by Saint Fang

Created on: October 06, 2009   Last Updated: October 07, 2009

Okonkwo is not an easily likable character. He is rough, abusive, sexist, and generally moody. He's highly prone to violence. "He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quick enough, he would use his fists" (Achebe 4). This paints the picture of a man who is not only violent, but impatient. He's extremely stubborn, controlling, and stuck in his ways. The Okonkwo way or the highway! He is a perfectly static character. Of course, being static and unmoving does not have to be a bad thing. One cannot really say it works out for him, as he ends up swinging from a tree in the end, but it does, in a way, make him a bit admirable that he refuses to conform to the changes going on around him. So, is Okonkwo admirable, or just a cold-hearted brute?

Analyzing the death of Ikemefuma, the exile of Okonkwo, and the death of Okonkwo can give some insight on Okonkwo's character.

"He heard Ikemefuma cry, 'My father, they have killed me!' as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak" (Achebe 61). What kind of father kills his own son, adopted or not? What kind of man kills a child? And finally, what kind of excuse is being afraid of being thought weak? It is not an excuse at all. Yes, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves may have ordered it, but did that mean Okonkwo had to come along? Of course, he would not want to stay behind and be considered weak! By trying so hard to be the next African Iron Man, Okonkwo had turned himself into the worst kind of villain; the kind that murders a child.

Okonkwo is not happy to be forced into his motherland. Once again, Okonkwo likes to get his way. He sulks about until his uncle finally gets sick of him and calls him and his children into his hut for a little lecture. "Is it right that you, Okonkwo, should bring to your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted? Be careful or you may displease the dead" (Achebe 134). So Okonkwo, to put it simply, sucks it up and lives out seven years in his motherland. His usual impatience is masked by his determination to get through his exile and return in glory to his fatherland. Okonkwo may be stubborn, but that stubborness helps him get through this difficult time. Though he may have qualities that can be bad at times, in normal times of need these qualities are the ones that help him survive, making him almost admirable, though still a bit of a sulky pain in the neck.

"That man was one

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>