Okonkwo's Culture In Things Fall Apart

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Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a truly well told story about a man who believed that he could make a significant difference in his culture. This book discusses his successes, challenges, and cultural background. The man’s name is Okonkwo, which is a name that will be remembered for years to come. Things Fall Apart not only describes Okonkwo’s journey, but also how his village is affected by what happens and how they react to the situation that they are placed in. (work on it and add more; i'm not done with this paragraph yet)

One way Okonkwo’s power began to fade was through his father. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was in debt, lazy, and unproductive. He was described as a lazy musician who enjoyed partying and drinking Unoka …show more content…
For example, Unoka was a farmer, but he did not do his job with pride or effort. In Things Fall Apart, Unoka’s character is predominantly mentioned in the beginning of the story’s plot, and the reader can tell right away that Okonkwo is not proud of who his father has become, let alone who he is as a man. “Unoka, the grown-up, was a failure. He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat…” (5) This quote shows how the village, and especially Okonkwo, viewed Unoka, for it shows how Unoka did not care about his job or family. It also portrays that as a grown man in the village, it was expected of you to have wives and own a wealthy farm. Unoka failed at achieving both of those standards. Okonkwo decided that he would be different from his father, meaning that he would be stronger, better, and become more powerful than Unoka. To do this, he needed to boost his image in the village; and to succeed, the first step was to overthrow the power, also known …show more content…
He went into exile because he killed a young boy at a funeral. The killing of this boy was an accident and Okonkwo meant no harm to him or anyone. Many were at the funeral, so there were many interpretations of what happened. Many now saw Okonkwo as a threat, not as a leader. Also, the British and village people perceived this action as a purposeful murder. Uchendu, Okonkwo’s uncle, believed that killing a brother of a clansman was a sin against the earth, when in this situation, it was an accident. “All was silent. In the center of the crowd a boy lay in a pool of blood. It was the dead man’s sixteen-year old son, who with his brothers and half brothers had been dancing the traditional farewell to their father. Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced the boy’s heart” (124). This quote is very touching because it describes how people felt, and what events had occurred. It was a very sad time and it displayed a surplus of emotion. After seven years in exile, Okonkwo started to lose his persona of being strong, and instead became weak. When he finally returned, nobody was excited or happy at his return, and no one appreciated him anymore. Since he was gone for such a long period of time, the people of the village gave up on the probability of his return and moved on to other hopes. He was confused by the villagers’ reaction for he thought the people would praise him and ask for
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