So here's the space to comment on the last third of the book. Spoiler: it does not end well. What do you think the root causes of Okonkwo's tragedy are?
I predicted that Okonkwo would die by someone but he died by hanging himself. That was a surprise that was the last thing I would have expected him to do. Well I guess he had to do it, because he kill a messenger of God, he knows he was going to pay the consequences of what he did. I believe that was a bad move, even though he was trying to send a message, why couldn't he find another way to do it? Come to think about it, all that happen because he wants power, he wants to be on top. Everything had to go his way. When everybody decided to let the white man have their church Okonkwo call them “woman.”He was so mad at them.
In the end, I think that Okonkwo committed suicide because he could no longer undertake the changes by his clan’s customs and the whites’ law. Okonkwo wanted the ways of his clan, not just his alone. Umuofia, his fatherland, was known for its warlike traits. By falling to the Christians, Umuofia broke up and fell apart and turned as soft as women (p.183) as what Gbaby said before. I believed that Okonkwo did not pay the consequences because he killed the messenger. Okonkwo had killed others before. Okonkwo died because he did it for himself and the clan beliefs. Only by killing the messenger, Okonkwo finally realized Umuofia will never be the same (p.205). There would be no war. Okonkwo’s death was also very ironic because it contradicted to what he believed in his entire life. On page 207, Obierika explained how “it is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen.” Okonkwo wanted to prove to himself that he would not become like his weak father. However, Okonkwo’s “fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death” eventually came true. Although the act of suicide seemed as weak, I think Okonkwo found it as a way of escape from everything he believed in had fallen apart.
I want to go back to the masculinity versus femininity. There is a great inequality between them. I feel that the gender role is part of the theme of this book. Throughout the book, even until the end, Okonkwo views men as superior than women. Men are supposed to be strong. They are the ones who always take control. They are no cowards like women. However, pages 133-135 contradict this. Okonkwo’s uncle explains to Okonkwo about “mother is supreme”. Mother is supreme because she is the protector of her children. Whenever there is “sorrow and bitterness”, the mother will always provide a refuge. I don’t think Okonkwo fully understands the lesson because he still regards men as strong and women as weak. It’s quite ironic because Okonkwo is seeking refuge in his motherland when he kills a boy back in his fatherland. I would think that by killing the boy, Okonkwo would face death too. Instead, he faces seven years away from his fatherland. Because Okonkwo is a man, he has his advantages, “They [the clansmen] had no hatred in their hearts against Okonkwo (p.125).” In another situation on pages 93-94, an abusive husband gets his way because he is a man. He’s able to take back his wife by only bringing wine to his in-laws. The abusive husband doesn’t even receive any punishment for beating up his wife. I feel sad for his wife, but this is the way of these people. “I don’t know why such a trifle should come before the egwugwu (p.94),” this means that anything that goes between a man and his wife should keep to themselves. Men have the upper power.
When I found out that Okonkwo committed suicide, I instantly thought back to the conversation between Okonkwo and Obierika. “Kill one of your sons for me.’ ‘That will not be enough,’ said Okonkwo. ‘Then kill yourself,’ said Obierika. ‘Forgive me,’ said Okonkwo, smiling. ‘I shall not talk about thanking you any more.” Beyond the societal and political reasoning behind Okonkwo’s actions and thoughts, I think that this story was about coming of age, and realization of who he really was. In his conversation with Obierika, Okonkwo demonstrated uncaring and greedy characteristics. He was willing to kill his sons, but not himself. His outer appearance was very brutal and cold. But, Okonkwo idealized this trait in that it was everything his father was not. Okonkwo was manly, strong, a provider, and completely in charge.
Throughout the entire story, I think that Okonkwo eventually comes to realize who he really was. Not until the very end does Okonkwo let go of his manly appearance. All of his actions throughout the book were a cover for his manliness. All of his killings, abusiveness, and rudeness were portrayed to contribute to his appearance of manly. Okonkwo’s final action allowed him to let go of that appearance. Through suicide, Okonkwo revealed a fault and unmanly characteristic. He showed fear, submission, and no power, which he hid throughout his whole life. Through suicide, Okonkwo took the easy way out and did not fight anymore. He easily gave up, and did not want to face the consequences of killing a messenger of God. I find it quite ironic that throughout Okonkwo’s entire lifetime he revealed such a powerful and strong man, and in the end he killed himself of fear and submitted to the new culture that was forced upon his land. I feel as though Okonkwo let down his guard, and allowed his fear to take the best of him. After all of those years of preserving his masculinity, he ended up running away from his fears.
I enjoyed reading this story and I especially liked the character Ezinma.
Okonkwo didn’t kill himself. In a literal sense, yes, he committed suicide, but he was dead by page 205 when he realized that “Umuofia would not go to war.” This final act of submission by the village represented the collapse of Okonkwo’s ideals. He was constantly battling against the standards of his tribe, becoming more and more of a slave to his customs the more he worked to preserve them. In the end, the world and the lifestyle that represented all that Okonkwo was and all that he strived to be collapsed and he was left in the dying world. Okonkwo’s death symbolizes the fact that the people of Umuofia brought all of this upon themselves. Only two white men lived in the land. The rest of their followers were locals. To speak of his death as the act of a single man is to undermine the fact that it represented the submission and defeat of the entire African people.
Okonkwo wasn’t made to change. His character wasn’t created for the sake of having a startling revelation that sexism and harsh punishments are wrong. He didn’t die because he refused to change. Okonkwo was created as a pure representation of the Umuofia people. He upheld every one of their ideals and faced the consequences of his actions even when he did something bad. This is why his death held so much meaning. He wasn’t just one person dying. He was the last person willing to fight for his culture. I definitely think there was some deeper content in the book that touched on gender relations, and it seems that this has been covered somewhat in previous posts. I just believe that it isn’t necessarily saying something bad about Okonkwo or the people of Umuofia. This is just a picture of what life was like.
I didn’t enjoy the book as much as The Remains of the Day, but I did enjoy the last third of it quite a bit.
I think Okonkwo’s suicide meant more then his own tragedy, but symbolized the end of his clan and all the values they upheld. I think he killed himself because he felt there was no more hope in believing that his tribe would survive and defend itself. That point happened when “he knew that that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape” (205). Okonkwo embodied everything his tribe represented. If the tribe wasn’t going to survive with everything he grew up knowing, then he must have thought what the point of living was. If the tribe would die, then Okonkwo’s life would have to end too.
For the case of his own tragedy, I think Okonkwo’s suicide meant more. Killing himself as Obierika said was “an offense against the earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen” (207). Okonkwo’s life goal was to be the leader of these clansmen, being completely dedicated in following every rule. So why would he end up sabotaging his dream? Anything not portraying masculinity was considered being feminine, the same accusation Okonkwo consistently used. So why did he commit such a womanly act? I think maybe it’s because he was actually scared for once or felt some type of weakness. So maybe he just felt he should kill himself for being scared. Or maybe committing a feminine act symbolized all the emotions he suppressed throughout his entire life.
I liked the book because it was something that I would never think of choosing to read on my own. Well, a lot of the books we have to read are books I wouldn’t choose on my own, but this one, for me, was especially a different kind of story with its different culture.
I agree with Gaelle in how she did not that that Okonkwo would actually take his own life. As a reader I would have thought that Okonkwo would have chosen to die honorably in battle. Okonkwo wanted nothing more than to be a successful leader in the clan. This was unable because things started to fall apart. I also agree with Stephanie that Okonkwo’s suicide symbolized the end of his clan and all the values they upheld. As long as Okonkwo was alive there was always hope that life could return to the way that it once was. No one wanted more to return to the traditional ways of the clan than Okonkwo. Everything he did were little steps he took to claim the title that he always wanted. Now that he was dead the European ideas would surely flourish quickly without much resistance.
The root causes of Okonkwo’s tragedy were his resistance for cultural change. Instead of his usual masculine, powerful, and headstrong behavior, he chose to be submissive. The goes back to the quote on page 200: “Those were the days when men were men”. The men who did not fight for what they believed in were seen as effeminate. Okonkwo no longer ruled his life with an iron fist. The missionaries were able to take everything he believed in rather quickly. I believe Okonkwo committed suicide because he did not know how to deal with his failure of being unable to restore the clan to what it used to be. Okonkwo would rather take his own life than to be seen as a failure by anyone. This goes back to the fact that he wanted to be nothing like Unoka. Unoka was ultimately a failure and Okonkwo did not to be associated with anything of that stature. Could you say that Okonkwo became the very perception that he was fighting against?
Achebe chose the perfect title to depict what happened to the traditional way of life. Everyone was comfortable with the way life was going until the missionaries came into their society with another way of thinking. When the missionaries first asked the high titles of the clan to build a clan the audience could say that this is when things started to fall apart.
It seems that as Okonkwo killed is "son" when he stabbed him, he indirectly killed his actual son. Nwoye started to become more like a "man" when Ikemefuna came along. When Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, he also killed Nwoye. Okonkwo wanted his son to become masculine and become "honored" and a warrior in the tribe. But when he killed ikemefuna, who was giving this manly influence over Nwoye, Nwoye no longer had a reason to continue to become manly, thus he converted to Christianity.
I have realized that many previous posters mentioned the fact that Okonkwo killed himself, but I found it extremely interesting how the book itself ended. The Commissioner sees nothing more of this culture than of a book. He does not realize that he has ruined a culture. What is sad is that, he doesn't see anything of it more than the book. It seemed as though everything that happened, all the tragedy and arguments are merely for a story or some "new material" that he can use. Also, the fact that he thought the "could almost write a whole chapter on him [Okonkwo]," was very surprising. His original purpose was not just to spread the Christian faith, but to create a "pacification" towards the people. Okonkwo, the one who was never weak or womanly, dies and kills himself, because the clan is already pacified by then. So taking it from a new light, Okonkwo was right, the clan did become "women" since they pacified, as how the Commisioner would put it, and Okonkwo didn't, he died still masculine and as "one of the greatest man of Umuofia."
I agree with H-Est, Okonkwo was fond of Umofia and its old customs. He was proud that the people of Umofia weren't "cowards" and "women". I am confident in the fact that Okonkwo committed suicide because of the way things became. He was so hopeful in his return, "it seemed to him that his chi might now be making amends for the past disaster" (pg 172). Okonkwo wanted to start afresh, and embrace his past misdeeds, except he couldn't achieve that because the Umofia he knew wasn't the same.
