Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Things Fall Apart

Achebe's tragedy (yes, don't get your hope up - it doesn't end well) takes its title from a poem. The line reads: "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold." How do you see this reflected in the text? Why can't the center hold? It could be like one of those lollipops with the gum in them...

Sorry, I got distracted. Really, why can't it?

You might also consider the classic definition of a tragic hero: a man of high status, neither all good nor all bad, who causes his own downfall through a tragic flaw, an inability to recognize one of his own shortcomings before it's too late - but who recognizes it in the end, in all its weight and power. How does Achebe's hero fit this definition?

41 Comments:

At 9:28 PM, Blogger Bonita said...

I don't believe that Okonkwo necessarily wanted more power than others which led to his downfall. I believe that it is more of his desire to have respect among his clan. He saw his father thrown away into the Evil Forest through his own laziness and Okonkwo swore to never be like that. His drive to be anything but his father was ultimately his downfall. He saw parts of his father in his son, Nwoye, and tried to discipline it out of him. This caused Nwoye to run away and join the Church and this is when things start tumbling out of control for Okonkwo.

Okonkwo can really be seen as a tragic hero. He is well respected in his clan and in the surrounding clans. He has this drive to be better than his father, a drive that leads him to fame, but also to a large ego that eventually causes his downfall. Through his actions, he is cast away from the village for 7 years, only to return to eventually commit suicide due to his temper. In the end, I've come to respect Okonkwo because it seems that he was only trying to protect his clan and his family from the newcomers. He simply couldn't take the daily activities anymore.

 
At 9:39 PM, Blogger Ms. Clapp said...

Interesting beginnings here...though I'd like to see you be more analytical (examining specific moments in the text, taking apart how the story is constructed, looking at characterization, etc.) rather than summarizing (Bonita,you might think about editing your post so not to spoil the ending for others) - I want to see more thinking about the text, instead of just proving you read it (thought I am very glad you have!).

 
At 5:35 PM, Blogger nin the bean said...

Hi fellow APES! I am a little nervous because I have never done a blog before (!!) but here goes...

From the beginning part of the book, it is clear, as Tommy and Bonita mentioned, that one of Okonkwo's major shortcomings is that he tries so vehemently not to become his father- "But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and the fear of weakness" (13), two things that were often attributed to his weak-willed father. His father is also characterized as gentle and "soft," which Okonkwo, in his overwhelming desire to be the opposite of his relation, veers away from. Thus, Okonkwo instead becomes very brutal and violent; he even helps kill Ikemefuna, the adolescent for which his family had cared but whose death was decreed a necessity by the Oracle, to demonstrate his overpowering masculinity. On page 61 it delineates: "Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut [Ikemefuna] down. He was afraid of being thought weak." Hence, Okonkwo's shortcoming already cost him something of great value- his beloved Ikemefuna- and he has to live with this guilt haunting him. There are also hints of punishment to come for Okonkwo because of his action: "What you have done will not please the Earth. It is the kind of action for which the goddess wipes out whole families" (67). In a way, this is what happens to Okonkwo; his own inability to accept Nwoye and his decision to convert to Christianity drives his son away and helps disintegrate the threads of his family. It is the first way in which things begin to “fall apart.”

I also think it is a really interesting idea what Tommy has brought up in his last post, how he said that things fell apart not because of "personal weakness" but due to the white man's actions of bringing in Christianity and their own customs to decimate the culture of Okonkwo's people (I know I'm jumping around a lot; sorry!). I was looking at the poem from which the book got its name, and it said: "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold/ Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world." The last line indicates how in the end, it is not an individual's action that can cause things to fall apart, or at least not completely. This situation is "loosed upon" the society, is brought from an outside source more powerful than they are that cannot be stopped. The poem also mentions how "the falcon cannot hear the falconer," which also relates to the end of the story- how Okonkwo's people were not aware of the approach of their enemy, the white man, until it was too late and the full destruction of their society was upon them.

 
At 1:40 PM, Blogger nin the bean said...

I would like to elaborate on some perceptive comments that Arielle made in her last post. Okonkwo's society prized strength in men, as was showcased by the people's reverence of the region's wrestling champion, the archetypal ideal of their society. When Okonkwo is banished into his motherland Mbanta, he "regretted every day of his exile" (162) because this society did not uphold the virtues of manliness and strength so valued in Umuofia, his homeland. The epitome of this mindset is demonstrated when the town must decide the fate of the man who killed their sacred royal python, thus committing an unfathomable act. Okonkwo, with his warrior spirit, proclaims that the man be held accountable for his crime and punished harshly. The town, however, believes they should take a less active stance and simply leave the matter between the criminal and the god. Okonkwo is furious for the town's refusal to adhere to his own high standards: "'Let us not reason like cowards,' said Okonkwo. 'If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does. These people are daily pouring filth over us, and Okeke says we should pretend not to see'" (159).

When Okonkwo is finally allowed back in his native village Umuofia after 7 years of exile, he works to rebuild his status, to prove to the town his strength and ability, and "Okonkwo saw clearly the high esteem in which he would be held, and he saw himself taking the hgihest title in the land" (172). He is intoxicated by the possibility of returning to the land where his own values are those of everyone else, where strength is thought very highly of. However, much to his chagrin, his own society begins to turn on him, leaving behind their own culture for that of the white man who has infiltrated the village. Okonwko laments the falling apart of his society and how it is being stripped of its ideals, its virtues of strength and power: "He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women" (183). He cannot understand how or why his people have renounced their ideals of strength and power, why they would possibly submit to the tyranny of the white men without putting up a fight like "real men" would.

