his fear of being like his father
Chat with our AI personalities
Okonkwo's youngest wife, Wifey, angered him by visiting her family during the Week of Peace, a sacred time when violence and disputes were forbidden. This act was seen as a violation of the cultural norms that emphasized respect for the earth goddess, and Okonkwo's anger stemmed from his fear of being perceived as weak or failing to uphold traditional values. His reaction highlights his struggles with masculinity and the expectations placed upon him as a leader in his community.
Okonkwo is ashamed of his father Unoka. He feels his father is weak, effeminate, and made fun of by other members of the tribe. Okonkwo feels a man should be strong like a warrior, but his father is shy of blood. Okonkwo feels a man should be hard working and provide for his family, but Unoka is lazy, and a very poor farmer. Okonkwo ends up inheriting nothing from his father.
The way Okonkwo reacts to each of the things that Unoka and Ikemefuna do and say highlight his character. For example, his fear of weakness is highly illuminated when he slays Ikemefuna in a daze. His lack of wisdom due to disrespect of his father is shown when he is annoyed by his father trying to console him after the drought then torrential rains during Okonkwo's first harvest. His desire for strong children is shown through his acceptance of Ikemefuna as his son.
He thinks this will prevent the child from returning to be born again.
The book does not say this explicitly until Nwoye joins the Christians, when Okonkwo calls him an abomination. However, Okonkwo often wishes that Nwoye was stronger, saying that at his age, he should already have impregnated a wife and taken a farm. Okonkwo also wishes that Nwoye were as strong a wrestler as Obierika's child, Okafo.