When Okonkwo returned to his motherland, it was a positive thing. I felt like it was karma, and somehow he would have to return to his motherland because he needed to be with his mother's family and learn some morals. He had condescended women so much every time he talks about their "silly stories" and other ways of behavior that he didn't approve of that something had to happen for him to go back to it. On page 34 his uncle advised him to not "let sorrow to weigh you down and kill you" because then all his family will die in exile. The first thought that came to my mind when Okonkwo committed suicide is that he was selfish because he did not put his family first, because now, his family is condemned. I also thought of how hypocritical he was because he basically did the same thing as his father, only in different ways. His father didn't take care of his family well but at least he tried, but in that way Okonkwo didn't put his family first either. The ideal and definition that Okonkwo has of a man is twisted. A man is supposed to provide for his family but that is not all there is to it. He is also supposed to care for them, show them affection and put them first which Okonkwo did not do. I think Okonkwo was successful financial wise and power wise, but in my opinion he was a failure when it came to being humane and intact with himself in an emotional or sensitive way. I disagree that Okonkwo let go of his masculinity because he was too proud of a man to do that. The cause of the suicide was how everything changed and he felt as if he couldn't be Okonkwo the warrior or one of the leaders anymore because the missionaries were taking over. Which concludes that if he can't be a real man and he can't be that important figure in his village he'd rather not live. Being who he was was everything to him, he had worked so hard not to9 be like his father, and he probably felt like all his hard work was a waste. His son wasn't a "man", he killed someones' son, and he was in exile for seven years, all those things contributed to his death. He saw that he couldn't be the person he wanted to be anymore which caused him to take his own life.
I also enjoyed the book. It was something very different, and regardless of how bizarre i thought their culture was, I enjoyed learning about it.
When I reached the end of part three, I didn’t expect that Okonkwo out of all the men in Umuofia would commit suicide in order to escape his punishment and the transformation of his society. However, after thinking about the conclusion, I realized that the ending had been foreshadowed in previous chapters. After returning from his exile to Umuofia, Okonkwo is faced with the sorrow of watching the clan “breaking up and falling apart.” He is deeply grieved at the idea that Umuofia that was once known for its “warlike men” has changed into a society where men have “become soft like women”. Futhermore, during several other instances we see Okonkwo slowly breaking down into a weaker man after discovering that he no longer has the authority to lead his people. For example, Okonkwo constantly asks his people to “fight these men and drive them from the land”. However, they choose to ignore his advice. Similarly, when the six leaders are imprisoned in jail, we see that Okonkwo has transformed. Despite his bitterness, he does not express any anger towards others. He continues to remain quiet and builds up his hopes on the idea that perhaps Umuofia will be ready to go to war. Finally, when Okonkwo kills the messenger of the God, he realizes that “Umoufia would not go to war”. At this point, Okonkwo has completely broken down. His hopes of renewing Umuofia have shattered. Okonkwo understands that Umuofia will never be the society that it once represented. Therefore, Okonkwo abandons his “manliness” by committing suicide because he can no longer carry the burden of representing the values of Umuofia. I agree with Keith that Okonkwo’s submission is representative of the entire African community to the white people. The cultural transformation brought about by the missionaries destroys the African culture that Okonkwo once treasured.
I also found it very ironic how Okonkwo eventually transforms into his father by choosing to commit suicide. Throughout his whole life, Okonkwo despised his father for his weakness and tried to build a life where his masculinity overpowered any other trait. However, by the end of the novel, he is no longer able to maintain this façade and his weakness overcomes. Okonkwo commits a grave “offense against the Earth” and cannot be “buried by his clansmen.” Despite his numerous attempts, Okonkwo’s fears of resembling his father eventually prevail.
Overall, I liked reading this novel because it helped introduce me to an unknown African culture. However, out of all the parts I enjoyed the ending the most.
I understand the message of the book (well, kind of), I understand why every element that is introduced is mentioned, but it didn't feel like the book was complete even though it ended. My theory is that there was a lack of emotion. Okonkwo is very stoic. Even during a particularlyly emotional scene, he barely shows any emotion. Other novels with the same problem often have at least one character who does show emotion. But Things Fall Apart has a culture where almost no one shows their true feelings. Or maybe its because there are no happy parts. No one shows their joy. The people who do show their joy, I don't care about (usually the white men).
When Okonkwo died, I didn't feel sad. I just felt like his death was a way to further the plot. I have two very different feelings about his death. On the surface, the death itself, I approve of. He refused to live in a way that went against he beliefs so much that he chose death instead. In dying, he also immortalized his beliefs. Those beliefs remain unchanging through him. While the rest of the village changes, he doesn't. On the other hand, I don't like the way he died. If he were to epitomize the village's culture, he shouldn't have died in such a cowardly way. Typically, suicide is a way to run away from all your problems. The manly way to die would be to fight against the enemies regardless of the odds and die in battle. Though others may see him as crazy, at least he will be known as the man who stood for his beliefs.
Did anyone else find it ironic that near the end it says "One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph."? The entire book was about him, but he can only claim one paragraph.
This book was rather good for me. I didn't really like it, but the culture made up for it. For my standards, this is above average.
I think that what Okonkwo didn’t realize was how much his people changed. Even after he went back to his homeland, I could see that these people changed. They’ve become less violent. I understand what he did, because of how he was raised and what was done to him during his imprisonment.
I don’t think he killed himself because he was sorry for what he did, or because he was afraid of what would happen to him once the people found out what he did. I think that he realized that things had changed. His people weren’t like their old self anymore. He couldn’t handle that transition. He couldn’t stay and watch his people lose their customs and values. He finally realized that there was no way that things could still be the same. I agree with what Stephanie said, about how his death represents the death of his clan and their traditions.
This book was interesting. I got to see this whole other culture. I didn’t like the way they treated their women. It seemed like everything that relates to women or femininity is considered as weak. Like when Okonkwo accidentally killed that kid, it was considered a feminine crime. So because it was feminine it didn’t matter as much, and deserve a harsh punishment
Like I said before, it seem s like the girls are just there to serve the men, and the men can do what they want with them. Like how their not punished for beating their women. I also didn’t like the way they used violence to solve everything. But I found their folktale and traditions interesting.
I don’t really know what to say about the end. It’s just sad to see how they are viewed by these settlers. Their lives are not valued at all. To his people Okonkwo used to be a hero, a leader, someone of importance. But these outsiders these people do not matter. It will only take him one paragraph to tell the story of Okonkwo’s life.
This story was absolutely tragic. Throughout history the arrogance of western societies particularly the British has found ways to eradicate and alter distinct cultures in order to “civilize” them. They inherently believe that they are doing “god’s work” as they forcefully alter cultures and allegiances without a single qualm about how this repercussion will affect said society. This lack of conscience is evidenced by the end of this tragedy, when the Commissioner claims that only a “reasonable paragraph” would suffice for Okonkwo, the embodiment of the culture that they ripped apart. Clearly him and his band of crusaders have failed to understand Okonkwo’s society, and subjugate them as “primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger,” (big surprise). This cultural and societal clash between the Christians and villagers of Umuofia afflicted both groups through their political structure, justice system, religion and cultural norms. The villagers constantly questioned the commissioner's judgment asking, “does the white man understand out custom about land?” and “How can he when he does not even speak out tongue?” Additionally, even during the most civil conversation, such as the debate where Mr. Brown and an elder exchanged beliefs, both parties failed to achieve common ground. This stubbornness has transcended this tragedy as it is something that still plagues countries today. The death of Okonkwo, as many of you previously stated, symbolized the waning flame of Umuofia. Okonkwo was the village’s alpha male, he was an embodiment of what every man desired to become. He was constantly revered as “fearless,” “courageous,” and the “best wrestler in the village.” This heavily burdened the man, as he would consistently try to live up to these expectations through beating his wives, and courageously leading the village; and at some instances he would falter when this task would prove to Herculean, particularly the end when he decapitated the white man. Also, it seemed as if his ambition prevented him from innately enjoying the beauties of life ash he still wished Ezinma “were a boy,” Although, he forged a “bond of sympathy” between himself and her. Unfortunately however, his return to the village was too late. Their hero was not there to lead his men, and provide his people with the opportunity to retain their customs. Moreover, as the white men continued bending the villagers to their will, Okonkwo began to feel lifeless as one by one his son, and then his fellow villagers joined the opposition. At one point Okonkwo sat down to reflect upon his son’s betrayal and how when Okonkwo was his age he was glorified by the entire village and considered a “Roaring flame.” Upon finishing his thought process his eyes fall on the “smoldering log.” This was the turning point where the village would entire a steady decline and became another part of England’s massive empire. Ultimately, Okonkwo took his own life, which completely defied his entire philosophy of masculinity. And if a man of such extraordinary stature committed suicide, what hope is there for the rest of the village? Maybe through his death, the author is demonstrating that in order to become a truly accomplished man, you shouldn’t always try to resist change, but sometimes you should try to acclimate to differences in your society; and that Okonkwo’s wasn’t a man because despite accolades he took his own life. Because, even if your society, or in Unoka’s and Nwoye’s case, their village does not condone changes you will be following what u believe in and enjoy, and not suffer for remainder of your life like Okonkwo.
All that build up of him being a man and only doing manly things. And he killed himself. He spent all his life trying to be honored by his tribe. Trying his best to be seen as the bravest, the best and at the end he is no better than an osu to them. On the one hand by his tribe not going to war he lost all hope for his them and felt as if everything in his life he believed in, fought for, the only thing that ever mattered to him was the one worst thing it could be–soft. He knew what would happen to him when he hung himself but he did it anyways because he didn’t care anymore. He already felt like there was no hope for his clan, it would never be the same again. On the other hand he chose to kill himself rather than to conform to the new way of things. So in a way he upheld his beliefs by killing himself. The novel could be seen either way .
I agreed with Keith that this book wasn’t about a protagonist learning that he was wrong and changing himself. It was the opposite the protagonist stays the same and fights for all of his misguided beliefs until the very end. Killing himself was the cowards way out he could have taken his punishment “like a man” and still upheld his beliefs but him killing himself although broke a major law/rule in his religion still kept to his beliefs.
I never really liked Okonkwo nor his actions but I understood his need to be greater than he was ever thought to be. Everything he ever did was to be thought of as a strong man in the eyes of his people, that was all he ever wanted and he died as an outcast not even a proper warrior burial was given to him.