By the end of the book, after Okonkwo and other men of Umuofia are imprisoned unjustly by the white man, Okonkwo is ready to demonstrate his warrior ideals, to do the manly thing and take a stand against this injustice. It is simply not in his nature to be pushed around and allow for it. This would be "womanly" and abominable. Okonkwo sanctions war to castigate the white people, "but if [the people of Umuofia] chose to be cowards he would go out and avenge himself" (199). It is this intransigence on Okonkwo's part, his need to display his strength and show himself as well as the others what the Umuofian society is supposed to be like that ultimately causes his downfall. When Okonkwo at last demonstrates his valor by killing a hated messenger of the white man sent to command the people of Omuofia to stop their meeting and his own people do not support him, but rather wonder why he would commit such an horrible act, Okonwko at last realizes that Umuofia has unalterably changed. It no longer adheres to the values that it had established and that Okonkwo holds dear, and he is unable to bear being apart of this shameful, womanly society. He had borne the disgrace of Mbanta's decision not to punish the blasphemous act of killing the sacred python, but now that his own homeland, his FATHERLAND, had repudiated his and its own values, Okonkwo can no longer be apart of it. The rift between himself and the his home had become too deep, and Okonkwo was falling into the unending chasm. Thus, his own tragedy was indeed caused by his stubborness, his need to be a "man" and to abide by his cherished ideals at all times.

I think that no matter the circumstances things are indeed meant to fall apart. Think about it. Every society has eventually crumbled- ancient Greece, ancient Rome, the Mugal dynasty, the Aztec empire, and countless others, whether through some fault of their own or that of an outside source too powerful to overcome. It is the nature of our world; things aren't meant to last forever. As the old saying goes, "something's gotta give." There is only so much prosperity a society can achieve before something falls out of place and causes a domino effect. With Umuofia it was the invasion of the white men that finally precipitated the decimation of its culture; with Okonkwo it was his own tragic flaw.

 
At 9:15 PM, Blogger nin the bean said...

So I was trying to think about other shortcomings of Okonkwo that contributed to his downfall and I think that his brashness would definitely be one of them. Okonkwo doesn’t always think his actions through before he commits them. One of Achebe’s descriptions of the protagonist is that “whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists” (4). This just goes to show that Okonkwo is very rash in his actions, that he is ruled by feelings of the moment that dictate his actions. The author also describes how his wives and children “lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (13) which would flare up at any moment’s time. When Okonkwo comes home one night to find his youngest wife missing without having cooked his supper, he is ruled by his hotheaded anger and beats her, so maddened that he forgets it is the sacred Week of Peace. Nor does he think before he aides in killing Ikemefuna, plunging in right away with his machete to uphold his image of untarnished strength. His inability to think things through completely helps lead to his ending tragedy. In accordance with his personality, Okonkwo is so caught up in the impassioned anger of the moment, so livid that his kinsmen would not go to war and that his society had betrayed him, that he decides to commit the ultimate sacrifice (you know what I’m talking about; I don’t want to ruin it for the people who haven’t finished the book yet). Of course there were other factors that went into his final decision, but I believe that if Okonkwo hadn’t been so impetuous he would have found a way around this action.

Another of Okonkwo’s deficiencies is that he does not reflect on his mistakes or try to find a lesson to be learned out of them. After Okonkwo feels compunction clawing at him for his action in regards to Ikemefuna, he tries to talk himself out of this remorse: “‘When did you become a shivering old woman,’ Okonkwo asked himself, ‘you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed’” (65). He doesn’t come to the conclusion that perhaps showing a little emotion is a good thing, that he can take from this experience the lesson that he should not be so brash nor should he be dominated by the need to always be the most valiant, which could have prevented his ultimate tragedy. He even goes so far as to justify his actions later on in a conversation with Obierika, declaring, “The Earth cannot punish me for obeying her messenger” (67). Nothing can convince him that he is wrong or that he has committed a crime. The same holds when he accidentally murders a young boy and is banished to Mbanta for 7 years as a result. Even though the murder was obviously an accident, Okonkwo still could have felt some sort of guilt or remorse for having taken an innocent life. However, he feels none, and instead pities himself for the horrible misfortune of having to stay in his motherland for a few years (“Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently” (125) he bemoans), where he could possibly learn about the importance of family and the values that a MOTHER can help instill- kindness, gentleness-- and that "mother is supreme". He is too concerned with the sudden drop in his status and prosperity that he does not take the time to extract a lesson from all this, rather referring to his years of exile as lost and wasted years.

I also think it is ironic how double-sided Okonkwo’s flaws are. In a sense, they helped build him up to the great and powerful man he was in Umuofia but also helped to destroy him. Take, for example, Okonkwo’s drive to always be the strongest and most powerful. This drive led him to work as hard as he did, to always be a good provider and a leader of the community, and to never let a moment of inactivity overcome him. Nevertheless, it was this same drive to always showcase his strength that helped lead to the ending tragedy. At this time Okonkwo has the mindset that the people of Umuofia must step up, be real men, and go to war to protest the atrocities of the white man. His people, however, are not steadfast to these values, and Okonkwo comes to terms with the fact that he cannot live in this society anymore that has so betrayed him and its ideals, thus leading to the ending calamity.


Furthermore, I would like to pose a question- does Okonkwo actually realize his tragic flaw in the end? I feel like his tragedy is precipitated by the realization that his society has irrevocably changed and no longer fits his own ideals, not because it actually dawns on him that he has some type of irremediable flaw. Ms. Clapp said in the original post that a tragic hero is someone who comes to terms with the full force of his flaw in the end, but it seems like Okonkwo never comes to this discovery; he only sees the negative in the world around him of which he feels he can no longer be a part. It is not in Okonkwo’s nature to dwell on the bad in himself anyway; the only time he really felt regret for his actions was after he killed Ikemefuna, and he immediately busied himself with other activities to make his mind forget and not be overcome by sentimentality and emotion, both weaknesses in his eyes.

