Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe- 5 Meaningful Quotes Revolving Around Okonkwo Essay Sample

In the essay Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. there are five meaningful quotation marks that revolve around Okonkwos position during his life. In the beginning of the fresh Okonkwo became an of import portion of his small town early in his life when he defeated Amaline the Cat in a wrestle lucifer. His triumph made him a famous person among the nine small towns of Umuofia because Amaline had been undefeated for seven old ages. At this point. Okonkwo began on the way to high societal position among his small town. which was his end throughout his life.

The first quotation mark that the storyteller metaphorically describes is how great position can be achieved at a immature age. Age was respected among his people. but accomplishment was revered. As the seniors said. if a kid washed his custodies he could eat with male monarchs. Okonkwo had clearly washed his custodies and so he ate with Kings and seniors. ( Chapter 1 Pg. 8 ) This quotation mark implies that Okonkwo worked really hard at a immature age to be able to eat with the seniors. Age respected among his people means that the older a individual is. the more regard he will achieve. However. Okonkwo was non old at all so he focused on achieving that same regard through agencies of accomplishments.

Therefore by achieving much award at a immature age. Okonkwo will derive even more value as he gets older. So when Okonkwo was older. the seniors of Okonkwo’s small town held him in high regard. Due to his topographic point in society. they entrusted him with the life of a male child sacrificed to them by the people of a adjacent small town as a peace offer. Although Okonkwo has reached a high topographic point in his community. this quotation mark besides reveals that Okonkwo strived to go a adult male every bit fast as he could therefore he must hold non had much of a childhood. This could besides explicate why Okonkwo was so rough toward others including his kids and married womans. However. the root of his losing childhood was because of his male parent.

Okonkwos male parent was known as Unoka. Okonkwo hated his male parent because he was a lazy debitor. Unoka could ne’er afford to buy a rubric for himself or to hold more than one married woman. and so he was looked down upon by his neighbours and his ain boy because his primary joy was in music and merry-making instead than work. wealth. and warfare. The people of Okonkwos small town called Unoka an agbala. which is an abuse for naming a adult male a adult female. When Okonkwo heard this term. he was crushed because to him that meant that his male parent ( who had no rubric ) was fundamentally a adult female. That’s when Okonkwo became obsessed with societal position and because of that compulsion ; he would make anything to protect his image as a strong adult male in his small town. Through his fright of his male parents passivity in life. Okonkwo did everything against what his male parent did. Thus alternatively of going lazy and gentle. Okonkwo transformed himself into a hardworking and aggressive adult male. Unoka even looks up to Okonkwo when he has attained regard. “You have a manfully and a proud bosom. A proud bosom can last general failure because such a failure does non prick its pride. It is more hard and more acrimonious when a adult male fails entirely. ” ( Chapter 3. Pg. 25 )

This shows that Okonkwo was a great adult male so. His pride and self-control has made him into a existent adult male with a strong bosom. Unoka tells his Okonkwo he is strong because Unoka himself is weak and has experienced neglecting entirely. Using the words more hard and more acrimonious shows that although it is wrong grammar. Unoka magnifies the look even further by fundamentally stating if one has failed entirely. it is really hard and possibly apparently impossible to acquire back up. Okonkwo vowed. possibly non cognizing it. that he would ne’er go like his male parent and neglect entirely. but alternatively strive to be the best so that when he fails everyone else around him will neglect every bit good. Therefore whatever Okonkwo could non make was by and large non a bad thing to look upon since cipher else could make better.

A adult males position in Okonkwos small town is extremely valued. Okonkwo was determined ne’er to make anything his male parent did. Okonkwo would ne’er demo failing or his defects in fright of being seen as his male parent. This finding is exemplified when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna. the immature male child that was sacrificed from the other small town in order to maintain peace. Okonkwo showed great involvement in Ikemefuna and treated him like his boy. However. Ikemefuna was boy from another small town sacrificed to maintain peace. therefore shortly there came a clip when Ikemefuna had to decease. The storyteller shows that Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna. The pot fell and broke in the sand. He heard Ikemefuna call. My male parent. they have killed me! as he ran towards him.

