Okonkwo Character Analysis
What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? What does he represent or is symbolic of?
Okonkwo is the main character of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo symbolises the old original cultural ideas of the Igbo culture. Despite Oknokwo being the main character of Things Fall Apart, he is an also an influential person and he is a clan leader, he also beat the most active wrestler who remained undefeated until he came across Okonkwo, he also he has an intense fear into ending up like his father “Unoka” which left an impact onto Okonkwo into becoming a very aggressive man he is, he is hardworking and is able to provide for his family, he even becomes very god-like when around people, as he does as he also pleases if it meant beating his wives and making them and his children weep during the famous Igbo culture holiday, the week of peace. Unfortunately, a plot twist occurred at the end of Achebe’s novel when Okonkwo kills himself, this action is known to be a very shameful way of death in the Igbo culture. Okonkwo ends up being buried by the strangers he despises than being buried by his own people. In my perspective, when Okonkwo died, so did the old Igbo culture.
Okonkwo represents the flaws in the Igbo society even before the missionaries arrived at Umofia or Africa in general. Okonkwo was powerful, feared and cursed by all people, respected too. I believe that this novel is portrayed by Achebe’s idea of the British colonisation and Okonkwo’s falling Igbo culture, Achebe demonstrates how the local Igbo people were not uncivil lazed, but they had their own beliefs and laws. However, the actions of the Igbo culture would be seen inhumane (only the flaws of course). Moreover, Okonkow represents the tragic hero archetype and displays fatal flaws that not only make himself more relatable to the audience but show traits that should be opposed in the real world. His fears guided his life which just ended up to his unfortunate tragic downfall and end.
How does Okonkwo’s character contribute to big ideas?
Okonkwo’s contribution to the big ideas of this story is to show how the Igbo people and culture had not had built a perfect society before the Christian missionaries have arrived. He repsenets all the faults that already existed and embodies them and that made him Okonkwo. Okonkwo really did show the readers of the novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ that there was no perfect society even if the British had not set foot in Africa (Umofia). We can see then that Okonkwos struggle begins earlier in the story, and that the Igbo culture would not have lived properly for any longer, with or without the colonials arriving.
I agree with what you said in this post, with Okonkwo representing the old ideals of Igbo culture and that his death represented the death of those ideals as well. As well as the pre-existing flaws and what he contributes to the big ideas of the story.
ReplyDeleteI think what you could do better is further explain your ideas. You said what you think he represents and is symbolic of, but I didn't feel like there was enough evidence through out the post to support the things you were saying. I can probably guess but someone who hasn't read the book can't.
My last point is not as important but I still wanted to say it which is that you have a lot of run on sentences. The response to your first question is just three sentences when you could make it at least 6.
I enjoyed reading your blog. The fact that you caught the main idea of the text of how Okonkwo is the embodiment of the lgbo culture, and that as he died so did said culture was a very important statement to make. Yet still, I see you repeating this statement throughout the blog post somewhat often. There's no real need for that. I also noticed that you set your ideas, and the importance of Okonkwo as a character in general in the novel, but also notice that you would need more explanations as to why he resembles said beliefs. It might make sense in your head, but not everyone else's.
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