What lesson does Okonkwo teach uchendu?
Uchendu’s Lessons on the Motherland Uchendu urges Okonkwo to respect their cultural history and accept the help of his mother’s family with more grace and appreciation than he has shown. Uchendu not only reminds Okonkwo of how their culture works, but also looks beyond culture to talk generally about life.
Why is Okonkwo’s exile ironic?
The irony is that Okonkwo blames everything on his chi. He does not take responsibility for his own actions: When Okonkwo is in exile, he ponders the tribe’s view of his chi. He thinks that maybe they have been wrong—that his chi was not made for great things.
Who is nwoye?
Nwoye is Okonkwo’s eldest son. Nwoye resembles his grandfather Unoka, in that he’s drawn to gentleness and music, even though he recognizes that his father disapproves. This tension between Okonkwo and Nwoye leads to an eventual split when Nwoye becomes one of the clan members who leave the clan to join the Christians.
Is Okonkwo good or bad?
Okonkwo is a good father in that he is an extremely hard-working man that is able to financially provide for his family. He is a respected member of the community, and he embraces his leadership roles. Okonkwo also recognizes traits in his own father that he doesn’t like, and he works at not emulating those behaviors.
What does Okonkwo believe about Chi?
Okonkwo’s shifting beliefs about the chi are important in understanding the end of the novel. Okonkwo at various times blames his chi for bad luck, but at other times he claims personal credit for his good luck. When Okonkwo commits suicide at the end of Things Fall Apart, his bad chi could be faulted.
How old is Okonkwo?
We meet Okonkwo at about the age of 38 at the height of his fame. The foundation of this fame — his wrestling feats — are at least twenty years behind him and he had added to them by showing “incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars.”
Why does Okonkwo hate nwoye?
Okonkwo is frustrated by Nwoye because he reminds him so much of his own father, Unoka. Okonkwo is disappointed that Nwoye resembles Unoka in that he’s sensitive and often lazy. Okonkwo views these as signs of femininity which he believes is one of the most disgraceful traits an Ibo man can display.
Who does Okonkwo hate?
Okonkwo hates not only idleness but also gentleness; he demands that his family works as long as he does (without regarding their lesser physical stamina), and he nags and beats his oldest son, Nwoye. Achebe continues weaving traditional elements of Igbo society into Chapter 2.
Did Okonkwo die?
The first tragedy is Okonkwo’s death. Following an outburst of unsanctioned violence in which he kills a European messenger who tries to stop a meeting among clan elders, Okonkwo realizes that he is no longer in sync with his society. Okonkwo dies an outcast, banished from the very society he fought to protect.
How has Okonkwo been affected by his father’s character?
His greatest, overwhelming worry is that he will become like his father – lazy, unable to support his family, and cowardly. Okonkwo considers many of his father’s characteristics to be feminine. Much of Okonkwo’s behavior results from a reactionary desire to be completely unlike his father.
How is uchendu a foil to Okonkwo?
In Part II of Things Fall Apart, Uchendu, Okonkwo’s uncle (his mother’s brother) from Mbanta symbolizes the emasculated and effeminate male–a sharp contrast to the violent, uber-masculine culture of Umuofia to which Okonkwo belongs. As such, he is a foil for our tragic hero.
What good things did Okonkwo do?
Okonkwo is renowned as a wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams (a “manly” crop). He has three wives and many children who live in huts on his compound. Throughout his life, he wages a never ending battle for status; his life is dominated by the fear of weakness and failure.
Why does nwoye change his name?
This quote shows how dedicated Nwoye is to the Christian religion and how he does not respect his old Ibo culture religion. This is because Nwoye changed his name to Isaac, so that he would feel more part of Christianity.
Why is Okonkwo so aggressive?
Although he feels betrayed by everyone in his community, Okonkwo may be his own worst enemy. His inflexible understanding of traditional Igbo masculinity leads him to develop an aggressive and unforgiving personality. On the other hand, they also feel drawn to European medicine, education, and religion.
What happens to nwoye?
Much later in Mbanta, Nwoye is hypnotized by the sound and story of the missionaries’ song. He is compelled to convert to Christianity against the expressed wishes of his father. After his conversion, Nwoye prepares to go to missionary school in Umuru.
What does nwoye represent in things fall apart?
Nwoye is Okonkwo’s eldest son who Okonkwo considers irredeemably effeminate and very much like his father, Unoka. As a child, Nwoye is the frequent object of his father’s criticism and remains emotionally unfulfilled. Neither father nor son is unable to see and understand the other on his own terms.