I too liked the book, I kept expecting it to go the usual route of the main character realizing his flaws and fixing them and when he never did it was nice for a change, very realistic.
I agree with Stephanie, Keith, and Jen about Okonkwo’s dieing symbolizing the death of the village’s culture. Okonkwo was unyielding; he was the epitome of the village’s beliefs and culture. In his death, their tradition died, too. They have succumbed to the white men’s demand; therefore, they are giving up their religion.
The root causes of Okonko’s tragedy can be from two things.
One, it’s because of England and her want of imperializing everything she can. If the missionaries never came, Okonkwo would have continued his life after he returned from exile. He would have continued a happy life and would have achieved the highest rank in the village. Everything would be fine and Okonkwo’s fire of hatred would not have gotten bigger. Because the white men did come, they quenched his fire “as though cold water had been poured on a roaring flame.” The white men and the village’s pacifying drove him to his death.
Two, it’s because of his strong-will. I applaud him for it because he stood by what he believed in until the end. However, I do agree with Chloe that suicide was not the best option because it is a coward way of getting away from his problem. However, from another perspective, suicide IS the best way to end his life. Based on Okonkwo’s character, he’s unwavering and he’s the controller of what he owns, even his own body. Therefore, it should be up to him on how he died because by letting the white men hang him, he would be succumbing into their laws and their way. His tragedy comes from his unwillingness to change but it’s also what immortalizes him. He went down as a figure, a hero perhaps, for firmly asserting his beliefs.
Like many other, I did enjoy the book. Once, it is a quick read. Two, I learned about African cultures.
I am completely shocked at how this book ended. My first reaction was that I had strong judgement towards Achebe's writing style, I just didn't expect that to be the ending. It was a really interesting book though, I do think Achebe was able to capture Okonkwo's feelings quite well. No man can stand the amount of pressure that he had put himself under or all of the awful things that happened to him. Especially since he never did anything that made him happy, it made his life really empty and sad. I think his repressed anger and resentment were the root causes of his tragedy. However, on top of that, I think all of his actions finally caught up to him and he just couldn't handle it anymore. I am a little bit confused though because suicide is extremely looked down upon by the clan and knowing Okonkwo and how religious of a man he was, I'm just surprised that he would do that. Though I guess living with himself was too much to manage so I can understand why he would do it. He would have been killed by the white men anyways. I also do agree with the thought that Okonkwo was a man of the true Umuofia culture and he can't change that. I think that he couldn't live with the clan anymore and the clan couldn't live with him either.
As I finished the book I was left with a sense of dislike. The ending of the book was a very surprising end. The way that Achebe chose to end the story with Okonkwo committing suicide was something that I would never have seen coming. I have to agree that by killing himself, Okonkwo had taken the cowards way out and had become very similar to him. I am torn on what to think on the subject of the suicide. On one side the act of committing suicide allowed him Okonkwo to set himself up once again in his tribe as a legend, but on the other hand he completely disgraced him self by doing it, as it was against the beliefs of the tribe and therefore made him a disgrace.
Looking back on the last chapter of the book I feel that Okonkwo took his life because he saw it as a more fit way to go then to give the white men the pleasure of killing him. Okonkwo was set in the fact that the white men were evil and should not change him and in the end his stubbornness to accept feminity led to the end of him. Even in death, Okonkwo remained the definition of masculinity and never gave in to the changes that were occurring around him.
Despite the somewhat rough nature of Okonkwo’s character in the book, I felt that Achebe did an excellent job in creating a very life like character. Throughout the book I expected that at some point there would be an epiphany moment, but Achebe stayed true to who Okonkwo was. If there had been a moment of transformation for Okonkwo I don’t believe I would have liked the character as much as I did.
The end of the book also seemed to signal the end of the clan and the culture that had enthralled the book. Okonkwo was the very epitome of what the culture was and he seemed to be the last one who fully represented how the clan had been before the white men. He was the last hold out and with his death; the death of the clan was also represented. The finally chapter of the book, which detailed the book that The Commissioner was writing left me with a sick feeling. The fact that such a great man would be turned into a mere detail in a book was disgusting.
I really enjoyed this book and found that I could not really put it down once I began reading. The cultural aspect of the book was so enthralling and I am grateful that I got to learn so much about a culture that usually gets a page in most history books.
You’re probably lying if you say that this story doesn’t make you feel just a bit disgusted for being white (if you are.) To me especially having grown up in Malden of all places, it seems implausible for people to act that way, but they did, and they do. People still see, just as they do in Thing Fall Apart the “different” as inherently “worse.”
Was I surprised that Okonkwo killed himself? Of course I was. The entire story led me to believe that he was so strong (or at least so entirely full of himself) that it was impossible for such a person of immense self-respect and drive to commit suicide. And yet, in that very impossibility lies the power of the action. Had it been nearly any other character, would the reader ever feel as profoundly impacted by the almost paradoxical nature of someone taking their own life? Sure it would be a bit shocking, but the fact that it was HIM who did it makes it all the more striking and all the more eerie.
Someone who the reader would never expect in a million years to give up, especially when they were so intent on fighting, when they give up, is frightening. What does that say about the nature of the blow itself which causes Okonkwo to crumble? It is all the worse because it killed the spirit of such a zealous and vital man. Despite his clear faults, Okonkwo was in all meanings of the word, honorable, even if only in the context of his culture (beating women isn’t exactly the most respectable thing in our culture, but hey, who are we to judge?)
This final third of the story was extremely intriguing in its analysis of just how the westerners went about imposing their authority. Starting off as merely a pitiful religious missionary force, they are accepted by the village with limited scathing glances. As they begin to take in the outcasts of that society, they being to instill their educational system to attract more followers. With a stable base, they can begin to ostracize the local people for their “cultural inadequacies.” By this time the natives may be angry, but they are losing their control over their own land and people. Finally the institutionalized government and its methods of keeping executive authority intact come in and like a flood inundate the people with foreign ideas and customs.
Resistance? Okonkwo wanted to fight them, but in reality the situation was hopeless. By a sad twist of fate it was insurmountable that the westerners were in fact superior in one regard: their war technology.
I actually liked this book…it was a very sobering depiction of something we’ve all learned about in history. I hope it’s given a lot of people a new point of view on the topic.
Causes of Okonkwo's Death: I was very surprised when I read that Okonkwo committed suicide! I would have never guessed that he would do that. I believe the reason that lead to this, was that he felt that everyone was letting the white men come into their village and take everything that was rightfully theirs. Their culture was escaping from their hands and no matter how hard he and the others tried to change what ocurred, nothing happened to save them.
He lost his son, he lost his respect as a warrior, he couldn't initiate his son's into the ozo society, he had his head shaved, was inprisoned, beat and whipped, and the white men were taking away little of what he had left from coming back from being exhiled!
He just couldn't take everything that was happening around him anymore. He must have been so overwhelmed with all the change while he was gone and couldn't accept what was gone and what had replaced his village. When Okonkwo killed one of the court messenger's he must have felt a rush of emotions and kept those suicidal thoughts to himself to the point that he actually acted out what he had been desiring. From the moment the white men came into the villages, okonkwo's life was twisted where he questioned everything and drove himself mad. When Okonkwo dies Obierika says to the District Commissionar, "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself..."(pg. 208)
Religion: The two religions mixing with each other started great contreversy inbetween the white's and the Umuofian's. The people from Umuofia had been accustomed to their way of life so many years, they relied on it and everything that made them was what their ancestors had past down through so many generations.
When Okonkwo and the five other men came to meet with the District Commissioner, I felt the D.C. was very patient and reasonable with them. In my opinion he should have come back to check up on them to see how the court messengers were treating them. What the Court messenger's did to them was unacceptable and degrading to them. They were treating them like animals and they didn't even have the courage to fight back probably because they felt so humiliated.
Questions: I don't really understand the egwugwu spirits, are they real people with masks that have been posessed by the spirits?? Did Enoch really kill one of them or just because he was unmasked he died? Did smoke really come out of the spirit's heads when they were mad or is that just an expression?
Towards the end when Okonkwo is thinking about revenge he says "Let Egonwanne talk about a 'war of blame' tomorrow and I shall show him my back and my head." Was it bad to have your head shaved? Also, when the court messengers began to whip them, it reminded me of slavery. Is this how it started?
Comments: When you start the book, you Okonkwo as a highly respected man that turned his life around to what people expected from him looking back to his father. Then in the middle and towards the end you understand why Chinua Achebe decided the story should be named "Things Fall Apart" and in my opinion the title complements the story perfectly.
Okonkwo had to have been one of the more hard-headed and stubborn people that I have ever come across in my readings. He could not come to terms with the fact that "things fall apart" (his old village and their customs) and it was actually getting really annoying at one point. Actually, his suicide did not really have much of an effect on me, as his demise seemed inevitable with how the events of the book were playing out anyways.
However, as Keith mentioned, Okonkwo's death was not just the death of a single person. With Okonkwo's death, the last of the old Umuofia village died. Without somebody like Okonkwo to stand against the tyranny of the whites, Umuofia became subjected to the will of the Europeans, and all that Okonkwo had stood for, power, dominance, and ferocity, was now gone from the village. The two cultures could not peacefully blend, and Umuofia had fallen apart.
I think the biggest surprise that we all had was the fact that Okonkwo killed himself. We all expected him to die gallantly, in a manly way, but despite our expectations Achebe decides to throw in some twist and turns. Ironic much? I have to agree with Needlam that throughout the book Okonkwo wanted to be seen as the opposite of his father, to be someone of value and be seen as strong and leader like. However the instant that he killed himself, he was exactly like his father. They both died with a bad image. That is the biggest irony in the book. The root of his problem can be said his personality, his unwavering idea that a man should be strong and “war-like.” He held on to this idea throughout the book, never once did his values change, not when he spend seven years in his motherland. That is also the cause of his tragedy from the death of Ikemefia, the departure of his eldest son Unoka, and finally the death of the white settler.
