Smt.
S.B. Gardi Department of English
Assignments
Ø Name:-
Rathod Neha R.
Ø Class:-
M.A. Sem-4
Ø Roll
No:- 28
Ø Year:-
2016-2017
Ø Paper
No:- 14
Ø Topic:- Character of Okonkwo
Introduction
of the writer
Each of my books is different. Deliberately...
I
wanted to create my society, my people, in their fullness”
Chinu
Achebe in” Thing Fall Apart” presents a
different idea of Africans. They have families, religions, honors, music, laws
and farming Techniques. He represents the cultural roots of the Igbo in order
to provide self-confidence. He presents people’s dignity that they lost
during the colonial period . Chinua Achebe broke apart this dominant model with
Things Fall Apart, a novel that portrays Igbo society with specificity and
sympathy and examines the effects of European colonialism from an African
perspective.
No
one could have predicted that this novel, written by an unknown Nigerian, would
one day sell nearly 11 million copies.
Okonkwo:
The beginning
describes Okonkwo's principal accomplishments that establish his important
position in Igbo society. These details alone provide insight into Okonkwo's
character and motivation. Driving himself toward tribal success and
recognition, he is trying to bury the unending shame that he feels regarding
the faults and failures of his late father, Unoka. Essentially, Okonkwo
exhibits qualities of manhood in Igbo society.
Familiar with Western literature and its traditional forms,
Achebe structures Things Fall Apart in the tradition of a
Greek tragedy, with the story centered on Okonkwo, the tragic hero. Aristotle
defined the tragic hero as a character who is superior and noble, one
who demonstrates great courage and perseverance but is undone because of a
tragic personal flaw in his character.
Achebe sets up Okonkwo as a man much respected for his
considerable achievements and noble virtues — key qualities of a tragic hero.
Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his obsession with manliness; His fear of looking weak
like his father drives him to commit irrational acts of violence that undermine
his nobleness. In the chapters ahead, the reader should note the qualities and
actions that begin to reveal the tragic flaw in Okonkwo's otherwise admirable
actions, words, ideas, and relationships with others. At the Achebe foreshadows
the presence of Ikemefuna in Okonkwo's household and also the teenage boy's
ultimate fate by referring to him as a "doomed" and "ill fated
lad."
One of the most significant social markers of Igbo society is
introduced in this chapter — its unique system of honorific titles. Throughout
the book, titles are reference points by which members of Igbo society
frequently compare themselves with one another (especially Okonkwo). These
titles are not conferred by higher authorities, but they are acquired by the
individual who can afford to pay for them. As a man accumulates wealth, he may
gain additional recognition and prestige by "taking a title." He may
also purchase titles for male members of his family (this aspect is revealed
later). In the process of taking a title, the man pays significant initiation
fees to the men who already hold the title.
A Umuofian man can take as many as four titles, each apparently
more expensive than its predecessor. A man with sufficient money to pay the fee
begins with the first level — the most common title — but many men cannot go
beyond the first title. Physical signs, such as an anklet or marks on the feet,
may show each title taken or face, so others can determine who qualifies titles.
The
initiation fees are so large that some writers have referred to the system as a
means for "redistributing wealth." Some Native American tribes of the
Pacific Northwest observe their own version of redistributing wealth through a potlatch
ceremony at which the guests receive gifts from the person gaining the
honor as a show of wealth for others to exceed.
The reader begins to see beliefs and practices of the Igbo
tradition that are particularly significant in the story — for example, the
wide division between masculine and feminine actions and responsibilities.
Respect and success are based on only manly activities and accomplishments;
Taking care of children and hens, on the other hand, are womanly activities.
some important outlook about Okonkow:
Ø
Okonkwo becomes successful in many ways
– he becomes very wealthy, holds a high-ranked position in the community
Ø
Okonkwo is a member of the Igbo people
in the African Country of Nigeria .
Ø
Okonkwo is a wealthy farmer and is well
respected in his clan.
******************