Like Tania and Arielle mentioned, it is really interesting how the themes in Things Fall Apart actually relate to modern day concerns even though the book was written in 1959! It just demonstrates how despite the changing times, new technology and new societal norms, certain issues will always be ingrained in our society—such as the need to fit a certain ideal. Tania also brought up a question in her last post, whether it is worth it to strive for goals even though everything is destined to fall apart. Well, I know in my last post I wasn’t exactly optimistic about this in my last post, but upon more careful examination, it seems simplistic to say that EVERYTHING is going to fall apart. Sure, I would say that despite the actions of individuals a society or a dynasty or an empire is eventually going to crumble; history has ascertained this. However, that doesn’t mean that a person’s individual life is destined to the same fate. People can still work to alter their own destinies. Okonkwo was just unlucky enough to receive the brute force of his own faults as well as the crumbling of his society at the same time, but not everyone is this unfortunate.

 
At 9:17 PM, Blogger Isade said...

WARNING! I give away the ending of the book, so don't read if you haven't read the book!!!

First post. Very nervous. Quite long. Ok, here goes:

A cold shiver ran down Okonkwo's back as he remembered the last time the old man had visited him. "That boy calls you his father," he had said. "Bear no hand in his death." (114) This, to me, seems like the first time Okonkwo allows himself to show any sort of emotion. I feel as if the loss of Ikemefuna was the first big step toward Okonkwo's final downfall. Although Ikemefuna was not Okonkwo's biological son, he loved Okonkwo as a father. However, Okonkwo valued his appearance and reputation as a man more than Ikemefuna's life. Therefore, Okonkwo was involved in the killing of Ikemefuna. I also feel that the values and morals of Umuofia aided in Okonkwo's stern character. The village put strength and manlihood above everything else. So, all the men were just as unforgiving as Okonkwo. They all took pride in the warrior spirit of Umuofia, and defended their culture viciously.

The second significant blow, in my opinion, is when he is forced into exile for accidentally killing a 16 year old clansman. Okonkwo understood the consequence of his action, quietly packed up, and left with his three wives and children. He was to stay in his motherland of Mbanta with his mother's kinsmen for seven years. During these seven years, he constantly thought of ways to regain all the respect he had earned in Umuofia. But more importantly, it was in these seven years the he received the last major hit that caused everything to fall apart.

Christian missionaries from England had traveled to Africa to spread Christianity amongst the tribes. When they arrived in Mbanta, most were opposed to it and unwilling to accept this new religion. Nwoye, Okonkwo's son, was one of the people to convert. This filled Okonkwo with contempt towards Nwoye; How then could [Okonkwo] have begotten a son like Nwoye, degenerate and effeminate? . . . How could he have begotten a woman for a son? (143) He made up his mind to fight these intruders with every ounce of his body. Upon his return to Umuofia, he realized that the white men had already taken over. "[The white man] has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart." (162) "Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just a personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccoutably become soft like women." (168)

There was no hope left. Things had fallen apart in Okonkwo's life, and it no longer had meaning. "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. you drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog..." (191) Society's pressures had driven Okonkwo to conform and implode.

Ok, so I think this is more of a plot summary than an analysis, so I guess I have a lot more work to do.

 
At 9:54 PM, Blogger Isade said...

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At 9:56 PM, Blogger Isade said...

I just read Nina's last post, and wanted to give my opinion on her question (Does Okonkwo actually realize his tragic flaw in the end?).

I don't think that he actually realizes that he possesses these "tragic flaws," but I don't think his suicide comes about because the people of Umuofia didn't live up to his expectations. I think he felt that he had failed in defending his fatherland. Since his life basically revolved around being everything his father was not, he couldn't bear the fact that he shared something in common with his father. This was completely unacceptable in his eyes, therefore he felt the need to take his own life. In my opinion, Okonkwo viewed himself as worthless because he was not able to drive the Christian missionaries out. In my eyes, Okonkwo lived out his life consistently: having zero tolerance for failure or weakness of any kind. No one was exempt of his brutally unforgiving nature, not even himself.

 
At 8:57 AM, Blogger Ms. Clapp said...

I'm so happy that Tania decided to use my lollipop comparison. Lame, I know, but still...

Keep pulling around the relationship between one man's downfall and society spinning out of control...it's the idea at the heart of it all.

Very happy to hear from Arielle as well! Once an APE, always an APE...

 
At 9:39 PM, Blogger Isade said...

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At 9:50 PM, Blogger Isade said...

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At 10:22 PM, Blogger Isade said...

After reading Ms. Clapp's last post, a thought kind of hit me. I don't know if I'm pulling at anything here, but I'll put it out there anyway.

Ms. Clapp said to "keep pulling around the relationship between one man's downfall and society spinning out of control," and I thought that the downfall of Umuofia MAYBE could have been prevented had Okonkwo not been exiled. He is a warrior at heart, as are all the other men of the village, but, more importantly, he was seen as a leader in the community. Not many other men held such status as Okonkwo, and the ones that did were all very old and most likely unable to fight. Maybe, had he been there when the missionaries first arrived, he could have organized a revolt sooner and had the chance to save Umuofia and thrive for a little longer. There's a chance that destiny hadn't planned for Umuofia to fall in that way.

Shifting gears here. I wanted to say that I like how this book relates to today, too. It's really fascinating how a book that's based on such a different culture with such different beliefs and strict ways of life can mean something to us today. Everyone faces pressure to conform to what society expects of you. I guess this book can be seen as the consequence of giving in and buckling under pressure. Of course it's on a much larger scale than, say, being pressured to be in the "popular clique" in school, but the same feelings and principles are there.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I really loved this book.


*sorry I kept deleting my comments. I found spelling errors and it reallllly bothered me.

 
At 9:46 PM, Blogger Sandyface! said...

I agree with Isade's last comment. I think that Okonkwo had a strong connection to Umofia, and as a result he felt as if he should go with the town. If he was there in the beginning, when the missionaries arrived he could have done something to prevent them from taking over their culture and land. He would have fought for his culture and all he believed in. However, he brought it upon himself to get exiled from the town, it's simply part of being the tragic hero.