Like what Keith, Ngoc many others of you mentioned, Okonkwo’s death does not only symbolize his own end, but the ruin of the Umuofia tribe. When Okonkwo returned from his motherland, he was expecting to rise up to power in his clan; he had all those new plans on how he would accomplish that. He was going to build a bigger land, take 2 more wives, and marry off his two beautiful daughters to wealthy suitors. However, when he came back, all his plans failed, because of the white settlers. In his opinion, they ruin the very life he had dreamed of living. Because of them his war like clan turned weak and cowardly. No one forced him to kill the white settler. However in a way, his action represents his whole “idea and value’ that a man should withhold. Instead of just standing around like “women” he decides to act like a man and fight back. When he realize that “Umuofia would not go to war” he “wiped his machete on the sand and went away.” p.205 I think this was when he lost all hope of Umoufia ever returning to its original glory again, and thus he decides to hang himself rather than live in a clan that contradicts his every idea and value.
When I read the last sentence of the book and turned the page, I was really surprised to see that it was empty. It did seem like a sudden stop but when I think about it the death of Okonkwo signifies enough so that there is no need to continue with the story. His death is a symbol of the death of Umuofia’s culture and customs, all those things that we thought were new and interesting in the beginning of the book, now destroyed. What I always found interesting was how little the death of someone used to affect the people of Umuofia emotionally. But in these last pages the death of one of the commisioner’s men and Okonkwo’s suicide will only be an exciting paragraph in his book, while Obierika openly shows his grief. It shows that the customs of Umuofia seemed strange to us but were not necessarily bad, we just didn’t understand them. It also shows the evil side of the culture that we’re a little more familiar with (even the unnecessary “shut up” seemed oddly familiar).
As for Okonkwo, he did not change at all throughout the story, even when his society did so drastically. This certain conflict between man and society shows that when society changes, the individual is forced to change with it if he or she wants to survive (or at least live peacefully).
I was surprised how fast the religion caught on with everybody. The converts never really cared about the details, they just knew that they wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore and this feeling caused some of them to change and be more fearless, like Enoch. And that’s where the problem escalated even further.
Also, in the last few pages of the book, Nwoye was pretty much forgotten and hated by Okonkwo. His extreme idea of masculinity led him to believe Nwoye was even more feminine than his sister although I my myself did not see anything about Nwoye that would make him feminine.
Okonkwo had been longing to return to Umofia, and was said to “return with a flourish, and regain the seven wasted years”. Okonkwo was up for an ill matched fight against the invaders, as they planted their foundation as his was being eliminated. In Okonkwo’s absence change was met without much opposition, and he returned to a home he didn’t all too well recognize. Upon his return he had missed the culmination of the change that was being brought on by the white people. His defiance got him exiled, but it’s apparent that it was the clan’s last means of resisting foreigners. Regardless of how “outdated”, the clan’s methods were it was a means of uniting them. The clan would only be able to resist invasion as a strong singular unit. Okonkwo’s power had depreciated considerably as the book progressed and by the end he barely held any power at all. Toward the beginning of the book Okonkwo, “was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond”, but in his years of exile this had not been the case at all. His compound had been left to whither away along with the thoughts of his once held social and political stature. I do agree that Okonkwo’s death or suicide represents something larger than just himself. When Okonkwo dies to us as readers, so does his world. Umuofia is unable to survive without Okonkwo. For Okonkwo specifically, his suicide represents a last lashing out. He was still unaccustomed to the idea of helplessness and as a result acted out in the only way he knew how to, violently and ultimately he was the victim of his own violence.
I too thought that Okonkwo would die by the hand of someone else but I must admit I was utterly shocked that he committed suicide. However, I feel that in the end he ended up being the very thing he tried his whole life not to be. "womanly". I feel as though he took the easy way out by killing himself instead of beian a "man" and dealing with the changes that the white men were making. I feel as though he simply could not deal with the fact that he was no longer in control and that that the white men were more powerful than he was.
I feel as though this is the connection between "The remains of the Day" and "Things Fall Apart" both Stevens and Okonkwo can not deal with change. Granted, Stevens doesn't kill himself, but he dwells in the past. As for Okonkwo I feel as though he chose to just give up completely instead of deal with the change at all. I can now see why Ms. Clapp called this a Tragedy.
With everybody that agreed that his suicide was symbolic to the death of his culture, I agree. But its interesting when we note that Okonkwo killed himself, if his death was connected to that of his village then it would mean that in a way his village was at fault for its own destruction as well. His suicide, I also believe, was marked by ignorance. It was a symbol of defeat both in the broad cultural sense but also one in a more personal level. It was ignorance in the sense that he believed that his death would change anything in the views of his tribesmen. Here was a man that was the very image of a loyal and strong tribesman, who was exiled and ignored for seven years and when he returns no matter how hard he tries to raise his kinsmen in arms he does not succeed. I don’t know but this seemed like a personification of curiosity of a person. A man sets his culture aside when it does not fit to his developing ideals, but when the new ways bring trouble and the man wants to return to his old, he cannot because he is too deeply affected by what is new. Or perhaps I’m drawing too much from the last book. What do you think? Also, now that I’m asking questions, what’s the significance between the title of the Commissioner’s book and Okonkwos life? I mean, yea I understand the superficial connection: he part of a primitive tribe” and with his suicide he was “pacified” but is that the only connection? It feels as If I was missing something in the connection.
Upon his return to the village Okonkwo didn't get the respect back that he assumed he would, and did not return to his social status. In fact, nobody seemed to take notice of his return. His village was different because of the white men, and no longer as willing to go to war for a just cause as they had been before. He had seen the death of his culture, and took his own life because he could not take seeing what had become of it. However, I find this interesting, because this act itself is in contradiction to his beliefs, as mentioned by many already.
The clear cause of this tragedy is the white man's false sense of superiority, when they are ignorant and no more civilized themselves. Okonkwo's stubbornness and faithfulness to his culture isn't a source for tragedy, but the reason why his death is so powerful, because after learning as much about this culture as we have throughout the book, the reader sees it's death in the form of the man who embodied it. That is the real tragedy.
Okonkwo’s death stumped me. Why would he kill himself? He was supposed to be this big strong warrior with no remorse and he committed suicide after killing somebody? I was thinking about the involvement of his children – Ikemfuna, Ezinma, and Nwoke – and what they might have had to do with it. Killing a messenger of God would give him unspeakable amounts of punishment – and I think it means that he tried to avoid putting his daughter through any trauma. I don’t understand why his relationship with his daughter was so important, though, or why Ikemfuna was mentioned at the beginning. Toward the end of the book, I began to see the true Okonkwo come out, and I think that’s where he decided that he didn’t want to live anymore because of his harsh outer shell. (My response to his death jumped, I know, but because I switched between reading other posts and writing at the same time.) In the end, the book ended well. I did enjoy it, because it shows the progression of a man who is cold hearted and resentful to a man who opened up more and became a more gentle person. When his obsession with war over came him, and he realized, as Keith said, that Umuofia would not fight, and a part of him died.
I found the ending extremely sad. Knowing that he lived his life striving for greatness and ending it "like a woman would" was disheartening. However, I felt this was the way this story was meant to end. Even though Okonkwo spent his life selfish for glory he also spent it ruining other's lives. He finally realized the power of "the white man" and the church. He finally came upon a power that he could not easily overcome such as controlling his family.
Referring back to Chloe's post, I also found that quote extremely confusing. I then figured when he said "one must be firm in cutting out details" meant that Okonkwo's whole life was not what mattered. If you're a man, be a strong man. Don't back down for the sake of yourself. Sacrifice yourself and respect what is most important to you.
So the overall purpose of the book? It seemed a bit democratic the way I figured it. It kept pushing for change. Change is inevitable.
I really liked this book. It was an easy, yet challenging read because of the culture that is so different and alien to us today.
Once the “white people” had come to the village, I felt as though a rescue process was developing. Mbanta, Umuofia, and the other villages all carried darkness within them. These villages survived under the violence of the people and the constant beatings of the drums; drums which would invite the Devil into their playground and deceive more and more people to inflict violence on each other through various forms—wars, wrestling, and false prophecies. With the “white people”, who I assume are the Europeans, coming in to save Okonkwo and the others, hopefully they will learn that gaining titles through violence lacks righteousness. When the Europeans come into Mbanta, they bear with them a sense of authority and structure. Coming from towns and cities, these people are familiar with the need for humans to live under laws which punish wrongdoings with consequences. After all, the Umuofians have slain so many people for so long without any consequences. That is why they had needed the government that was provided for them by the white people; a government which highlighted justice rather than vengeance. Ever since the Europeans have coexisted with the Umuofians, there have been fewer instances of drums, drums which are meant to trigger savagery. Plus, the natives finally groomed their long and tangled hair—hair which resembled them to beasts.
Moreover, as more missionaries convert the natives to Christianity, the success indicates an evolution where people will now serve under the God’s will. Christianity was Western Europe’s predominant religion, so if the Umuofians live like the Europeans, they will be living “correctly”. I think that it is very ironic for the Umuofians to give away parts of the “Evil Forest” to the missionaries, because what will happen is that the churches that will be erected will actually bring protection from what is believed to be the evil in the area. One can infer this idea since the Europeans who settled in the “Evil Forest” were not harmed. The Umuofians have been oblivious to the fact that they have been living in this “Evil Forest” all along. They have lived in a place where many people have taken on the role of God and decided who live or die. It is a role where no one is justified to wield.
I was quite surprised by this except on page 158:
“It is not our custom to fight for our gods,” said one of them. “Let us not presume to do so now. If a man kills the sacred python in the secrecy of his hut, the matter lies between him and god. We did not see it. If we put ourselves between the god and his victim we may receive blows intended for the offender. When man blasphemes, what do we do? Do we go and stop his mouth? No. We put our fingers into our ears to stop us hearing. That is a wise action.”
I like this quote because it shows the complete turnaround of the Umuofians. They were once savage people who participated in festivals which commended violent behavior. Now, the natives have become more enlightened through the teachings of the Europeans. They now have a sense of control over themselves, unlike before, when a whole town volunteered themselves to take part in slaughtering Ikemefuna.
Okonkwo’s return to the new Umuofian comes as a surprise to him. “The clan had undergone such profound change during his exile that it was barely recognizable.” Okonkwo had been exiled for accidently killed a clansman a decade ago. In that time, the Umuofian that he left behind,when he got help from his uncle, had transformed from its warrior based culture to an actual society with schools, churches, courts, etc. Howeoever, Okonkwo’s attempts to cling onto Umuofian’s past—a past that was outmoded by new things. Children were not wrestling nor taking part in wars anymore but receiving an education that would have once deemed to be fit for a “woman”. This drastic change was all too much for Okonkwo to bear—therefore he had hanged himself, indicating the death of Umuofian tradition.
