Things Fall Apart

In the novel Things Fall Apart we’re presented with the character of Unoka, who lived in a lower Nigerian tribe that is part of a nine-section connected village, Iguedo. Unoka can be described as a free spirit someone who lived their life listening to the wind and being one with nature a trait that to many seemed weak. Unoka was a man who could not stand the sight of blood making him an awful warrior, a very much respected role in his community. He was inconsistent borrowing and losing money, which lead to his wife and children often going hungry “In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow. If any money came his way, and it was seldom did, he immediately brought gourds of palm-wine…” (Achebe chapter …show more content…
He was actually an extremely talented flute player and had a love for language. Culture is something very important in society, the way we’re influenced our surroundings is something that we later carry on to our predecessors. So, if something is seen as taboo in a certain culture we seem to distant ourselves as much as we can which is what we see with the character of Okonkwo. These points are essential to the novels storyline because, it is Unokas ways that leads his son Okonkwo to want to completely detach himself from his father. Okonkwo sees anything that is weak or feminine like as a complete disgrace, something unbearable. He is very black and white, women are meant to be weak and comprise to what men say and men have to be responsible and strong. This is an explanation to why the relationship between Okonkwo and his eldest son Nwoye and his eldest daughter Ezinma is so contradicting. We see how Okonkwo has a close to hatred or feeling of resentment for his son, but an almost accepting attitude towards his …show more content…
Nwoye struggles greatly because of his resemblance to his grandfather in character. We see that Nwoye is not so much necessarily feminine, although his father does believe it to be so “‘I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands” (Achebe chapter 4 page 33). Nwoye is just everything that Okonkwo can’t stand he is passionate but lazy. One of the strongest traits that Nwoye is able to bring to the table his ability to feel and sympathy, sometimes even more than the female characters of the novel. Although his nobility is seen positively among some women, Okonkwo isn’t impressed and in turn aggressively attempts to keep his son from acting feminine like. We see the strong remorse Nwoye feels over being in the shadow of his powerful, successful, and incredibly demanding father. The two just seem to be completely different people as if born and raised in different tribes. Because of the giant gap between Okonkwo and his son we see that Nwoye has to undergo many beatings from his father. It’s not until the arrival of Ikemefuna, who is a character brought in as a trade for not going to war since they didn’t know what to do him he is given to Okonkwo aside from the young virgin, to take care for. Ikemefuna becomes like an older brother for Nwoye and kind of mentally draws him a “How to guide” on how please his father. Ikemefuna is able