Okonkwo's Prejudice Attitude. If someone of lower rank or title were to contradict Okonkwo he would under mind their words solely on the fact of their rank. During a business meeting, a man without any title contradicted Okonkwo over an issue and Okonkwo replies back with an affront: “This meeting is for men.” (Achebe 26). Okonkwo also discriminates against women but not for sexist reasons as it seems. The women of the Igbo culture seem to have roles analogous to men allowing them to gain titles and respect. However, Okonkwo discriminates against women only with titles lesser than his. His wives and children are taken less seriously than anyone else of higher titles. Unoka, his father, died as a man without titles and as shown in the novel, is abased by Okonkwo because of this.
Okonkwo's Anger. A man with a very short temper, Okonkwo's furious rage is illustrated in the novel many times. During the Week of Peace, his youngest wife while having her hair plaited had forgotten to cook dinner for Okonkwo. Once she arrived home, in a furious rage he beats her half way to death as a punishment. His second wife had cut the leaves of a banana tree and accidentally caused its death. Naturally, without any thought he gives her a sound beating and leaves her and her only daughter dazed with fear. Okonkwo's anger was also descriptively illustrated when he learned of Nwoye's conversion to Christianity: “He went into the obi and saluted his father, but he did not answer. Nwoye turned round to walk into the inner compound when his father, suddenly overcome with fury, sprang to his feet and gripped him by the neck. “Where have you been?” he stammered....” (152).
Okonkwo's Atychiphobia (fear of failure). Achebe states that Okonkwo was not a cruel man, but was his fear of failure led him to the personality that enveloped him . His entire life was based on one fact, to be the opposite of his father. When Ikemefuna was sent out to be executed, Okonkwo even insisted on doing the deed himself as he doesn't want anyone to see him weak hearted “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down . He was afraid of being thought weak” (61). During farming season he insisted to himself that he will not fail because he had survived the terrible harvest the year before that killed all of the yams on his farm.
Conclusion
Okonkwo's strongest trait in my opinion would be his fear of failure. In the beginning of the novel, the first few chapters stated : “But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.....to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved.”(13). This theme keeps repeating in different situations ex.”killing Ikemefuna, not enjoying the feasts...”. This fear of failure led him to a life where he is seen as a brutal tyrant and dictator in his household.
The way the author potrays Okonkwo usually shows his attitude towards the character too. Okwonko is potrayed as a man of great strength, accomplishments and temperamental. His fear of failure makes him push his wives and children to do more and never to make a mistake. He beats and under mine his wives and children because of their social status and his short temper. Nevertheless Achebe notes that Okwonko does have a light side: “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man......the fear of failure and of weakness.” (13).
Work Cited
Achebe Chinua, Things Fall Apart. New York: William Heinemann Ltd, 1958. Print