Chinua Achebe’s purpose in writing Things Fall Apart was to, like hilary stated, acknowledge the fact that the world is always changing. Change cannot be dodged. It is a force that will follow man to the very end of time. Those who are weak in accepting change will crumble as Okonkwo did.
However, I was originally thinking along the way that somehow Chinua Achebe was also commented how people can be so evil at times when they do not even know it. Achebe does not expect us to be fortunate enough to be saved by a third party like the Umuofians were. Instead, he intends for us to reflect upon ourselves so that we will save ourselves from our innate tendency to commit evil.
Overall, I didn't really like the protagonist, because his character remained rigid throughout the story.
This site will be the summer resource for students in Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Clapp's AP Literature courses. You'll come here to discuss summer reading, college searches and applications, and literary topics in general.
31 comments:
I predicted that Okonkwo would die by someone but he died by hanging himself. That was a surprise that was the last thing I would have expected him to do. Well I guess he had to do it, because he kill a messenger of God, he knows he was going to pay the consequences of what he did. I believe that was a bad move, even though he was trying to send a message, why couldn't he find another way to do it? Come to think about it, all that happen because he wants power, he wants to be on top. Everything had to go his way. When everybody decided to let the white man have their church Okonkwo call them “woman.”He was so mad at them.
In the end, I think that Okonkwo committed suicide because he could no longer undertake the changes by his clan’s customs and the whites’ law. Okonkwo wanted the ways of his clan, not just his alone. Umuofia, his fatherland, was known for its warlike traits. By falling to the Christians, Umuofia broke up and fell apart and turned as soft as women (p.183) as what Gbaby said before. I believed that Okonkwo did not pay the consequences because he killed the messenger. Okonkwo had killed others before. Okonkwo died because he did it for himself and the clan beliefs. Only by killing the messenger, Okonkwo finally realized Umuofia will never be the same (p.205). There would be no war. Okonkwo’s death was also very ironic because it contradicted to what he believed in his entire life. On page 207, Obierika explained how “it is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen.” Okonkwo wanted to prove to himself that he would not become like his weak father. However, Okonkwo’s “fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death” eventually came true. Although the act of suicide seemed as weak, I think Okonkwo found it as a way of escape from everything he believed in had fallen apart.
I want to go back to the masculinity versus femininity. There is a great inequality between them. I feel that the gender role is part of the theme of this book. Throughout the book, even until the end, Okonkwo views men as superior than women. Men are supposed to be strong. They are the ones who always take control. They are no cowards like women. However, pages 133-135 contradict this. Okonkwo’s uncle explains to Okonkwo about “mother is supreme”. Mother is supreme because she is the protector of her children. Whenever there is “sorrow and bitterness”, the mother will always provide a refuge. I don’t think Okonkwo fully understands the lesson because he still regards men as strong and women as weak. It’s quite ironic because Okonkwo is seeking refuge in his motherland when he kills a boy back in his fatherland. I would think that by killing the boy, Okonkwo would face death too. Instead, he faces seven years away from his fatherland. Because Okonkwo is a man, he has his advantages, “They [the clansmen] had no hatred in their hearts against Okonkwo (p.125).” In another situation on pages 93-94, an abusive husband gets his way because he is a man. He’s able to take back his wife by only bringing wine to his in-laws. The abusive husband doesn’t even receive any punishment for beating up his wife. I feel sad for his wife, but this is the way of these people. “I don’t know why such a trifle should come before the egwugwu (p.94),” this means that anything that goes between a man and his wife should keep to themselves. Men have the upper power.
Nevertheless, this was an inspirational story.
When I found out that Okonkwo committed suicide, I instantly thought back to the conversation between Okonkwo and Obierika. “Kill one of your sons for me.’ ‘That will not be enough,’ said Okonkwo. ‘Then kill yourself,’ said Obierika. ‘Forgive me,’ said Okonkwo, smiling. ‘I shall not talk about thanking you any more.” Beyond the societal and political reasoning behind Okonkwo’s actions and thoughts, I think that this story was about coming of age, and realization of who he really was. In his conversation with Obierika, Okonkwo demonstrated uncaring and greedy characteristics. He was willing to kill his sons, but not himself. His outer appearance was very brutal and cold. But, Okonkwo idealized this trait in that it was everything his father was not. Okonkwo was manly, strong, a provider, and completely in charge.
Throughout the entire story, I think that Okonkwo eventually comes to realize who he really was. Not until the very end does Okonkwo let go of his manly appearance. All of his actions throughout the book were a cover for his manliness. All of his killings, abusiveness, and rudeness were portrayed to contribute to his appearance of manly. Okonkwo’s final action allowed him to let go of that appearance. Through suicide, Okonkwo revealed a fault and unmanly characteristic. He showed fear, submission, and no power, which he hid throughout his whole life. Through suicide, Okonkwo took the easy way out and did not fight anymore. He easily gave up, and did not want to face the consequences of killing a messenger of God. I find it quite ironic that throughout Okonkwo’s entire lifetime he revealed such a powerful and strong man, and in the end he killed himself of fear and submitted to the new culture that was forced upon his land. I feel as though Okonkwo let down his guard, and allowed his fear to take the best of him. After all of those years of preserving his masculinity, he ended up running away from his fears.
I enjoyed reading this story and I especially liked the character Ezinma.
Okonkwo didn’t kill himself. In a literal sense, yes, he committed suicide, but he was dead by page 205 when he realized that “Umuofia would not go to war.” This final act of submission by the village represented the collapse of Okonkwo’s ideals. He was constantly battling against the standards of his tribe, becoming more and more of a slave to his customs the more he worked to preserve them. In the end, the world and the lifestyle that represented all that Okonkwo was and all that he strived to be collapsed and he was left in the dying world. Okonkwo’s death symbolizes the fact that the people of Umuofia brought all of this upon themselves. Only two white men lived in the land. The rest of their followers were locals. To speak of his death as the act of a single man is to undermine the fact that it represented the submission and defeat of the entire African people.
Okonkwo wasn’t made to change. His character wasn’t created for the sake of having a startling revelation that sexism and harsh punishments are wrong. He didn’t die because he refused to change. Okonkwo was created as a pure representation of the Umuofia people. He upheld every one of their ideals and faced the consequences of his actions even when he did something bad. This is why his death held so much meaning. He wasn’t just one person dying. He was the last person willing to fight for his culture. I definitely think there was some deeper content in the book that touched on gender relations, and it seems that this has been covered somewhat in previous posts. I just believe that it isn’t necessarily saying something bad about Okonkwo or the people of Umuofia. This is just a picture of what life was like.
I didn’t enjoy the book as much as The Remains of the Day, but I did enjoy the last third of it quite a bit.
I think Okonkwo’s suicide meant more then his own tragedy, but symbolized the end of his clan and all the values they upheld. I think he killed himself because he felt there was no more hope in believing that his tribe would survive and defend itself. That point happened when “he knew that that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape” (205). Okonkwo embodied everything his tribe represented. If the tribe wasn’t going to survive with everything he grew up knowing, then he must have thought what the point of living was. If the tribe would die, then Okonkwo’s life would have to end too.
For the case of his own tragedy, I think Okonkwo’s suicide meant more. Killing himself as Obierika said was “an offense against the earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen” (207). Okonkwo’s life goal was to be the leader of these clansmen, being completely dedicated in following every rule. So why would he end up sabotaging his dream? Anything not portraying masculinity was considered being feminine, the same accusation Okonkwo consistently used. So why did he commit such a womanly act? I think maybe it’s because he was actually scared for once or felt some type of weakness. So maybe he just felt he should kill himself for being scared. Or maybe committing a feminine act symbolized all the emotions he suppressed throughout his entire life.
I liked the book because it was something that I would never think of choosing to read on my own. Well, a lot of the books we have to read are books I wouldn’t choose on my own, but this one, for me, was especially a different kind of story with its different culture.
I agree with Gaelle in how she did not that that Okonkwo would actually take his own life. As a reader I would have thought that Okonkwo would have chosen to die honorably in battle. Okonkwo wanted nothing more than to be a successful leader in the clan. This was unable because things started to fall apart. I also agree with Stephanie that Okonkwo’s suicide symbolized the end of his clan and all the values they upheld. As long as Okonkwo was alive there was always hope that life could return to the way that it once was. No one wanted more to return to the traditional ways of the clan than Okonkwo. Everything he did were little steps he took to claim the title that he always wanted. Now that he was dead the European ideas would surely flourish quickly without much resistance.
The root causes of Okonkwo’s tragedy were his resistance for cultural change. Instead of his usual masculine, powerful, and headstrong behavior, he chose to be submissive. The goes back to the quote on page 200: “Those were the days when men were men”. The men who did not fight for what they believed in were seen as effeminate. Okonkwo no longer ruled his life with an iron fist. The missionaries were able to take everything he believed in rather quickly. I believe Okonkwo committed suicide because he did not know how to deal with his failure of being unable to restore the clan to what it used to be. Okonkwo would rather take his own life than to be seen as a failure by anyone. This goes back to the fact that he wanted to be nothing like Unoka. Unoka was ultimately a failure and Okonkwo did not to be associated with anything of that stature. Could you say that Okonkwo became the very perception that he was fighting against?
Achebe chose the perfect title to depict what happened to the traditional way of life. Everyone was comfortable with the way life was going until the missionaries came into their society with another way of thinking. When the missionaries first asked the high titles of the clan to build a clan the audience could say that this is when things started to fall apart.
It seems that as Okonkwo killed is "son" when he stabbed him, he indirectly killed his actual son. Nwoye started to become more like a "man" when Ikemefuna came along. When Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, he also killed Nwoye. Okonkwo wanted his son to become masculine and become "honored" and a warrior in the tribe. But when he killed ikemefuna, who was giving this manly influence over Nwoye, Nwoye no longer had a reason to continue to become manly, thus he converted to Christianity.