Okonkwo's determination to be everything his father wasn't lead him to become ignorant and not realize that everything he is doing is leading to his downfall. He is so keen on being a man who doesn't have a bit of gentleness in him that he begins to dig himself a hole. He begins by nearly killling his wife during the week of peace, murdering his son to prove his emotional strength, and getting exiled from Umofia. All his actions are to prove he's"mascalinity" man who has no weakness. In an attempt to prove himself to his clansmen and his society, he loses control of his own action which leads to his end. Due to his stubborness and his ignorance he may not have even realized that he brought this tragedy upon himself. He sees himself as great and all knowing about what is good for Umofia, that when no one agrees with him he thinks that's the end. He belives that there is no other way, and reason to go on if his culture is about to be destroyed.

 
At 12:25 PM, Blogger Dan said...

Hey, I have about 2 pages left to read in the book and I decided it would be a great time to post something...because I can, alright! Well, I'd have to say the book has been a pretty nice read,
So, I just really want to express my feelings about the book for now. For one, I think that the writing and culture in this book are amazing. There is a scene in the book that really shows me the traditional society that Okonkwo lives in. On page 91, Uzowulu goes before the committee to bring his case that his wife was taken from him by her family. HE HAD NO CONCERN FOR HER! HE JUST WANTED THE MONEY BACK FOR HER! I laughed out loud when I read that. "What is this? A bad mail-order bride service!" It shows the setting of this story, or the old, worn-out, "man is superior, woman is inferior" attitude that people had.
Another part of the story that I enjoyed and made me realized the quality of this writing was the beginning of chapter 11(p. 95)and the tale of the Tortoise and why it's shell isn't smooth. I enjoyed reading this because it really brought me into the culture and gave me a sense of reality in the fictional world. (Haha, you're an oxymoron! - I am not!)

 
At 12:36 PM, Blogger Dan said...

Okay, I finished my two pages HEHE!

"Things fall apart; the center cannot hold."

When I see that quote and reflect it upon the text, I see the reasoning in the title choice by Achebe.

It's simple: Okonkwo is the center. He is known by everyone in the village and is the FAMED WRESTLER THAT DEFEATED THE CAT. He is the fierce warrior that people looked up to in conflicts. He held the community together with just his presence alone. Then he started to fall apart and make mistakes. When he made mistakes, (I believe the first was beating his wife during the Week of Peace)other people made mistakes and things got out of control. The tip of the iceberg was when he was in hiding, or exile. He was not around to help his village against the Christians and everything fell. In the end, he couldn't help anyone and no one could help him so he just hung himself. In this case, Okonkwo being the center, he could not hold, he could not save everyone, as mighty as he may have been.

 
At 12:44 PM, Blogger Dan said...

Okonkwo does fit the tragic hero rather well. He is somewhat a high man of status at least to the other villages, he is the mighty warrior. He is neither good nor bad, being that he may be a noble man, husband, and father, but he still has a bad temper and an angry side that usually gets the best of him. He realizes that the attitudes and tendencies of his fellow clansmen have changed to a more peaceful side, where they will not go to war against the Christians. He realizes this too late and accepts it with much regret, and then decides that he has no more purpose in the village and that he is better off dead. In some ways, he was alone, as he was the only warrior left, the only brave soul amongst the clan.

 
At 6:31 PM, Blogger Sandyface! said...

I want to mention a part in the book that caught my attention. It was the part where Okonkwo was exiled to his mother's land Mbanta, and asked why most of the children in the town was named Nneka meaning "mother is supreme". I liked the reponse that Uchendu gave Okonkwo when he did not know the answer. He talked about how mothers where there to comfort children in times of sorrow. A mother was a person to console a childs pains while a father was there for joyous times. After that he turns to Okonkwo and tells him that he doesn't have it as bad as he thinks he does.

I found this interesting, because everyone makes things that they go through worse than they are. Okonkwo did not get exiled for life, nor did he have any of him yams and family taken away from him, yet he arrived in Mbanta as miserable as ever. Others have had worse than he has had, he still had his family by his side. Uchendu knocked some sense into Okonkwo.He was only exiled for seven years and would soon return to Umofia.It just makes me think that we always need someone to remind us when we go through had times we do not have it as bad as we think. So anytime, anyone is in a horrible mood they should turn to page 124 and read it.It just makes you think that it's not as bad as it seems, it can be worse.

 
At 8:02 PM, Blogger Sandyface! said...

It's funny how we constantly read stories about tragic heros, who bring about their own downfalls. Yet we never wonder if that's what we are doing to ourselves. I sometimes wonder if the things I do are causing my downfall.No one in the stories we read really see thier mistakes until it's too late.So whose to say that we may be doing the same thing but are oblivious to the facts.(Maybe it won't be as dramatic as "Things fall apart", but you know what i mean)


Anyways, I thought Okonkwo was too harsh of a character at first. I didn't sympathize with him in anyway. I didn't like how he was so abusive towards his wives and tried so hard to be strong and never show emotion. I thought Okonkwo was all bad to begin with and saw little good in him. I hated how he always wished that Ezinma was a boy. He couldn't have accepted her for who she was.This got me angry and was another reason why i wasn't very fond of Okonkwo. However, as the book progressed I saw the good in him. He was trying to be a man for Umofia and uphold his image and the wrestler who destroyed The Cat. Towards the end when he was trying to rally up and save Umofia from being destroyed, I sympathized with him. I felt for him and for the village. Seeing as the center can not hold and how hard he struggled to try and keep it together, when it was bound to be destroyed was sad. It was a big tragedy in the end when he realize that nothing could be done and he alone could not keep Umofia from being destroyed. It's sad to lose all hope like that and think that the only way out is to end it.

 
At 9:18 PM, Blogger michelle! said...

