essay 1

Valerie Samano

Mrs. Bosch

English Honors

August 10, 2008

In the novel Things Fall Apart the author illustrates pride through the character of

Okonkwo. The protagonist, Okonkwo, does not have the same opportunities as other men but

he doesn't let this stop him. Through out the novel the author explains Okonkwo, beyond what looks to be a man with little patience, and results to violence quickly. As progression in the novel occurs the author, Chinua Achece, shows that Okonkwo is just an imperfect human being. In the novel Okonkwo shows pride in family, heritage, memory, language, and lives.

The novel Things Fall Apart is full of memories. Some that are memorable and other that have driven him to work harder to reach certain goals in life. One being the goal of having a family. However, Okonkwo didn't have the same opportunities as other men because of his father Unoka. Unoka was seen by the village as a "failure", he was in debt to many villagers. Not only this he was "poor and his wife and children barely had enough to eat." Okonkwo was filled with anger towards his father. He channeled this anger into being a hard worker. He looked at his father as a model of what he didn't want to be lazy. It showed that even though Okonkwo didn't inherit a barn or a wife from his father. He looked pass that because he ended up with three wives and more than eight children. Okonkwo must have felt freat pride in him for acquiring a family on his own.

Okonkwo must have felt great pride in the fact that he couls support his family unlike his family unlike his father. Okonkwo proved this when he supported his family during rough times. For instance when Okonkwo was banished, and was sent to his motherland in Mbanta. He still mangaged to provide for his family. How, by putting a roof over there head, providing food for each wife and her children and still having an important social status among the village.

Of course it was obvious that Okonkwo had pride in his heritage, he loved it. He took much pride in the fact that his village of Umuofia was feared by the other nine villages. Why, for the reason that he compared strength, being feared, and war was manly. However, being weak and a coward was to be considered woman like. Okonkwo was seen as a man in Umuofia, explaining why he liked the way the clan had established their customs.

One of the customs Okonkwo very much liked was having the opportunity to be the lord of the land. This was obtained when one had taken all four titles. Okonkwo had already taken two titles and it was his life goal to be the lord of the land. For the reason after his seven years of exile were over he wished to regain his titles, and earn more. The most titles that were ever gained were three and by Ezeudu, who had died. None the less before the official return Okonkwo was thinking of ways to earn back his titles, he was filled with anxiousness.

Another custom he was quite fond of was about the ancestral spirits. How their spirits aren't neglected they are given daily worship and sacrifices. Not only this but each villager has their personal ancestral shrine to worship. Meaning after Okonkwo dies his sons are to worship him because if they didn't they would end up like Nwoye. Nwoye, who left his family for a new religion, was no longer a part of the family. After this incident Okonkwo sent his five sons to come into the obi. The youngest of the boys was only four years old. Okonkwo had threathened all of them. His exact words were,"... If any of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye now whild I am alive so that I can curse him. If you turn against me when I am dead I will visit you and break your neck." So we see how Okonkwo took very seriously his heritage, and wanted his entire family to follow the customs the clan had set.

Certainly Okonkwo didn't have the best childhood. In addition his memories may not have all been wonderful. Yet there is some who amazed Okonkwo himself. Shortly after his father, Unoka, died Okonkwo was to take care of his mother and sister. It was during the time of the planting season. Which was terrible because the yams either died of thirst of or drowned from to much water. On this occasion he recalls "farmers weeping as they dug up the miserable and rotting yams." This was nothing in comparison to "one man who tied his cloth to a tree branch and hung himself." What surprised Okonkwo about this experience was that he didn't sink under a load of despair, like that man did. He knew since he lived through this tragic year he could live through anything. They compared that year as terrible enough to "break the heart of a lion."

Another memory that helped Okonkwo financially and emotionally was after his exile. During the funeral of a great warrior, Ezeudu, Okonkwo had accidently shot a young girl. The punishment for this seven years of banishement. They were to be banished from their fatherland. Not only this but their entire property and things were to be burned by the village among these were the barns full of yams, the wives' huts, animals of any kind, and Okonkwo's obi. Which was sad because all the things that Okokonkwo had worked for were now taken away from him and destroyed. The night of this event the entire family was to fled from the village and go to Okonkwo's motherland which was in Mbanta. They were received by Okonkwo's uncle Uchenudu. Uchenudu was the younger brother of Okonkwo's mother, but the oldest surviving of the family. Uchenudu was the one who helped Okonkwo out financially and emotionally you could say as well. For the reason that he received the entire family without asking questions, never mentioned anything about paying him back, and he gave him pieces of land for them to live on and the other for growing yams. It is quite obvious that he was a big help to Okonkwo because he helped him out until he got on his on two fact, but what really must have helped Okonkwo is that he looked at his uncle as a big support almost like a father. Okonkwo must have felt pride in his uncle for doing this for him and ecouraging him not to let this tragedy stop him from returning to his fatherland after the seven years of exile had passed.

In the novel the official language that the nine villages, from Africa, speak is Ibo which Okonkwo takes much pride in language. For the simple reason that after his banishment, Okonkwo was going to send his sons to ozo society to show his wealth. He wanted his children to be prominent people in society. Even though his sons didn't get sent to this school when Okonkwo had just arrived from his exile, it's the thought that counts.

It is true that Okonkwo never showed affection toward anyone, because he thought it was woman like. What was certain was that Okonkwo was known to rule his household with a heavy hand, as a result his wives and youngest children lived in "fear", of him. At night when Okonkwo was asleep his children seemed to be frightened as a result they would all be extremely quiet that way they wouldn't wake him. What was scary was that Okonkwo on occasions would cross the line by beating one of is wives for not having his meal ready on time. Even though Okonkwo acted the way he did and didn't show emotion he only wanted the best for them.

His eldest son, Nwoye when he started showing signs of laziness Okonkwo fixed this by beating him. If any of his children in general showed signs of laziness Okonkwo would beat them. Okonkwo hated the fact that Nwoye resembled his father. Since Okonkwo knows what it is like to struggle in life like his father he doesn't want that for any of his children. So in the end he is looking for his children's well being and future.

Ikemefuna wasn't Okonkwo son but it showed how much pride Okonkwo had in him. To Okonkwo Ikemefuna felt more like a son then his eldest son Nwoye. Ikemefuna loved him to the point to call him "father." Even when Ikemefuna was killed Okonkwo felt a great depression come over him. For days Okonkwo didn't eat because of the great sorrow he felt inside.

As the years passed and Enzima grew older she amazed her father. She caused her father great pride that she was his daughter. Her father and she just understood each other. Not to mention that Enzima reflected the same spirit as her father, which he seen. At one point Okonkwo wished that she was a boy because of the reason they got along so well. Now even though Enzima has grown up and is married Okonkwo still every day regrets that she wasn't a boy.

Pride; being the down fall of great people great leaders and great nations. Pride was the central theme carried through out the novel Things Fall Apart. Pride was an essenctial element to Okonkwo on how he lived his life. He showed pride in his family, heritage, memory, language, and lives. Okonkwo led pride through out his entire life even up until his death. Pride an essenctial quality to all human beings whether it is to their benefit or contribute to their down fall.