I have realized that many previous posters mentioned the fact that Okonkwo killed himself, but I found it extremely interesting how the book itself ended. The Commissioner sees nothing more of this culture than of a book. He does not realize that he has ruined a culture. What is sad is that, he doesn't see anything of it more than the book. It seemed as though everything that happened, all the tragedy and arguments are merely for a story or some "new material" that he can use. Also, the fact that he thought the "could almost write a whole chapter on him [Okonkwo]," was very surprising. His original purpose was not just to spread the Christian faith, but to create a "pacification" towards the people. Okonkwo, the one who was never weak or womanly, dies and kills himself, because the clan is already pacified by then. So taking it from a new light, Okonkwo was right, the clan did become "women" since they pacified, as how the Commisioner would put it, and Okonkwo didn't, he died still masculine and as "one of the greatest man of Umuofia."
I agree with H-Est, Okonkwo was fond of Umofia and its old customs. He was proud that the people of Umofia weren't "cowards" and "women". I am confident in the fact that Okonkwo committed suicide because of the way things became. He was so hopeful in his return, "it seemed to him that his chi might now be making amends for the past disaster" (pg 172). Okonkwo wanted to start afresh, and embrace his past misdeeds, except he couldn't achieve that because the Umofia he knew wasn't the same.
When Okonkwo returned to his motherland, it was a positive thing. I felt like it was karma, and somehow he would have to return to his motherland because he needed to be with his mother's family and learn some morals. He had condescended women so much every time he talks about their "silly stories" and other ways of behavior that he didn't approve of that something had to happen for him to go back to it. On page 34 his uncle advised him to not "let sorrow to weigh you down and kill you" because then all his family will die in exile. The first thought that came to my mind when Okonkwo committed suicide is that he was selfish because he did not put his family first, because now, his family is condemned. I also thought of how hypocritical he was because he basically did the same thing as his father, only in different ways. His father didn't take care of his family well but at least he tried, but in that way Okonkwo didn't put his family first either. The ideal and definition that Okonkwo has of a man is twisted. A man is supposed to provide for his family but that is not all there is to it. He is also supposed to care for them, show them affection and put them first which Okonkwo did not do. I think Okonkwo was successful financial wise and power wise, but in my opinion he was a failure when it came to being humane and intact with himself in an emotional or sensitive way.
I disagree that Okonkwo let go of his masculinity because he was too proud of a man to do that. The cause of the suicide was how everything changed and he felt as if he couldn't be Okonkwo the warrior or one of the leaders anymore because the missionaries were taking over. Which concludes that if he can't be a real man and he can't be that important figure in his village he'd rather not live. Being who he was was everything to him, he had worked so hard not to9 be like his father, and he probably felt like all his hard work was a waste. His son wasn't a "man", he killed someones' son, and he was in exile for seven years, all those things contributed to his death. He saw that he couldn't be the person he wanted to be anymore which caused him to take his own life.
I also enjoyed the book. It was something very different, and regardless of how bizarre i thought their culture was, I enjoyed learning about it.
When I reached the end of part three, I didn’t expect that Okonkwo out of all the men in Umuofia would commit suicide in order to escape his punishment and the transformation of his society. However, after thinking about the conclusion, I realized that the ending had been foreshadowed in previous chapters. After returning from his exile to Umuofia, Okonkwo is faced with the sorrow of watching the clan “breaking up and falling apart.” He is deeply grieved at the idea that Umuofia that was once known for its “warlike men” has changed into a society where men have “become soft like women”. Futhermore, during several other instances we see Okonkwo slowly breaking down into a weaker man after discovering that he no longer has the authority to lead his people. For example, Okonkwo constantly asks his people to “fight these men and drive them from the land”. However, they choose to ignore his advice. Similarly, when the six leaders are imprisoned in jail, we see that Okonkwo has transformed. Despite his bitterness, he does not express any anger towards others. He continues to remain quiet and builds up his hopes on the idea that perhaps Umuofia will be ready to go to war. Finally, when Okonkwo kills the messenger of the God, he realizes that “Umoufia would not go to war”. At this point, Okonkwo has completely broken down. His hopes of renewing Umuofia have shattered. Okonkwo understands that Umuofia will never be the society that it once represented. Therefore, Okonkwo abandons his “manliness” by committing suicide because he can no longer carry the burden of representing the values of Umuofia. I agree with Keith that Okonkwo’s submission is representative of the entire African community to the white people. The cultural transformation brought about by the missionaries destroys the African culture that Okonkwo once treasured.
I also found it very ironic how Okonkwo eventually transforms into his father by choosing to commit suicide. Throughout his whole life, Okonkwo despised his father for his weakness and tried to build a life where his masculinity overpowered any other trait. However, by the end of the novel, he is no longer able to maintain this façade and his weakness overcomes. Okonkwo commits a grave “offense against the Earth” and cannot be “buried by his clansmen.” Despite his numerous attempts, Okonkwo’s fears of resembling his father eventually prevail.
Overall, I liked reading this novel because it helped introduce me to an unknown African culture. However, out of all the parts I enjoyed the ending the most.
I understand the message of the book (well, kind of), I understand why every element that is introduced is mentioned, but it didn't feel like the book was complete even though it ended. My theory is that there was a lack of emotion. Okonkwo is very stoic. Even during a particularlyly emotional scene, he barely shows any emotion. Other novels with the same problem often have at least one character who does show emotion. But Things Fall Apart has a culture where almost no one shows their true feelings. Or maybe its because there are no happy parts. No one shows their joy. The people who do show their joy, I don't care about (usually the white men).
When Okonkwo died, I didn't feel sad. I just felt like his death was a way to further the plot. I have two very different feelings about his death. On the surface, the death itself, I approve of. He refused to live in a way that went against he beliefs so much that he chose death instead. In dying, he also immortalized his beliefs. Those beliefs remain unchanging through him. While the rest of the village changes, he doesn't. On the other hand, I don't like the way he died. If he were to epitomize the village's culture, he shouldn't have died in such a cowardly way. Typically, suicide is a way to run away from all your problems. The manly way to die would be to fight against the enemies regardless of the odds and die in battle. Though others may see him as crazy, at least he will be known as the man who stood for his beliefs.
Did anyone else find it ironic that near the end it says "One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph."? The entire book was about him, but he can only claim one paragraph.
This book was rather good for me. I didn't really like it, but the culture made up for it. For my standards, this is above average.
I think that what Okonkwo didn’t realize was how much his people changed. Even after he went back to his homeland, I could see that these people changed. They’ve become less violent. I understand what he did, because of how he was raised and what was done to him during his imprisonment.
I don’t think he killed himself because he was sorry for what he did, or because he was afraid of what would happen to him once the people found out what he did. I think that he realized that things had changed. His people weren’t like their old self anymore. He couldn’t handle that transition. He couldn’t stay and watch his people lose their customs and values. He finally realized that there was no way that things could still be the same. I agree with what Stephanie said, about how his death represents the death of his clan and their traditions.
This book was interesting. I got to see this whole other culture. I didn’t like the way they treated their women. It seemed like everything that relates to women or femininity is considered as weak. Like when Okonkwo accidentally killed that kid, it was considered a feminine crime. So because it was feminine it didn’t matter as much, and deserve a harsh punishment
Like I said before, it seem s like the girls are just there to serve the men, and the men can do what they want with them. Like how their not punished for beating their women. I also didn’t like the way they used violence to solve everything. But I found their folktale and traditions interesting.
I don’t really know what to say about the end. It’s just sad to see how they are viewed by these settlers. Their lives are not valued at all. To his people Okonkwo used to be a hero, a leader, someone of importance. But these outsiders these people do not matter. It will only take him one paragraph to tell the story of Okonkwo’s life.
This story was absolutely tragic. Throughout history the arrogance of western societies particularly the British has found ways to eradicate and alter distinct cultures in order to “civilize” them. They inherently believe that they are doing “god’s work” as they forcefully alter cultures and allegiances without a single qualm about how this repercussion will affect said society.
This lack of conscience is evidenced by the end of this tragedy, when the Commissioner claims that only a “reasonable paragraph” would suffice for Okonkwo, the embodiment of the culture that they ripped apart. Clearly him and his band of crusaders have failed to understand Okonkwo’s society, and subjugate them as “primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger,” (big surprise).
This cultural and societal clash between the Christians and villagers of Umuofia afflicted both groups through their political structure, justice system, religion and cultural norms. The villagers constantly questioned the commissioner's judgment asking, “does the white man understand out custom about land?” and “How can he when he does not even speak out tongue?” Additionally, even during the most civil conversation, such as the debate where Mr. Brown and an elder exchanged beliefs, both parties failed to achieve common ground. This stubbornness has transcended this tragedy as it is something that still plagues countries today.
The death of Okonkwo, as many of you previously stated, symbolized the waning flame of Umuofia. Okonkwo was the village’s alpha male, he was an embodiment of what every man desired to become. He was constantly revered as “fearless,” “courageous,” and the “best wrestler in the village.” This heavily burdened the man, as he would consistently try to live up to these expectations through beating his wives, and courageously leading the village; and at some instances he would falter when this task would prove to Herculean, particularly the end when he decapitated the white man. Also, it seemed as if his ambition prevented him from innately enjoying the beauties of life ash he still wished Ezinma “were a boy,” Although, he forged a “bond of sympathy” between himself and her.
Unfortunately however, his return to the village was too late. Their hero was not there to lead his men, and provide his people with the opportunity to retain their customs.
Moreover, as the white men continued bending the villagers to their will, Okonkwo began to feel lifeless as one by one his son, and then his fellow villagers joined the opposition. At one point Okonkwo sat down to reflect upon his son’s betrayal and how when Okonkwo was his age he was glorified by the entire village and considered a “Roaring flame.” Upon finishing his thought process his eyes fall on the “smoldering log.” This was the turning point where the village would entire a steady decline and became another part of England’s massive empire.
Ultimately, Okonkwo took his own life, which completely defied his entire philosophy of masculinity. And if a man of such extraordinary stature committed suicide, what hope is there for the rest of the village? Maybe through his death, the author is demonstrating that in order to become a truly accomplished man, you shouldn’t always try to resist change, but sometimes you should try to acclimate to differences in your society; and that Okonkwo’s wasn’t a man because despite accolades he took his own life. Because, even if your society, or in Unoka’s and Nwoye’s case, their village does not condone changes you will be following what u believe in and enjoy, and not suffer for remainder of your life like Okonkwo.