The ending of this book was SO SHOCKING. I did not see that coming. And, I also could never have predicted my own response. Throughout the novel, I felt no compassion for Okonkwo for the same reasons as Sandra, pretty much. But in the end . . . I mean, I didn't dislike him that much! Aww man. =(

I noticed that Okonkwo's exile was caused by a gun, something clearly brought to the clans by white men. Certainly, it was immoral of the white men to come to Africa and try to change the clan's way of life, but it is interesting to note what people are willing to accept: a weapon that can be used against other humans. Maybe I am looking too deeply into this, but it's just so ironic that it is somehow easier for us as humans to embrace something destructive (and kind of evil) than it is to change our ways of thinking. Like nearly everyone above said, there are many modern day connections.

To respond to Nina's question, I do think Okonkwo realized his tragic flaw -- or at least he realized that something was irreparably wrong in his life. Obviously, he is not a great thinker, so there was probably never an Oprah moment in his life where he sat down and thought, "Okonkwo, you have anger management issues and a severe inferiority complex." However, he's not stupid and he does understand his own personality. He knows exactly who he is and who he is not. I think that he has listened to what Obierika and his mother's family have said. Maybe it all finally got to him? Maybe if he had shown some compassion earlier on, his and Umuofia's fate could have been much different.

 
At 10:07 AM, Blogger maggie said...

First of all, I dont know why but i love the names in the book. It's just so different from things you normally hear. Anyways, so Okonkwo is seen as a tragic hero becuase he strived to be better than his father who was lazy and didn't provide for his family. His attempt to be anything but his father is what eventually led to his own destruction. He wanted to look courageous and was afraid to be looked on as weak. Because his thoughts always lingered on his fear for weakness, his life was basically destroyed before his eyes.

He was fearful to even show his love for his children and wives. Although Ikemefuna wasn't his own son, Okonkwo loved him like one. Okonkwo was informed that they would have to kill Ikemefuna and because he was afraid of being weak, he took a part in the killing. "Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cute him down. He was afraid of being thought weak." (61) I think its sad how he couldn't admit his true feelings. Also when Ezinma was taken away by Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, Okonkwo wanted to look "strong" so he didn't chase after his daughter until he thought that a reasonable amount of time has passed.

Also i think that Okonkwo's death is directly related to the missionaries who came in to take control of the camp. Because the missionaries came in when Okonkwo was being exiled, he felt like he was useless and worthless because he couldnt stop them. During his exile he even made up a plan for his return because he wanted to gain back the respect he once had.

He called the men of Abame fools and said they "should have armed themselves with their guns and their machetes even when they went to market"..and believed that nothing like that would ever happen to his tribe. He sought to drive the church out of Umofia but failed. Because he failed he thought of himself as weak and which is probably the reason he ended up killing himself. Because he tried and failed he felt that he was worthless just like his father.

 
At 5:30 PM, Blogger Quigtastic said...

Well, the first thing I must mention is that when the meaning of the title was directly mentioned, I nearly yelled "I get it now!". Throughout the book, whenever the chi was mentioned, I thought of chi as fate. Okonkwo's personal chi (fate) was already predetermined, a fact he came to terms with. Even though this was not the belief of his people, Okonkwo pitied himself and thought of his awful destiny. The people of Umuofia believed that when a man said "yes", his chi also agreed. Okonkwo on the other hand believed that his chi was in disagreement with his dreams (not to get entirely sidetracked, but this bit of info. could have helped Gatsby out).
Okonkwo was forced at an early age to provide for his family, and his agbala of a father. Okonkwo fueled his determination to become a Lord of the clan with hate for his father. Perhaps this very thinking threw Okonkwo's chi out of whack.

I believe Okonkwo has the emotional capacity of Stevens in The Remains of the Day and a tragic life equal to that of a Buendia in One Hundred Years of Solitude. While I <3'd (Lynne Truss would shoot me if she saw that) One Hundred Years of Solitude, I believe Okonkwo's tale was much more tragic. While some of the Buendias had the privilege to party-it-up, Okonkwo suffered every second of his life with his ill-fated chi. Back to my Stevens comment, Okonkwo blindly follows the paths of his Ancestors just as Stevens loyally followed Lord Darlington's command.

I reckon (don't laugh at the word 'reckon') that many "things" fell apart in the story. Things had fallen apart when Ikemefuna had to be killed, when Okonkwo was exiled due to his accidental pistol explosion, and when the missionaries came. All those points are quite obvious, though they are still important. Okonkwo believed that his chi could keep his life together, but in the end, things fell apart.

 
At 2:19 PM, Blogger maggie said...

Everything was "falling apart" for Okonkwo. He always wanted his son Nwoye to be as strong as him so he allowed Nwoye and Ikemefuna to sit in his obi to learn from him and tell them stories. I think the sudden change in Nwoye to become a missionarie is the turning point in Okonkwo's mindset. Okonkwo's life centered around discipline and when he realized that he could no longer control Nwoye or the situation with the clan and the missionaries, he started falling apart. He begins to doubt himself and his wife. "Perhaps he was not his son. No! he could not be. His wife had played him false. He would teach her! But Nwoye resembled his grandfather, Unoka...." He always references back to his father, because he believes that is the root of all troubles.

 
At 9:31 AM, Blogger maggie said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 9:31 AM, Blogger maggie said...

in response to tanias post.

I like the "lollipop and the gum" idea. I never really thought of Umofia in that way. So the missionaries come in and they take some of the people in Umofia, therefore the support for the society and culture weakens. What a clever analogy!

Anyways, the death of Okonkwo was really sudden and unexpected. I thought in the end, Okonkwo would get his tribe back and the missionaries would have moved out of the camp. I guess i just like happy endings.

 
At 1:57 PM, Blogger JananaC said...

