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Professor Brian Doherty

E 316K

26 March 2009

Okonkwo’s Struggle to Understand the New Male in Umuofia

Physical and emotional confrontations engage the characters of Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, as the Umuofia clan transitions from tribal life to a dual existence with Christianity. The main character of the novel, Okonkwo, is met with such confrontations in an internal dilemma between maintaining the strict male norms engrained within him and conforming to his evolving clan’s masculine criteria. Okonkwo’s unchanged, staunch views stem from his overcompensation to distance himself from his father, Unoka, who was viewed as a lazy and improvident man in Umuofia. Obierika and Uchendu represent two of the main figures that Okonkwo receives advice and wisdom from. They consider Okonkwo a great man even though they realize he is set in his old ways. Both of them are considered manly throughout the clan and within their two respective villages. Okonkwo lives in both villages throughout the novel and despite not heeding their advice in the long run, he engages in discussions concerning rational decision making with Obierika and the importance of femininity with Uchendu. Okonkwo lacks both of these character traits. Through an analysis and comparison of Obierika and Uchendu and their relationship with Okonkwo, it is evident that Okonkwo fails to see the value of the criteria that many of the men of Umuofia are beginning to follow, which ultimately leads to his demise.

Okonkwo and Obierika are good friends and both live in the Iguedo village of Umuofia. Obierika represents a man that has the characteristics of patience, and more rational faculties than Okonkwo. The first time they converse in the novel is over the death of Ikemefuna. In his attempt to steer away from being viewed as weak, Okonkwo laid the final blow in taking Ikemefuna’s life. In their conversation over this, Okonkwo tells Obierika, “I cannot understand why you refused to come with us to kill that boy [Ikemefuna]” (2888). Obierika replies that he had something better to do and that he simply did not want to. Achebe points out that Obierika replies in a sharp voice here. Okonkwo takes his message and tone of voice as questioning the Oracle, since the Oracle deemed it necessary that someone had to kill Ikemefuna. Obierika states, “…if the Oracle said that my son should be killed I would neither dispute it nor be the one to do it” (2889). His direct and matter-of-fact tone with Okonkwo reaffirms his insight towards emotional situations.

Shortly after Ofoedu joins them in conversation, they discuss the strange case of Ndulue and Ozoemena. Obierika mentions that Ndulue could not do anything without telling Ozoemena first. Okonkwo points out that he “did not know that. [Okonkwo] thought he was a strong man in his youth” (2889). “He was indeed,” said Ofoedu, while Okonkwo shook his head in opposition. “He led Umuofia to war in those days,” said Obierika (2889). Obierika is similar to Okonkwo in that he has no problem going to war and no problem with beating children and women. Obierika mentions, “I am not afraid of blood; and if anyone tells you that I am, he is telling a lie” (2888). The difference is that he does all of these actions more sparingly. Obierika thinks first before he acts and he analyzes the implications of situations before making decisions. This is shown both in the way he refused to join in killing Ikemefuna and in the way he reaffirmed that Ndulue used to lead Umuofia to war. In contrast, Okonkwo is a man of action without reason. He displays this trait by fixating on details, like Ndulue having to tell his wife all of his actions, and then makes sweeping, fallacious generalizations concerning other attributes of his character. In this case, he makes the assertion that Ndulue therefore must not be a strong man.

Representing another version of a male in the Umuofia clan is Uchendu, the uncle of Okonkwo. During Okonkwo’s seven-year absence, he stays with Uchendu in his motherland, the village of Mbanta. Uchendu represents a man who understands the importance of what women mean in their culture. He believes that women provide protection and redemption from the sorrow and bitterness of life. He poses two questions to Obierika to help him understand how important women are in Umuofia. He asks, “Why it is that one of the commonest names we give our children is Nneka, or ‘Mother is Supreme’” (2917). Then he asks, “Why is it that when a woman dies she is taken home to be buried with her own kinsmen” (2917). Uchendu answers, “It’s true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut” (2918). The concept of both parents serving a necessary purpose in the development of children is something Okonkwo has not thought about. He does not take this lesson from Uchendu to heart.

Uchendu, who does not succomb to the feminine escape of suicide, serves as a sharp contrast to the cowardly exit Okonkwo and Unoka choose. Uchendu calls Okonkwo out on his self-pity and discusses the terrible events he has had to endure in his own life so far. Using the technique of foreshadowing while he discusses the pain he has gone through from burying his children, Uchendu states, “I did not hang myself, and I am still alive” (2918). Uchendu tells Okonkwo “if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you, they (his family) will all die in exile” (2918). The irony here is Okonkwo’s suicide at the end of the novel, which forces him to be buried in the Evil Forest, much like his father Unoka was many years before. The way in which Unoka died is a commentary on his laziness and femininity. In the same vein, Okonkwo’s death exhibits his inability to conform to the new male identity of Umuofia.