All that build up of him being a man and only doing manly things. And he killed himself. He spent all his life trying to be honored by his tribe. Trying his best to be seen as the bravest, the best and at the end he is no better than an osu to them. On the one hand by his tribe not going to war he lost all hope for his them and felt as if everything in his life he believed in, fought for, the only thing that ever mattered to him was the one worst thing it could be–soft. He knew what would happen to him when he hung himself but he did it anyways because he didn’t care anymore. He already felt like there was no hope for his clan, it would never be the same again. On the other hand he chose to kill himself rather than to conform to the new way of things. So in a way he upheld his beliefs by killing himself. The novel could be seen either way .
I agreed with Keith that this book wasn’t about a protagonist learning that he was wrong and changing himself. It was the opposite the protagonist stays the same and fights for all of his misguided beliefs until the very end. Killing himself was the cowards way out he could have taken his punishment “like a man” and still upheld his beliefs but him killing himself although broke a major law/rule in his religion still kept to his beliefs.
I never really liked Okonkwo nor his actions but I understood his need to be greater than he was ever thought to be. Everything he ever did was to be thought of as a strong man in the eyes of his people, that was all he ever wanted and he died as an outcast not even a proper warrior burial was given to him.
I too liked the book, I kept expecting it to go the usual route of the main character realizing his flaws and fixing them and when he never did it was nice for a change, very realistic.
I agree with Stephanie, Keith, and Jen about Okonkwo’s dieing symbolizing the death of the village’s culture. Okonkwo was unyielding; he was the epitome of the village’s beliefs and culture. In his death, their tradition died, too. They have succumbed to the white men’s demand; therefore, they are giving up their religion.
The root causes of Okonko’s tragedy can be from two things.
One, it’s because of England and her want of imperializing everything she can. If the missionaries never came, Okonkwo would have continued his life after he returned from exile. He would have continued a happy life and would have achieved the highest rank in the village. Everything would be fine and Okonkwo’s fire of hatred would not have gotten bigger. Because the white men did come, they quenched his fire “as though cold water had been poured on a roaring flame.” The white men and the village’s pacifying drove him to his death.
Two, it’s because of his strong-will. I applaud him for it because he stood by what he believed in until the end. However, I do agree with Chloe that suicide was not the best option because it is a coward way of getting away from his problem. However, from another perspective, suicide IS the best way to end his life. Based on Okonkwo’s character, he’s unwavering and he’s the controller of what he owns, even his own body. Therefore, it should be up to him on how he died because by letting the white men hang him, he would be succumbing into their laws and their way. His tragedy comes from his unwillingness to change but it’s also what immortalizes him. He went down as a figure, a hero perhaps, for firmly asserting his beliefs.
Like many other, I did enjoy the book. Once, it is a quick read. Two, I learned about African cultures.
I am completely shocked at how this book ended. My first reaction was that I had strong judgement towards Achebe's writing style, I just didn't expect that to be the ending.
It was a really interesting book though, I do think Achebe was able to capture Okonkwo's feelings quite well. No man can stand the amount of pressure that he had put himself under or all of the awful things that happened to him. Especially since he never did anything that made him happy, it made his life really empty and sad. I think his repressed anger and resentment were the root causes of his tragedy. However, on top of that, I think all of his actions finally caught up to him and he just couldn't handle it anymore.
I am a little bit confused though because suicide is extremely looked down upon by the clan and knowing Okonkwo and how religious of a man he was, I'm just surprised that he would do that.
Though I guess living with himself was too much to manage so I can understand why he would do it. He would have been killed by the white men anyways.
I also do agree with the thought that Okonkwo was a man of the true Umuofia culture and he can't change that. I think that he couldn't live with the clan anymore and the clan couldn't live with him either.
As I finished the book I was left with a sense of dislike. The ending of the book was a very surprising end. The way that Achebe chose to end the story with Okonkwo committing suicide was something that I would never have seen coming. I have to agree that by killing himself, Okonkwo had taken the cowards way out and had become very similar to him. I am torn on what to think on the subject of the suicide. On one side the act of committing suicide allowed him Okonkwo to set himself up once again in his tribe as a legend, but on the other hand he completely disgraced him self by doing it, as it was against the beliefs of the tribe and therefore made him a disgrace.
Looking back on the last chapter of the book I feel that Okonkwo took his life because he saw it as a more fit way to go then to give the white men the pleasure of killing him. Okonkwo was set in the fact that the white men were evil and should not change him and in the end his stubbornness to accept feminity led to the end of him. Even in death, Okonkwo remained the definition of masculinity and never gave in to the changes that were occurring around him.
Despite the somewhat rough nature of Okonkwo’s character in the book, I felt that Achebe did an excellent job in creating a very life like character. Throughout the book I expected that at some point there would be an epiphany moment, but Achebe stayed true to who Okonkwo was. If there had been a moment of transformation for Okonkwo I don’t believe I would have liked the character as much as I did.
The end of the book also seemed to signal the end of the clan and the culture that had enthralled the book. Okonkwo was the very epitome of what the culture was and he seemed to be the last one who fully represented how the clan had been before the white men. He was the last hold out and with his death; the death of the clan was also represented. The finally chapter of the book, which detailed the book that The Commissioner was writing left me with a sick feeling. The fact that such a great man would be turned into a mere detail in a book was disgusting.
I really enjoyed this book and found that I could not really put it down once I began reading. The cultural aspect of the book was so enthralling and I am grateful that I got to learn so much about a culture that usually gets a page in most history books.
You’re probably lying if you say that this story doesn’t make you feel just a bit disgusted for being white (if you are.) To me especially having grown up in Malden of all places, it seems implausible for people to act that way, but they did, and they do. People still see, just as they do in Thing Fall Apart the “different” as inherently “worse.”
Was I surprised that Okonkwo killed himself? Of course I was. The entire story led me to believe that he was so strong (or at least so entirely full of himself) that it was impossible for such a person of immense self-respect and drive to commit suicide. And yet, in that very impossibility lies the power of the action. Had it been nearly any other character, would the reader ever feel as profoundly impacted by the almost paradoxical nature of someone taking their own life? Sure it would be a bit shocking, but the fact that it was HIM who did it makes it all the more striking and all the more eerie.
Someone who the reader would never expect in a million years to give up, especially when they were so intent on fighting, when they give up, is frightening. What does that say about the nature of the blow itself which causes Okonkwo to crumble? It is all the worse because it killed the spirit of such a zealous and vital man. Despite his clear faults, Okonkwo was in all meanings of the word, honorable, even if only in the context of his culture (beating women isn’t exactly the most respectable thing in our culture, but hey, who are we to judge?)
This final third of the story was extremely intriguing in its analysis of just how the westerners went about imposing their authority. Starting off as merely a pitiful religious missionary force, they are accepted by the village with limited scathing glances. As they begin to take in the outcasts of that society, they being to instill their educational system to attract more followers. With a stable base, they can begin to ostracize the local people for their “cultural inadequacies.” By this time the natives may be angry, but they are losing their control over their own land and people. Finally the institutionalized government and its methods of keeping executive authority intact come in and like a flood inundate the people with foreign ideas and customs.
Resistance? Okonkwo wanted to fight them, but in reality the situation was hopeless. By a sad twist of fate it was insurmountable that the westerners were in fact superior in one regard: their war technology.
I actually liked this book…it was a very sobering depiction of something we’ve all learned about in history. I hope it’s given a lot of people a new point of view on the topic.
Causes of Okonkwo's Death:
I was very surprised when I read that Okonkwo committed suicide! I would have never guessed that he would do that. I believe the reason that lead to this, was that he felt that everyone was letting the white men come into their village and take everything that was rightfully theirs. Their culture was escaping from their hands and no matter how hard he and the others tried to change what ocurred, nothing happened to save them.
He lost his son, he lost his respect as a warrior, he couldn't initiate his son's into the ozo society, he had his head shaved, was inprisoned, beat and whipped, and the white men were taking away little of what he had left from coming back from being exhiled!
He just couldn't take everything that was happening around him anymore. He must have been so overwhelmed with all the change while he was gone and couldn't accept what was gone and what had replaced his village. When Okonkwo killed one of the court messenger's he must have felt a rush of emotions and kept those suicidal thoughts to himself to the point that he actually acted out what he had been desiring. From the moment the white men came into the villages, okonkwo's life was twisted where he questioned everything and drove himself mad. When Okonkwo dies Obierika says to the District Commissionar, "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself..."(pg. 208)
Religion:
The two religions mixing with each other started great contreversy inbetween the white's and the Umuofian's. The people from Umuofia had been accustomed to their way of life so many years, they relied on it and everything that made them was what their ancestors had past down through so many generations.
When Okonkwo and the five other men came to meet with the District Commissioner, I felt the D.C. was very patient and reasonable with them. In my opinion he should have come back to check up on them to see how the court messengers were treating them. What the Court messenger's did to them was unacceptable and degrading to them. They were treating them like animals and they didn't even have the courage to fight back probably because they felt so humiliated.
Questions:
I don't really understand the egwugwu spirits, are they real people with masks that have been posessed by the spirits?? Did Enoch really kill one of them or just because he was unmasked he died? Did smoke really come out of the spirit's heads when they were mad or is that just an expression?
Towards the end when Okonkwo is thinking about revenge he says "Let Egonwanne talk about a 'war of blame' tomorrow and I shall show him my back and my head." Was it bad to have your head shaved? Also, when the court messengers began to whip them, it reminded me of slavery. Is this how it started?
Comments:
When you start the book, you Okonkwo as a highly respected man that turned his life around to what people expected from him looking back to his father. Then in the middle and towards the end you understand why Chinua Achebe decided the story should be named "Things Fall Apart" and in my opinion the title complements the story perfectly.
Okonkwo had to have been one of the more hard-headed and stubborn people that I have ever come across in my readings. He could not come to terms with the fact that "things fall apart" (his old village and their customs) and it was actually getting really annoying at one point. Actually, his suicide did not really have much of an effect on me, as his demise seemed inevitable with how the events of the book were playing out anyways.
However, as Keith mentioned, Okonkwo's death was not just the death of a single person. With Okonkwo's death, the last of the old Umuofia village died. Without somebody like Okonkwo to stand against the tyranny of the whites, Umuofia became subjected to the will of the Europeans, and all that Okonkwo had stood for, power, dominance, and ferocity, was now gone from the village. The two cultures could not peacefully blend, and Umuofia had fallen apart.