So I'm almost finished with the book, and I decided that it'd be a pretty dandy time to start blogging. I'll start off with my interpretation of the book's title and its connection to Okonkwo. I feel that Okonkwo's tragic flaw was the fear and anger that always accompanied his every thought and action. If you take a look at all his actions, (especially his less admirable ones) it's almost always instigated by a fear of something or his blind anger. When he beats his wives, it's out of a fear of appearing weak and unable to completely control "his women." When Okonkwo fears that the other men will think he's weak in the face of Ikemefuna's impending death, he cuts up the boy that he looked at as a son. We all know that he felt affectionate for Ikemefuna and thought of him as his own and yet he let his fear dominate everything else inside of him. He even went against Ezeudu's advice--Ezeudu, the oldest man in Umuofia, meaning that he would rather reject a wise elder's advice than potentially appear weak. Throughout the book, Okonkwo allows his fear to decide his actions in a way that a real man wouldn't. To me it's pretty ironic how his greatest fear is to appear weak like his father or unmasculine and yet he'll constantly defeat his own purpose by always letting his fears control him and every aspect of his life. While he may take pride in all his accomplishments, property, and titles, when it comes down to it, he seems to be a very insecure person. All of his actions done out of a fear of being weak or not as manly as he wants to be seen almost always lead to a misinterpretation of his character. Although Okownkwo may be fond of some of his children such as Ezinwa and later on, Nwoye, he more provokes fear from his children and wives than love. Through some of his actions we are able to see that Okonkwo is not a bad person--such as the time he keeps checking at Agbala's shrine the night that Chielo takes Ezinwa--but no matter what he does, he structures all that he does around a show of manliness, domination, and masculinity. Although he believes this to be strength, it really only contributes to his greatest weakness, fear.

Well that's all for now, sorry for the scattered thoughts!

 
At 3:07 AM, Blogger JananaC said...

Alright. So, with about 10 or so pages left of the book, I guess I'll go for the second blog.

I first want to talk about the relegation of women in the society to an invariably inferior status to men. While I realize that it's deeply ingrained into some cultures and not too few societies, I have to say that some instances nagged at me. Such as: "Now and again a full-chested lamentation rose above the wailing whenever a man came into the place of death. He raised his voice once or twice in manly sorrow..." (120) Manly sorrow?! Moving on...

Actually, speaking of that passage, I would like to say that I really liked the line immediately preceding that sentence, "The faint and distant wailing of women settled like a sediment of sorrow on the earth." Although I didn't find Achebe's language particularly artistic (for a serious lack of a better word--it was very different from the language of Marquez's), I did really enjoy a few of the images he set forth.

I found the whole incident with Enoch unmasking an egwugwu to be representative of the general downfall of the Ibo culture in Umuofia (and the surrounding villages). What was once highly regarded as sacred and demanding of the utmost fear and reverence is gradually being disrespected and repudiated. The misunderstandings and conflict between the two religions seem to be the cause of the center's unstability. We fear that which we don't understand, and the impulses we act upon out of fear don't always result in peaceful endings. Instead of harmony and balance between different ideals and conceptions, the two parties struggled for domination and sought to eliminate the other. When the elements of a substance are in conflict with one another, things will inevitably fall apart. It is apparent that as the story progresses, the clan as a whole becomes increasingly disunited and in discord with one another. Everything falling part also seems to be attributed to the failure of this particular society to shed its traditional and increasingly obsolete way of thinking in a changing world surrounding them. Although this is the story of one clan's downfall, it does signify a widespread pattern all across the globe in history.

 
At 4:39 PM, Blogger michelle! said...

Perhaps I shouldn't be in this class because of this, but I'm not sure if I completely understand the poem. Most things with centers, like . . . well, chocolate, aren't held together by their center. They're held together by their outsides.

But then, I remembered that Earth is held together by its center. Gravity pulls us all towards the center. I don't need physics. Everything I need to know about science I learned from The Magic School Bus.

Okonkwo was Umuofia's gravity. The people rallied around him for being the greatest fighter, for rising above his weak father, and I'm sure that they, like Okonkwo himself, fully expected him to hold all four of the clan's titles. Like all societies, Umuofia needed a strong leader. It's unfortunate that Okonkwo was not more compassionate, as evidenced by hiseatment of his immediate family and by the disregard he holds for his elders. Familial ties are very important to the clan, and are another binding force.

And here's a tangent: I think the clan made a mistake to shun all members of the clan who joined the church. I can see how this would have been their only logical line of action, but it doesn't make it the right decision. These pariahs were once an important part of someone's family, and once a family dynamic has been changed, it can be very traumatic. I think it is very possible that the microcosm of Okonkwo's compound reflects accurately onto the rest of the clan. That is, most people were losing family members, either to violence or religion. Each step of Okonkwo's downfall was impelled by a change within his family. So, if you were able to deal with the terrible verb tenses, then my point is that the destruction of several family groups made the entire clan very unstable, thus the gravitational force was weakened.

 
At 11:56 PM, Blogger JananaC said...

I have to agree with Michelle and also say that I believe it was a tragic mistake to have repudiated the converts and especially not to have dealt with the invaders' religion with more foresight. It really seemed to bring out the fact that perhaps some aspects of the clan's traditional culture and way of thinking eventually became obsolete and more penurious than anything else. Instead of possibly constructively incorporating the new religion and its converts or implementing a more effective solution, the clan moved in a series of digressive and confused steps.

Instead of adapting to new revelations and the changing circumstances surrounding themselves, the people of the clan held steadfastedly to many of their traditional tenets. I found it especially tragic when instead of considering the fact that perhaps the Evil Forest was not as deserving of its notoriety as they put it out to be--they immediately assumed that the white man possessed some extremely powerful means of immunity. I guess for me, as the book progressed, the clan's way of thinking seemed increasingly incongruous with their altered surroundings. Although there are certain aspects that you can really admire about their culture and customs, it was sad to see how many of the beliefs ingrained into the minds of the people were harming them. It reminded me of this event we had learned about in history class, where a tribe of Indians believed that they were in possession of a magic water that repelled bullets. What basically happened was they sprinkled the water on their bodies and were completely massacred by machine guns. They had really believed, with an almost startling conviction, that this water would protect them from the white men's bullets. During this event, as in this book, it just seemed that tradition and faith simply did not suffice.

 
At 3:00 PM, Blogger CoraLora said...