At the end of the novel the tribe amasses in the marketplace the morning after Okonkwo and his fellow prisoners were set free from the District Commissioner. The differences between Obierika and Okonkwo are shown in their greeting towards their clansmen in the midst of the seriousness of the meeting. Obierika greets the clansmen with handshakes and kind words. “Okonkwo did not turn round even though he knew the voices. He was in no mood to exchange greetings” (2945). Okonkwo is set on going to war against the Christian missionaries for the injustices they have caused their tribe. Nothing would stop him, and the problem is that the other clansmen do not equal his intensity and energy. Okonkwo is trying to impress an ideal masculine male that no longer exists in Umuofia. This futile strife leads Okonkwo to kill the missionary without the support of his clan.

Okonkwo fails to see that his views on masculinity are no longer the views of Umuofia. Although he regards Obierika and Uchendu as equals in masculinity, their flexibility, rational decision-making, and femininity are absent in Okonkwo. What the Umuofia male is evolving towards, a more rational male, is personified through both Obierika and Uchendu. Okonkwo cannot accept the evolution of what the male has become in his tribe, whether this transformation is for the better or worse. His demise as he “mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women” (2937) ultimately led to his suicide, for he is unable to reconcile his former life with the new experiences he has heard but not gained from Obierika and Uchendu. In effect, Okonkwo dies in the same way his father did, in exile and removed from his place in the afterlife among their ancestors.

Professor Brian Doherty

E 316K

26 March 2009

Okonkwo’s Struggle to Understand the New Male in Umuofia

Physical and emotional confrontations engage the characters of Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, as the Umuofia clan transitions from tribal life to a dual existence with Christianity. The main character of the novel, Okonkwo, is met with such confrontations in an internal dilemma between maintaining the strict male norms engrained within him and conforming to his evolving clan’s different masculine criteria. Okonkwo’s unchanged, staunch views stem from his overcompensation to distance himself from his father, Unoka, who was viewed as a lazy and improvident man in Umuofia. Obierika and Uchendu represent two of the main figures that from whom Okonkwo receives advice and wisdom from. They consider Okonkwo a great man even though they realize he is set in his old ways. Both of them are considered manly throughout the clan and within their two respective villages. Okonkwo lives in both villages throughout at different times in the novel, and despite not heeding their advice in the long run, he engages in discussions concerning rational decision making with Obierika and the importance of femininity with Uchendu. Okonkwo lacks both of these character traits. Through an In this essay’s analysis and comparison of Obierika and Uchendu and their relationship with Okonkwo, it is evident that I hope to show that Okonkwo fails to see the value of the criteria that many of the men of Umuofia are beginning to follow, which ultimately leads to his demise. Seems like a valid thesis, but one that might be presented a little more clearly (a little more streamlined, as well). The question that occurs at this stage in the argument, though, is how “new” the kinds of advice given by Uchendu and Obierka are, since they are both respected elders, and one might imagine that their way of thinking also honors the ancestors.

Okonkwo and Obierika are good friends and both live in the Iguedo village of Umuofia. Obierika represents a man that has the characteristics of patience, and more rational faculties than Okonkwo. The first time they converse in the novel is over the death of Ikemefuna. In his attempt to steer away from being viewed as weak, Okonkwo laid [?] the final blow in taking Ikemefuna’s life. In their conversation over this, Okonkwo tells Obierika, “I cannot understand why you refused to come with us to kill that boy [Ikemefuna]” (2888). Obierika replies that he had something better to do and that he simply did not want to. Achebe points out that Obierika replies in a sharp voice here. Okonkwo takes his message and tone of voice as questioning the Oracle, since the Oracle deemed it necessary that someone had to kill Ikemefuna. Obierika states, “…if the Oracle said that my son should be killed I would neither dispute it nor be the one to do it” (2889). His direct and matter-of-fact tone with Okonkwo reaffirms his insight towards emotional situations.

Shortly after Ofoedu joins them in conversation, they discuss the strange case of Ndulue and Ozoemena. Obierika mentions that Ndulue could not do anything without telling Ozoemena first. Okonkwo points out that he “did not know that. [Okonkwo] thought he was a strong man in his youth” (2889). “He was indeed,” said Ofoedu, while Okonkwo shook his head in opposition. “He led Umuofia to war in those days,” said Obierika (2889). Obierika is similar to Okonkwo in that he has no problem going to war and no problem with beating children and women. Obierika mentions, “I am not afraid of blood; and if anyone tells you that I am, he is telling a lie” (2888). The difference is that he does all of these actions more sparingly. Obierika thinks first before he acts and he analyzes the implications of situations before making decisions. This is shown both in the way he refused to join in killing Ikemefuna and in the way he reaffirmed that Ndulue used to lead Umuofia to war. In contrast, Okonkwo is a man of action without reason. He displays this trait by fixating on details, like Ndulue having to tell his wife all of his actions, and then makes sweeping, fallacious generalizations concerning other attributes of his character. In this case, he makes the assertion that Ndulue therefore must not be a strong man.

Representing another version of a male in the Umuofia clan is Uchendu, the uncle of Okonkwo. During Okonkwo’s seven-year absence, he stays with Uchendu in his motherland, the village of Mbanta. Uchendu represents a man who understands the importance of what women mean in their culture. He believes that women provide protection and redemption from the sorrow and bitterness of life. He poses two questions to Obierika to help him understand how important women are in Umuofia. He asks, “Why it is that one of the commonest names we give our children is Nneka, or ‘Mother is Supreme’” (2917). Then he asks, “Why is it that when a woman dies she is taken home to be buried with her own kinsmen” (2917). Uchendu answers, “It’s true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut” (2918). The concept of both parents serving a necessary purpose in the development of children is something about which Okonkwo has not thought about. He does not take this lesson from Uchendu to heart.

Uchendu, who does not succomb to the feminine escape of suicide, serves as a sharp contrast to the cowardly exit Okonkwo and Unoka choose. Uchendu calls Okonkwo out on his self-pity and discusses the terrible events he has had to endure in his own life so far. Using the technique of foreshadowing while he discusses the pain he has gone through from burying his children, Uchendu states, “I did not hang myself, and I am still alive” (2918). Uchendu tells Okonkwo “if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you, they (his family) will all die in exile” (2918). The irony here is Okonkwo’s suicide at the end of the novel, which forces him to be buried in the Evil Forest, much like his father Unoka was many years before. The way in which Unoka died is a commentary on his laziness and femininity. In the same vein, Okonkwo’s death exhibits his inability to conform to the new male identity of Umuofia.

At the end of the novel the tribe amasses in the marketplace the morning after Okonkwo and his fellow prisoners were set free from the District Commissioner. The differences between Obierika and Okonkwo are shown in their greeting towards their clansmen in the midst of the seriousness of the meeting. Obierika greets the clansmen with handshakes and kind words. “Okonkwo did not turn round even though he knew the voices. He was in no mood to exchange greetings” (2945). Okonkwo is set on going to war against the Christian missionaries for the injustices they have caused their tribe. Nothing would stop him, and the problem is that the other clansmen do not equal his intensity and energy. Okonkwo is trying to impress an ideal masculine male that no longer exists in Umuofia. This futile strife leads Okonkwo to kill the missionary [???] without the support of his clan.

Okonkwo fails to see that his views on masculinity are no longer the views of Umuofia. Although he regards Obierika and Uchendu as equals in masculinity, their flexibility, rational decision-making, and femininity are absent in Okonkwo. What the Umuofia male is evolving towards, a more rational male, is personified through both Obierika and Uchendu. Okonkwo cannot accept the evolution of what the male has become in his tribe, whether this transformation is for the better or worse. His demise as he “mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women” (2937) ultimately led to his suicide, for he is unable to reconcile his former life with the new experiences he has heard but not gained from Obierika and Uchendu. In effect, Okonkwo dies in the same way his father did, in exile and removed from his place in the afterlife among their ancestors.

On the whole you make some good points about aspects of O that are unable to hear the wisdom of his elders. They are his elders, however, and as such, represent ways of thinking that have long existed in the tribe. You seem to be saying that it is something new (brought in by Christianit??) The main point would be O’s intransigence and inability to take 2 sides of a issue, not necessarily his traditionalism (although he might think he is only honoring tradition.)

Still your essay does have a certain perspective which seems to analyze the character of O fairly accurately against those of Ob and Uchendu. Some of the kind of convolutions of your prose get in the way of clarity at times. There do seem times when you are simply rehearsing the story of the novel.

All in all, some valuable content, (some of which could be expressed with more clarity), and some content that seems a little off. Shows a very good understanding of the novel however. The Grade for this would probably be a kind of middle to high B. About an 87.

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