Dazed with fright. Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak. ( Chapter 7 Pg. 61 ) Although Okonkwo loved Ikemefuna and had much fondness for him. Okonkwo was forced to go forth all of his emotions behind in order to kill Ikemefuna and non be seen as a weak adult male who could non kill another adult male. Okonkwo showed no clemency as he was blinded by his fright of his male parents submissive attitude. Oknokwo had to protect his position as a true warrior in his kin and if he was non able to murder Ikemefuna. so Okonkwo fears that he might be called an agbala merely like Unoka. Okonkwos male parent. This quotation mark besides shows that Oknokwo is willing to give virtually everything in order to maintain his high rank among his folk.

For two yearss after Ikemefuna died. Okonkwo did non eat. He was uneasy about killing the male child. but he tried to disregard his guilt because it wouldn’t be manfully to make otherwise. Okonkwo is still really determined to maintain his position in his small town and does really hard non to demo his emotions. Disappointed with himself. Okonkwo ponders. “‘When did you go a shaky old adult female. ’ Okonkwo asked himself. ‘you. who are known in all the nine small towns for your heroism in war? How can a adult male who has killed five work forces in conflict autumn to pieces because he has added a male child to their figure? Okonkwo. you have become a adult female so. ‘” ( Chapter 8. Pg. 65 ) Although Okonkwo is a pitiless adult male and unforgiving. he still has his weaknesses no affair how hard he tried to acquire rid of them. This proves that Okonkwo is still a adult male as simple like any other and that he has feelings under all of his accomplishments.

In an attempt to deviate his ideas. Okonkwo went to see his friend. Obierika. While they are speaking. Okonkwo asks why Obierika did non travel with the seniors to kill Ikemefuna. and Obierika says that although he respected the Oracle’s direction to kill the male child. he did non desire to take portion in it. He points out that Okonkwo would hold done good to remain out of it. excessively. because such an action as killing person who considers you his male parent will displease the Earth. Of class Okonkwo did non see this because he is excessively obsessed with his pride and place in his folk.

One twenty-four hours in Okonkwos small town a adult male called Ezeudu had merely died. Ezeudu had been such an of import adult male to Umuofia. cannons were changeable and rifles fired in his award. During one such salutation. Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and killed a immature male child in the center of the funeral crowd. Although Okonkwo’s offense was inadvertent in nature. he was forced to fly from his place because killing a clanswoman was a offense against the Earth goddess. Okonkwo took his household to Mbanta. His kinsmen at that place receive them with unfastened weaponries and assist them re-start their lives and digest the seven old ages off from place. Okonkwo seemed defeated because life in expatriate was like get downing all over from abrasion. The storyteller puts it as cognition merely attained when 1 is immature. “It was like get downing life afresh without the energy and enthusiasm of young person. like larning to go left-handed in old age. ” ( Chapter 14 Pg. 113 )

All the work that he had put into developing his position among his small town was erased now. and he was forced to get down once more. While keeping position was easy plenty. Okonkwo much prove during his seven old ages in expatriate that he is the best of the best. The metaphoric quotation mark shows that Okonkwo is determined to reconstruct or larn but it will be really hard because most of his clip had been spent on keeping that position alternatively of constructing it. However. although Okonkwo has been rather damaged psychologically. he managed to populate through the expatriate and acquire his household back to Umuofia. Okonkwo regretted his expatriate chiefly because it stunted his societal growing. Although he grew rapidly and prospered in Mbanta. his advancement there intend nil because it did non increase his stature in his native small town.

Okonkwos position was rather centered throughout the novel. Through these quotation marks Okonkwo position is exemplified and his compulsion of keeping that high rank is seen. Through the fright of his male parents passiveness. Okonkwo was driven to endeavor and accomplish great achievements. His finding ne’er faltered one time. which is seen particularly when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna. All in all. position is extremely regarded in Umuofia and without it one is awfully looked down upon.

Beginning Used:

Thingss Fall Apart. Chinua AchebePublisher: Anchor ( September 1. 1994 ) Language: English