It’s shown that two out of three people have suffered from some form of generational trauma, this was studied at an organization called “Bridging Hope Counseling” that works toward empowering people (Bridging Hope Counseling). What is generational trauma? Generational trauma is a type of behavior that is continuously carried and passed down to each generation. Since many people do face generations of trauma without realizing it, it's so common to find it repeated in households. Chinua Achebe, the author of the novel Things Fall Apart, provides a fitting example of generational trauma. Starting from the protagonist’s (Okonkwo) father, Unoka. Unoka is knowing around his village as a lazy man, who remains in debt to all his neighbors. Ashamed …show more content…
Early on, in the novel he is depicted as a young man who was able to bring honor to his village, by fighting a great wrestler, known as Amalinze the cat. Everyone knew about how he overthrew Amalinze, even those who were not a part of his village. This led to Okonkwo’s obvious fame, everyone respected him just for his wrestling ability. Even as Okonkwo got older, the honor and respect he received from others only grew. He had married many wives and had many children, each getting huts of their own. Getting huts and having many wives showed fame, wealth, and the honor of a man. Okonkwo had all these things that his father did not have, and the fame he had received from everyone had made him feel validated, and genuinely like he was not his father. In this sense, his fame is the gift he had received to prove that he would not be a failure like his father, Unoka. In the novel, it says “And although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time” (Achebe 8). This intext quote presents the fame that Okonkwo had received from those around him, and why he liked/ needed this distinction from others, and how his wrestling truly made him honorable in the Igbo tribe. Another instance of this is when, in the text it states “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit” (Achebe 16). Though Okonkwo had a …show more content…
But this fame that he had earned has also proved to be a challenge for Okonkwo to keep up with. Okonkwo had gotten used to his life of fame and being put in the spotlight. He made sure to be mindful of the things he did, and how the public would perceive him. According to the text “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought of weak” (Achebe 61). When Okonkwo had practically adopted Ikefuna into his family, he saw him as the son he always wanted and loved him. But Ikefuna was going to be killed, as retribution for the woman that was killed 3 years prior. Okonkwo had come to the execution, and helped kill Ikefuna since he did not want to be seen as cowardly by the other men there, and people who would have heard about the incident. Another instance of Okonkwo being mindful of how he is perceived, in the text it says “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (Achebe 24). Okonkwo had this mindset so set in his mind; he would not even care to show emotions to those he loved or was fond of. This of course, was an effect of how his father was always seen as weak, and even for a second, Okonkwo could not stand the thought of being seen as
He was too proud to let his tribe give up their warlike history. He was to proud and self-assured to accept his son's choices. Okonkwo is a sad character whose pride has constantly led him down the crooked path. Achebe shows that being proud isn't a constructive thing for the future. That development can only occur when pride is put aside, and people think logically instead of
He doesn’t want to be affectionate like his father and end up being a failure. Okonkwo was not a good father or husband and his family had to walk on eggshells around him in fear of his irrational anger. To Okonkwo, anger represents being strong and not weak. He constantly shows this emotion in his demeanor and soon it became the most important aspect for him. This is important because it shows how Okonkwo instilled fear into his family to not be seen as a failure.
The author, Chinua Achebe, used Okonkwo as an example of the father/son conflict and how the conflict affects a man’s life. Just because one does not always act like the typical strong, almost emotionless man, that does not mean one is coward. Okonkwo’s thought process leads to his demise because he cannot bear to see the strong willed tribe and culture he has known his whole life fail him: just
One of the main factors is his past. Okonkwo 's motivation to be a better man than his dad is what truly shapes him to be who he really is. Okonkwo has a love for his village like the love they have for him. But out of fear that he would be like his father, he started becoming very irresponsible and did things without thinking. He was feared by many and loved by many as well which made him become a very respected member in his tribe.
In Umuofia, Okonkwo has a high title, earned by demonstrating his achievement in his city. He is recognized everywhere for being a great wrestler who beat Amalinze the Cat. In chapter one, it says that “He brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat” (Achebe 3). Okonkwo made it his goal to demonstrate himself powerfully to the community because his father, Unoka, was the opposite. The emotional, lazy, gentile, and unsuccessful Unoka was interested in music and drinking, and he didn 't try hard to make a name for himself.
It [was] an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it [cannot] not be buried by his clansmen” (Achebe 207). At the end of his life, Okonkwo committed an offense against the Earth and his village. Although he had achieved material success with his farm and cultural success with his titles, he did not truly achieve his own definition of success, which was becoming a
In the book “Things Fall Apart“ Okonkwo is a very strong man and from time to time he starts showing his true self. He has a lot of responsibilities and other things he has to do around the living environment and interact with lots of people. Okonkwo changes from being that strong man, to a man who feels like his tribe is not with him when he wants to go to war with the missionaries. For someone like Okonkwo a lot of people looks up to him and while in the tribe Okonkwo beats his wives and children. Not good behavior for someone who is supposedly looked at as strong.
In “Things Fall Apart” Achebe gives background information on Okonkwo saying “He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife.” (5). This quotation from chapter one demonstrates that Okonkwo’s nobility of prosperity is revealed by his success’ from his early years and forward. The villagers within Okonkwo’s clan love and honor him for his personal achievements, and he
Okonkwo strives to be everything but his father. This is clear from the very beginning when it says, “He had no
“Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.” (28). When this line is read it’s used to show how guarded Okonkwo was about his feelings, not showing his emotions is one of the reasons why he was so strong both emotionally and physically. He didn’t want to become his father causing him to think about everything that he did and how it would affect his image in the clan, he also didn’t want to become or be anything like his father Unoka.
First, his relationship with his father Unoka. Who he did not have a great relationship with. And someone he did not specifically care for. Someone he knew who just so happen to be his father. In the book there is a quote “okonkwo was ruled by one passion- to hate everything his father had loved”.
The novel narrates the life of Okonkwo. The latter was very successful in everything he undertook. The opening lines of the novel clearly demonstrate his success. He had three wives and eight children. His life, however, starts to shatter little by little through a series of events, leading him to being exiled for seven years from his village.
Okonkwo is a very well-respected and independent man in Umuofia due to his titles and hard work. Even though he seems put together and stern, his life is dictated by fear. His fear of becoming like his father led him to helping in the murder of Ikemefuna, beating his wives and children, and disowning his oldest son, Nwoye. As a main character, Okonkwo remains pretty much the same throughout the book, his biggest issue being his inability to have compassion. Who might he not have compassion for and why?
He was a caring man down in his heart but “his whole life was dominated by the fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (Achebe 13), and his mission to become one of the greatest men of his clan. Okonkwo was devoted to masculinity, he put it above anything else preventing anyone from questioning his masculinity. When he felt a slight sign of weakness it reminded him of his fathers failure to being a true man not providing for his family or ruling women and his children, therefore “he was not really a man” (Achebe 53).There were many traits to being a masculine man but to Okonkwo the main one was ruling his wife and children, if any of them had disobeyed him he would beat them without hesitation or regret. Although Okonkwo is influenced by masculinity it is because the Ibo culture believes in men dominating women which leads their society to fall
“Troubled past” (Byronic hero). “With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have a start in life which many young men had,” (Achebe 13). This quotation from chapter 3 demonstrates that unlike most young people, Okonkwo did not get anything handed to him. Okonkwo had to work for his things because his father was a piece of junk. Okonkwo did not want to be anything like his father.