Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Essay - 1740 Words

In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the setting sets forth in Umofia, a lower Nigerian Tribe and Mbanta, Okonkwo’s mother’s kinsmen. The novel begins with a man, whose name is Okonkwo, a noble warrior, resides in Umofia, with his three wives and nine children. Okonkwo is haunted by his father, Unoka’s disgraceful past. Okonkwo desires his son to be a tough, powerful warrior. Thus, this being said causes havoc upon Okonkwo’s families, tearing Nwoye and Okonkwo apart. Meanwhile, missionaries visit the nine villages convincing the villagers to believe their religion and abandon their own beliefs and traditions. After many events occurred, the novel comes to an abrupt end with tragedy and uncertainty. The marvelous author,†¦show more content†¦He fears his son is a reflection of his spendthrift father. For example, â€Å"People laughed at him because he is a loafer, and they swore never to lend him anymore money because he never paid b ack.† (pg. 5) With this being known among Umofia, the villagers swore to never trust Unoka with dowry circumstances. For this reason enough, Okonkwo is ashamed of his father. Okonkwo desires his son, Nwoye to become a great, noble warrior of Umofia, unlike his own father. â€Å"He wanted Nwoye to grow into a tough young man capable of ruling his father’s household when he was dead and gone to join the ancestors.† (pg. 52) Okonkwo is tough on Nwoye, in order for him to grow to be a noble warrior, as he is. â€Å"At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating.† (pg. 14) Okonkwo desired his son to be a warrior, however, he decides beating and hitting is the best options for Nwoye grow to become a strong and hardworking warrior. Haunted by his father’s past, Okonkwo commits a murder, forcing him to flee Umofia by returning to his motherland, Mbanta. Okonkwo must remain in exile among his m otherland, Mbanta for seven years before he returns to his fatherland, Umofia. â€Å"Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced the boy’s heart.† (pg. 124) Thus, confirming the blood on his hands once Okonkwo murdered the boy’s lonesome heart. â€Å"Why should a man suffer forShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1601 Words   |  7 Pagesbelieved they were bringing positive changes and good deeds to the locals from an Imperialistic point of view, the majority of natives were affected by the political, cultural, religious, and economic changes which are depicted in the Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart. The novel primarily focuses on small villages such as Umuofia village in southern Nigeria, and the native’s first and prolonged contacts with the British expansionism or missionaries. 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Rich or poor, young or old, black, red or white, the motive is helping those with a need. As Chinua Achebe points out in his book, Things Fall Apart, though there is the aspiration to lend a hand, it can sometimes become deadly, and even fatal to the lives of people. Although the missionaries try help convert the Ibo villageRead More Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart  Ã‚  Ã‚   Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man. Okonkwos father, Unoka, was a failure, a loafer, and People laughed at him (1426). This would bring great shame to any man as it did for Okonkwo