I'm not done with the book yet, but I just wanted to make a connection.

The part where Okagbue and Okonkwo make Ezinma tell them where her iyi-uwa is, reminds me a lot about the Salem Witch Trials. Ezinma, who did not even know what they were looking for, was so scared when they kept screaming at her for a reply. In order to not get punished (nor killed) for not obeying them, Ezinma showed them the way. Her “feeling of importance was manifest in her sprightly walk. She sometimes broke into a run and stopped again suddenly” (81). Everyone who followed believed her, but I’m pretty sure that she was only pretending to lead them because she knew that in her superstitious village, if she did not admit to hiding her iyi-uwa, she would be killed. (And the “shiny pebble” they found was probably just a coincidence). This is just like the witch trials, in which the accused would be hung if they did not confess.

I’m not sure if anyone else thought about this when they read this scene, but I just wanted to point out what I saw.

 
At 9:17 AM, Blogger CoraLora said...

I have finally finished reading this book, and I believe Okonkwo is such a failure in life. I do not feel bad for his death, but I do think it was a waste. He committed suicide because he knew that he could no longer unite his tribe to fight against the Christians. He was angry at his people, but most of all, he was angry with himself. Okonkwo could not face the fact that he had to obey the Christians and suffer under them. He was not use to this lack of power. He did not want to be like his father, sitting idly waiting for some miracle to happen to make the Christians leave. His desire to be so much more contradicted with his knowledge that there was nothing he could do, which caused him much pain. But because he was too weak to take another downfall, he took the easy way out and avoided continuing a life of failure.

So, in conclusion, I think Okonkwo is such a weak person, contrary to what he has always thought of himself. He may have seemed bold and brave, but his final decision reveals his actual weakness.

 
At 12:04 PM, Blogger CoraLora said...

Responding to Ms. Clapp’s question of why the center cannot hold, I think the center of this story was unity. Things started to fall apart when the Christians came to convert them, and because the tribes began to split up in beliefs, their unity was dissolved. Once this strong bond was broken, the tribes failed at opposing the white men and their own brothers.

And to comment on the style of Achebe’s writing, I found it less beautiful than the writing in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Both books used a lot of comparisons, similes, etc. to describe situations, but I found less of these in Things Fall Apart. One that I noticed was nice is, “Then everything had been broken. He had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach, panting” (131).

Also, one reason why I believe the tribes were so devoted (at first) to their religion is that it allowed them to blame things on the gods. For example, when Okonkwo’s farm was not producing yams that abundantly, “clearly his personal god or chi was not made for great things” (131). The religion also explained why so many things were the way they were. The stories made their life simpler and more explainable.

 
At 12:50 PM, Blogger michelle! said...

I want to discuss Okonkwo's relationship with Ezinma. It is interesting that his favorite child is a girl, even though he constantly wishes she were a boy. She is also the only child he shows respect and even some affection for, like when he ate the meal she brought, even though he was still aching from Ikemefuma's death.

Okonkwo must see something of himself in Ezinma. She is a strong young woman and the opposite of Nwoye, who is "effeminate." I guess this means she has a more masculine way about her, which Okonkwo can appreciate. Also, she shares her father's practical side, as exhibited in her refusal to get married until Okonkwo has returned from his exile.

I think it's also interesting to note that Ekwefi, Ezinma's mother, is probably Okonkwo's favorite wife. Unlike Nwoye's mother and Ojiugo, Ekwefi and Okonkwo are together because they wanted to be together. Achebe makes a point of telling us their story. Okonkwo's disrespect for his other two wives is shown by the fact that Nwoye's mother is never mentioned by name and, of course, the beating of Ojiugo.

While I agree that Okonkwo is a very harsh man, I think it is unfair to judge him by the standards of modern society. He is a product of his time. Umuofia's culture is very different than ours, and the story makes it apparent that Okonkwo had reached the levels of manliness that their society demanded of him. His achievements were probaly something that the young boys of the villiage were aiming to match or even to exceed. His suicide, though partly through his own emotional shortcomings, was impelled by events outside of his control. I also agree that his life could have been worse, but it's still pretty bad: his children are a dissapointment, he's lost the chance to hold the highest position in Umuofia, he had to kill Ikemefuma, and the clan he loves more than anything is falling apart.

 
At 2:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since Okonkwo’s father was so laid back and gentil, who would rather play music than be a warrior or consired masculine. These were traits that Okonkwo thought to be weak just like his father was given the title agbala, which also means “woman.”

Okonkwo associates masculinity with aggression and feels that anger is the only emotion that he should display.

Okonkwo's agression effects his family and the way he treats them. Okonkwo's three wives are often beaten. He also threatens to kill them, as well.

Okonkwo does not think about things, and he acts without thought of the possiable effect of his actions. Yet, his family who is exposed to his wild behavior everyday, does not seem to behave the same way he does.

The final and most violent act that Okonkwo commits is towards Ikemefuna, the boy who was lining with him for many years and came to be like a son to Okonkwo. Okonkwo volunteers to join the party that will execute Ikemefuna but also violently stabs him with his machete simply because he is afraid of appearing weak.

With the killing of a child in an attempt to prove his masculinity he only proved his weakness. A warrior against a child the odds were in his favor.

 
At 3:45 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The village that the story takes place in believes in many gods and different rituals. Animals also play a part in their beliefs.

The Igbo (the name of the people that live in the village) often use animal stories to naturalize their rituals and beliefs. The stories brought the way the Igbo live - not colonized by the European people. The stories would explain how things come to be like the tortoise’s shell became bumpy.

Another animal that was reviered was the python. The killing and eating of the python symbolizes the transition to a new form of spirituality and a new religious order.

The Igbo used folklore to explain nature as did all other groups until the scientific explanition came along.

 
At 4:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Okonkwo is every violent, as I said before. He is compared to fire in the book because his personality is much like the fire's.

Okonkwo's personality could be described as burning, fire, and flame. Anger is the only emotion that he allows others to see. An emothion that could be given to fire.

