Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Essay Example for Free

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe EssayThis is the story of Okonkwo, a renowned warrior and wrestler, who lives in the Ibo village of Umuofia in Nigeria, Africa. Respected by the elders of his clan, he hopes to become an elder himself someday. Due to his relationship with his father, Okonkwo has a hardened heart and thus, his actions throughout the fable are g all overned by anger and fear.Okonkwo, (per African tradition), has three wives and many children. He is prosperous and successful at the renderning of the story, but his heart does not soften. As a result, he makes many mistakes and is at long last exiled from his clan for seven years.While Okonkwo is away from Umuofia, white missionaries settle in his clans village and begin to preach Christianity. The tribe begins to change, especially its younger members, and when Okonkwo returns from exile, he sees the changes and attempts to reverse them. He struggles against the new laws of the white man and relations between the clan and the whites deteriorate until things at last reach a crescendo.Okonkwos fear Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a story of a man whose life is dominated by his fears. there are many subtle themes throughout this book. One theme that cries out over the rest is Okonkwos, the main character, fear of weakness as seen through his childhood, his oldest son, and eventually his death. Since his childhood, Okonkwo was ashamed of his father, In his day he (Unoka) was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow(p.4). By the standard of his clan, Unoka was a coward and squanderer. When he was a child, a boy called Okonkwos father an agbala. This word means woman as well as a man who has no title. His slackness left numerous debts unpaid at his death.Ashamed of his father, Okonkwo worked hard and fought well to gain a reputation of high status and influence in his clan. He acquired three wives, one whom gave him his first son. Okonkwos firs t wife, whose name is never mentioned, gave birth to his first son, Nwoye. Okonkwo saw Nwoye weak and lazy from an early age. For this, Nwoye was beaten constantly. Okonkwo was exceedingly demanding of his family because of his obsession not to be exchangeable his father. He mistook this behavior as masculinity. He wished his son were a promising, manly son like his friend Obierikas son, Maduka, who was also a great fighter.One night the town of Umuofia was told that someone in Mbaino had killed one of their daughters. The woman was Ugbeufi Udos wife. The blood price for the murder was a virgin and young man to Umuofia. The virgin was given to Ugbeufi Udo as his wife. They did not know what to do with the young boy, Ikemefuna. Okonkwo was asked on behalf of the clan to take care of the boy. Secretly, Okonkwo grew lovesome of Ikemefuna, Even Okonkwo himself became very fond of the boy- indoors of course. Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger(p. 28). Ikemefuna lived with Okonkwo and his family for three years until the time came when the Oracle said that Ikemefuna had to be killed.Okonkwo was warned not to have any part in killing the boy who called him father. He ignored this and upon returning sank into a deep depression which kindled the wo inside of him. Not only the death of Ikemefuna, but also the accidental killing of Ogbeufi Ezeudus son, which gets Okonkwo and his family exiled for seven years, aides in his depression. To atone for the killing of his clansmens son, Okonkwo and his family were cast out of Umuofia and were forced to go live with his mothers clan in Mbanta. In their second year a group of six missionaries traveled to Mbanta and tried to persuade the people from their false gods of wood and stone to the one true God. They captured Nwoye and he later joined their congregation.When Okonkwo was informed of the news he strangled Nwoye in anger. He questioned how he could have fathered such a weak son. At t he end of the seven-year exile, Okonkwo was able to return home. However, the church had taken over Umuofia also. Nothing was the same. Okonkwo refused to integrate with the new visitors. He thought that the clans failure to remove them was womanly. Almost happy again, Okonkwo began to accept the new Umuofia. because the leaders of the clan, including Okonkwo, were taken for ransom by the church. Deeply angered by what was happening, Okonkwo killed one of the leaders at a coming together.The pacification of Okonkwos clan is what blue him. He knew his clan would not go to war. This desire to act violently all goes back to his fathers lack of desire. In the end the wildness settled on Okonkwo, when he hung himself. In conclusion, all these aspects his childhood, his first son and Ikemefuna, and his death contribute in explaining Okonkwos fear of weakness. Okonkwos life was controlled by his fears. He valued the success of his family and the community with his own success. If Nwoye was weak it was because he had failed as a father. The pacification of the town was a reflection of Okonkwos failures, he thought. Not being able to control those events, Okonkwo, out of desperation or either out of the pride in his manhood or perhaps both, killed himself.In spite of Okonkwos beginnings in poverty and misfortune, he has risen as one of the most respected elders of the clan. Yet others remark on how harshly he deals with men less successful than himself. For example, at a meeting to discuss the next ancestral feast, Osugoa man without titlescontradicts Okonkwo, who in turn insults Osugo by declaring the meeting are for men. When others at the meeting side with Osugo, Okonkwo apologizes.Okonkwos hard-earned success is evident because the clan chooses Okonkwo to carry the war ultimatum to their enemy, the enemy treats him with great respect in the negotiations, and the elders read Okonkwo to care for Ikemefuna until they decide what to do with him. Once the young man is entrusted to Okonkwos care, the rest of the clan forgets him for three years.At first, Ikemefuna is very unhappyhe misses his mother and sister, he tries to run away, and he wont eat. afterward Okonkwo threatens to beat him, Ikemefuna finally eats, but then vomits and becomes ill for twelve days. As he recovers, he seems to lose his fear and sadness. Ikemefuna has become very popular in Okonkwos house, especially with Nwoye and the other children. To them, he seems to know everything and can make useful things like flutes, rodent traps, and bows. Even Okonkwo has inwardly become fond of Ikemefuna, but he does not show affectiona womanly sign of weakness. He treats Ikemefuna with a heavy hand, as he does other members of his family, although he allows Ikemefuna to accompany him like a son to meetings and feasts, carrying his stool and his bag. Ikemefuna calls Okonkwo father.During the annual Week of Peace just in the beginning planting time, tradition permits no one in the villa ge to speak a harsh word to another person. One day during this week, Okonkwos youngest wife, Ojiugo, goes to a friends house to braid her hair, and she forgets to prepare Okonkwos afternoon meal and feed her children. When Ojiugo returns, Okonkwo beats her severely. Even when he is reminded of the ban on violence, he doesnt stop the beating. Because Okonkwos violation of peace can jeopardize the whole villages crops, the priest of the earth goddess orders Okonkwo to make offerings at his shrine. Although Okonkwo inwardly regrets his great evil, he never admits to an error. His offensive breaking of the peace and the priests mild punishment are talked about in the village.After the sacred week, the farmers of the village begin to plant their harvest. Okonkwo allows Ikemefuna and Nwoye to help him collect, count, and prepare the seed-yams for planting, though he continually finds fault with their efforts. He believes that he is simply helping them check the difficult and manly art o f seed-yam preparation. Soon, the rainy season begins and the planting takes place, followed by the intense period of care for the young plants. During the resting time between planting and harvest, the knowledge between Ikemefuna and Nwoye grows even stronger.Reference* Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe