Gabriella Chavez
English 201
2.
Fatherhood
The problems between Okonkwo and his
father created problems with his son Nwoye because he expected his son to be
strong and not emotional like himself. He did not want his son to be a failure
like Okonkwo’s father Unoka, so he became very abusive towards whenever he
deceived him. When Ikemefuna was murdered he cried and Okonkwo beat him up for
showing weakness.”Nwoye overheard it and burst out into tears, where upon his
father beat him heavily”( Achebe,57) Later on when Nwoye befriends with the
white Christain Missionaries and eventually goes to a school for teaching.
Okonkwo is angry about this and never talks to his son ever again.
The Ending
In
the end of the novel, Things Fall Apart Okonkwo kills himself by hanging
himself on a tree. What leads to him to commit suicide is that his village
changing and Nwoye going off to school is what caused everything. Through out
the whole novel he does not want to be seen as weak and does not want to die a
death without a title, in Umofia that is forbidden. Obierika finds and tells
the district commissioner “The man was one of the greatest men in Umofia. You
drove him to kill himself, and now he will be buried like a dog…”(Achebe,208).
He believes that the missionaries are what causes Okonkwos death and now he
must be buried without a title. Okonkwo did make achievements like starting up
his life when it was nothing after his father died, that’s a big deal. Even
after being exiled for 7 years he came back trying to regain everything he once
had.
Bride Price
In
Things Fall Apart, when the women of Umofia get to a certain age they have many
male suitors buy them with a bride price. They offer many different things to
the girls parents and if it is enough for them they get to marry the daughter.
To us this might seem wrong because were use to meeting someone, falling in
love and eventually getting married, but to Umofia it is very normal to their
culture. One scene in the chapter they all get ready for a women’s wedding, the
mother does all the cooking in prep for it.
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