonkwo's conflict with his family is the fact that he allowed his son Ikemefuna to be sentenced to death and subsequently participated in the executions, despite resisting the decision simply out of fear of appearing weak. It's an example of how he put his culture above his family. Another example that can be seen is how Okonkwos treat their family members harshly out of fear. You can definitely see this in his son Nwoye who he sees as lazy. Okonkwo considers his own excellent work ethic admirable and powerful, while he sees Nwoye as "degenerate and effeminate" (133). The most recent example can be seen in how Okonkwo viewed his personal role in his family. The text states that Okonkov believed: "No matter how rich a man was, if he could not rule his wives and children (and especially his wives), he was not really a man" (45). Okonkwo is afraid of losing control of his family and being seen as weak by his wives, so he occasionally abuses them to compensate for this fear. So deep is Okonkwo's obsession that he believes that loss of respect in his family will lead to loss of respect in the community. Okonkwo's perspective on what it meant to be a man carried over into his relationships with his children and wives, leading to him being set apart from his family and as a father and husband due to his own standards of respect.
Summing up the conflicts Okonkwo faces in the bookthings fall apartthey are partly a product of his own work and partly a product of the cultural transition from what he knows to something new. She dedicates her life to gaining status and power within a culture that Christina's settlers are stealing from her. The stories focus on their personal evolution of identity within a pre-colonial to a post-colonial society. The reader is free to interpret all the fears, values, failures and successes that Okonkwo embodies, which ultimately lead him to suicide during this transition.
References:
"Okonkwo's Fall In: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe" WriteWork.com. WriteWork.com, November 26, 2009. Web. October 10, 2012.