As the story goes on Okonkwo becomes consumed with anger because, he believes, that to show any other emotion is a sign of weakness.

By supressing his true emotions for Ikemefuna and Ezinma in favor of a colder, more masculine facade leads him to his downfall. Okonkwo comes to the realization that he is like fire. At the same time he realizes that fire is all consuming. Fire burns anything in its path. Fire will feed on its self until nothing is left until a pile of ash.

By letting his rage rule his life, he allows his irrational thoughts to destroy him.

 
At 4:56 PM, Blogger Quigtastic said...

Okonkwo fits the tragic hero mold very well. His tragic flaw is his determination to be wealthy and acquire all of the titles in his clan. Fate causes his gun to explode during Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s funeral and kill Ogbuefi’s son. The accidental murder, combined with the laws of the clan, forces Okonkwo out of Umuofia into a seven year exile. Okonkwo’s flaw caused him to take part in the slaying of Ikemefuna; this act proved Okonkwo’s fear of being viewed as a coward. While in exile, Okonkwo had expected Umuofia to stay the same while he was away. Just like time had deceived Stevens in Remains of the day , Okonkwo had missed his opportunity to achieve his dreams of becoming the most respected man in Umuofia. I suppose some people may argue that Okonkwo is definitely not a “hero” persay, but I suppose he could be qualified to be called a martyr. Okonkwo was born into a shameful family and left the world in one of the most shameful ways a villager of Umuofia can die.

 
At 4:58 PM, Blogger Quigtastic said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 4:58 PM, Blogger Quigtastic said...

Okonkwo fits the tragic hero mold very well. His tragic flaw is his determination to be wealthy and acquire all of the titles in his clan. Fate causes his gun to explode during Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s funeral and kill Ogbuefi’s son. The accidental murder, combined with the laws of the clan, forces Okonkwo out of Umuofia into a seven year exile. Okonkwo’s flaw caused him to take part in the slaying of Ikemefuna; this act proved Okonkwo’s fear of being viewed as a coward. While in exile, Okonkwo had expected Umuofia to stay the same while he was away. Just like time had deceived Stevens in Remains of the day , Okonkwo had missed his opportunity to achieve his dreams of becoming the most respected man in Umuofia. I suppose some people may argue that Okonkwo is definitely not a “hero” persay, but I suppose he could be qualified to be called a martyr. Okonkwo was born into a shameful family and left the world in one of the most shameful ways a villager of Umuofia can die.

 
At 5:16 PM, Blogger Quigtastic said...

The act of Okonkwo and other top males in the village dressing up as Spirits to scare the villagers reminded me, quite frankly, of M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Village. Perhaps it is from books like Things Fall Apart or just different cultures in themselves which M. Night drew inspiration from. The villagers of Umuofia feared their ‘gods’ and departed spirits just as the villagers of Shyamalan’s creation feared the creatures in red. While The Village is far more fictional than T.F.A, it is not a stretch to say that the loss of religion made many things fall apart. While I am trying to stay away from religious talk, I just want to say that superstitions heavily played a role in both stories. If Okonkwo’s accident had not killed the young boy, he would have easily risen to the top of his clan and Nowye most likely would have not have been converted by missionaries; this could have only taken place if the villages or Umuofia did not fear punishment for Okonkwo’s misfortune. I suppose the true philosophical meaning of this book is that things fall apart (AMAZING! The title of the book is the moral of the story!). I suppose the major conflicts of this story stemmed from religion/superstition (I’m not comparing religion to superstition so don’t get offended). The beliefs of the villagers held them back as a people, not saying the Christians were any happier, but these beliefs were enforced as a strict guideline in their society. Perhaps if government and religion were not so intertwined in Umuofia, the villagers may have had a chance against missionary influence.

 
At 9:20 PM, Blogger Bonita said...

I enjoyed this book because it is one of a few books that is so rich culturally yet still captivating me. Usually when I read some books about a person in a foreign land, it focuses too much on certain aspects, but Achebe's novel focuses on key elements that brings the world to life.

Nwoye had a difficult life, living under his father who had high expectations. It was no wonder that he ran to the Church, it was the only way to escape his father. I also find his leaving, wimpy, in a way. He would never dare stand up to his father to fight for what he believes in. He merely runs away to his mother's hut. He pretends to take great pride in his father's stories but is at heart mortified by the things his father has done. I know that Nwoye had it tough with Okonkwo, but to leave his family without any notice was irresponsible!

Okonkwo has to do some of his own explanations as well. When Ikemefuna was finally to be sacrificed, Okonkwo shouldn't have been the one to give the death sentence. He had been warned not to attend the "ceremony" for the sacrifice, yet he refused. He had bonded with Ikemefuna and he saw him as the son he never had. Yet, he defies an elder's advice and even worse, he kills Ikemefuna himself. If he considered Ikemefuna a son, why is it that he wasn't completely broken up about it after he killed him?! Most likely, it's because he has to be a man and keep his composure and dignity, but that's not good enough. To kill a person you considered family is unthinkable and dishonorable.

 
At 10:03 PM, Blogger Bonita said...

After reading Tania's blog with the lollipop comparison, I have to agree with her that Okonkwo is pretty much the center of the clan. He is well respected everywhere, people bow down to him. He is what gives his particular clan power. Okonkwo was even on the council that governed the clan, one of the honors held to the most respected people.

When the missionaries came into the region, nobody would deal with them until they were causing a stir among the people. Okonkwo was the only one who saw what was happening/going to happen and the only one willing to do something about it. Although Okonkwo has done some great things, this is something that he couldn't accomplish by himself. He saw everybody abandoning him for the Church, leaving behind the clan he had helped raise to great power.

When i think about the center, for some reason, i just think about this big man being attacked from at all sides, and the battle never ceases. At some point, it has to give way for if it is surrounded and constantly fighting, it'll tire out and have to concede to defeat.

 

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