I think the biggest surprise that we all had was the fact that Okonkwo killed himself. We all expected him to die gallantly, in a manly way, but despite our expectations Achebe decides to throw in some twist and turns. Ironic much? I have to agree with Needlam that throughout the book Okonkwo wanted to be seen as the opposite of his father, to be someone of value and be seen as strong and leader like. However the instant that he killed himself, he was exactly like his father. They both died with a bad image. That is the biggest irony in the book. The root of his problem can be said his personality, his unwavering idea that a man should be strong and “war-like.” He held on to this idea throughout the book, never once did his values change, not when he spend seven years in his motherland. That is also the cause of his tragedy from the death of Ikemefia, the departure of his eldest son Unoka, and finally the death of the white settler.
Like what Keith, Ngoc many others of you mentioned, Okonkwo’s death does not only symbolize his own end, but the ruin of the Umuofia tribe. When Okonkwo returned from his motherland, he was expecting to rise up to power in his clan; he had all those new plans on how he would accomplish that. He was going to build a bigger land, take 2 more wives, and marry off his two beautiful daughters to wealthy suitors. However, when he came back, all his plans failed, because of the white settlers. In his opinion, they ruin the very life he had dreamed of living. Because of them his war like clan turned weak and cowardly. No one forced him to kill the white settler. However in a way, his action represents his whole “idea and value’ that a man should withhold. Instead of just standing around like “women” he decides to act like a man and fight back. When he realize that “Umuofia would not go to war” he “wiped his machete on the sand and went away.” p.205 I think this was when he lost all hope of Umoufia ever returning to its original glory again, and thus he decides to hang himself rather than live in a clan that contradicts his every idea and value.
When I read the last sentence of the book and turned the page, I was really surprised to see that it was empty. It did seem like a sudden stop but when I think about it the death of Okonkwo signifies enough so that there is no need to continue with the story. His death is a symbol of the death of Umuofia’s culture and customs, all those things that we thought were new and interesting in the beginning of the book, now destroyed. What I always found interesting was how little the death of someone used to affect the people of Umuofia emotionally. But in these last pages the death of one of the commisioner’s men and Okonkwo’s suicide will only be an exciting paragraph in his book, while Obierika openly shows his grief. It shows that the customs of Umuofia seemed strange to us but were not necessarily bad, we just didn’t understand them. It also shows the evil side of the culture that we’re a little more familiar with (even the unnecessary “shut up” seemed oddly familiar).
As for Okonkwo, he did not change at all throughout the story, even when his society did so drastically. This certain conflict between man and society shows that when society changes, the individual is forced to change with it if he or she wants to survive (or at least live peacefully).
I was surprised how fast the religion caught on with everybody. The converts never really cared about the details, they just knew that they wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore and this feeling caused some of them to change and be more fearless, like Enoch. And that’s where the problem escalated even further.
Also, in the last few pages of the book, Nwoye was pretty much forgotten and hated by Okonkwo. His extreme idea of masculinity led him to believe Nwoye was even more feminine than his sister although I my myself did not see anything about Nwoye that would make him feminine.
Okonkwo had been longing to return to Umofia, and was said to “return with a flourish, and regain the seven wasted years”. Okonkwo was up for an ill matched fight against the invaders, as they planted their foundation as his was being eliminated.
In Okonkwo’s absence change was met without much opposition, and he returned to a home he didn’t all too well recognize. Upon his return he had missed the culmination of the change that was being brought on by the white people. His defiance got him exiled, but it’s apparent that it was the clan’s last means of resisting foreigners. Regardless of how “outdated”, the clan’s methods were it was a means of uniting them. The clan would only be able to resist invasion as a strong singular unit.
Okonkwo’s power had depreciated considerably as the book progressed and by the end he barely held any power at all. Toward the beginning of the book Okonkwo, “was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond”, but in his years of exile this had not been the case at all. His compound had been left to whither away along with the thoughts of his once held social and political stature.
I do agree that Okonkwo’s death or suicide represents something larger than just himself. When Okonkwo dies to us as readers, so does his world. Umuofia is unable to survive without Okonkwo. For Okonkwo specifically, his suicide represents a last lashing out. He was still unaccustomed to the idea of helplessness and as a result acted out in the only way he knew how to, violently and ultimately he was the victim of his own violence.
I too thought that Okonkwo would die by the hand of someone else but I must admit I was utterly shocked that he committed suicide. However, I feel that in the end he ended up being the very thing he tried his whole life not to be. "womanly". I feel as though he took the easy way out by killing himself instead of beian a "man" and dealing with the changes that the white men were making. I feel as though he simply could not deal with the fact that he was no longer in control and that that the white men were more powerful than he was.
I feel as though this is the connection between "The remains of the Day" and "Things Fall Apart" both Stevens and Okonkwo can not deal with change. Granted, Stevens doesn't kill himself, but he dwells in the past. As for Okonkwo I feel as though he chose to just give up completely instead of deal with the change at all. I can now see why Ms. Clapp called this a Tragedy.
With everybody that agreed that his suicide was symbolic to the death of his culture, I agree. But its interesting when we note that Okonkwo killed himself, if his death was connected to that of his village then it would mean that in a way his village was at fault for its own destruction as well. His suicide, I also believe, was marked by ignorance. It was a symbol of defeat both in the broad cultural sense but also one in a more personal level. It was ignorance in the sense that he believed that his death would change anything in the views of his tribesmen. Here was a man that was the very image of a loyal and strong tribesman, who was exiled and ignored for seven years and when he returns no matter how hard he tries to raise his kinsmen in arms he does not succeed. I don’t know but this seemed like a personification of curiosity of a person. A man sets his culture aside when it does not fit to his developing ideals, but when the new ways bring trouble and the man wants to return to his old, he cannot because he is too deeply affected by what is new. Or perhaps I’m drawing too much from the last book. What do you think?
Also, now that I’m asking questions, what’s the significance between the title of the Commissioner’s book and Okonkwos life? I mean, yea I understand the superficial connection: he part of a primitive tribe” and with his suicide he was “pacified” but is that the only connection? It feels as If I was missing something in the connection.
Upon his return to the village Okonkwo didn't get the respect back that he assumed he would, and did not return to his social status. In fact, nobody seemed to take notice of his return. His village was different because of the white men, and no longer as willing to go to war for a just cause as they had been before. He had seen the death of his culture, and took his own life because he could not take seeing what had become of it. However, I find this interesting, because this act itself is in contradiction to his beliefs, as mentioned by many already.
The clear cause of this tragedy is the white man's false sense of superiority, when they are ignorant and no more civilized themselves. Okonkwo's stubbornness and faithfulness to his culture isn't a source for tragedy, but the reason why his death is so powerful, because after learning as much about this culture as we have throughout the book, the reader sees it's death in the form of the man who embodied it. That is the real tragedy.
Okonkwo’s death stumped me. Why would he kill himself? He was supposed to be this big strong warrior with no remorse and he committed suicide after killing somebody? I was thinking about the involvement of his children – Ikemfuna, Ezinma, and Nwoke – and what they might have had to do with it. Killing a messenger of God would give him unspeakable amounts of punishment – and I think it means that he tried to avoid putting his daughter through any trauma. I don’t understand why his relationship with his daughter was so important, though, or why Ikemfuna was mentioned at the beginning. Toward the end of the book, I began to see the true Okonkwo come out, and I think that’s where he decided that he didn’t want to live anymore because of his harsh outer shell. (My response to his death jumped, I know, but because I switched between reading other posts and writing at the same time.)
In the end, the book ended well. I did enjoy it, because it shows the progression of a man who is cold hearted and resentful to a man who opened up more and became a more gentle person. When his obsession with war over came him, and he realized, as Keith said, that Umuofia would not fight, and a part of him died.
I found the ending extremely sad. Knowing that he lived his life striving for greatness and ending it "like a woman would" was disheartening. However, I felt this was the way this story was meant to end. Even though Okonkwo spent his life selfish for glory he also spent it ruining other's lives. He finally realized the power of "the white man" and the church. He finally came upon a power that he could not easily overcome such as controlling his family.
Referring back to Chloe's post, I also found that quote extremely confusing. I then figured when he said "one must be firm in cutting out details" meant that Okonkwo's whole life was not what mattered. If you're a man, be a strong man. Don't back down for the sake of yourself. Sacrifice yourself and respect what is most important to you.
So the overall purpose of the book? It seemed a bit democratic the way I figured it. It kept pushing for change. Change is inevitable.
I really liked this book. It was an easy, yet challenging read because of the culture that is so different and alien to us today.
Once the “white people” had come to the village, I felt as though a rescue process was developing. Mbanta, Umuofia, and the other villages all carried darkness within them. These villages survived under the violence of the people and the constant beatings of the drums; drums which would invite the Devil into their playground and deceive more and more people to inflict violence on each other through various forms—wars, wrestling, and false prophecies. With the “white people”, who I assume are the Europeans, coming in to save Okonkwo and the others, hopefully they will learn that gaining titles through violence lacks righteousness. When the Europeans come into Mbanta, they bear with them a sense of authority and structure. Coming from towns and cities, these people are familiar with the need for humans to live under laws which punish wrongdoings with consequences. After all, the Umuofians have slain so many people for so long without any consequences. That is why they had needed the government that was provided for them by the white people; a government which highlighted justice rather than vengeance. Ever since the Europeans have coexisted with the Umuofians, there have been fewer instances of drums, drums which are meant to trigger savagery. Plus, the natives finally groomed their long and tangled hair—hair which resembled them to beasts.
Moreover, as more missionaries convert the natives to Christianity, the success indicates an evolution where people will now serve under the God’s will. Christianity was Western Europe’s predominant religion, so if the Umuofians live like the Europeans, they will be living “correctly”. I think that it is very ironic for the Umuofians to give away parts of the “Evil Forest” to the missionaries, because what will happen is that the churches that will be erected will actually bring protection from what is believed to be the evil in the area. One can infer this idea since the Europeans who settled in the “Evil Forest” were not harmed. The Umuofians have been oblivious to the fact that they have been living in this “Evil Forest” all along. They have lived in a place where many people have taken on the role of God and decided who live or die. It is a role where no one is justified to wield.
I was quite surprised by this except on page 158:
“It is not our custom to fight for our gods,” said one of them. “Let us not presume to do so now. If a man kills the sacred python in the secrecy of his hut, the matter lies between him and god. We did not see it. If we put ourselves between the god and his victim we may receive blows intended for the offender. When man blasphemes, what do we do? Do we go and stop his mouth? No. We put our fingers into our ears to stop us hearing. That is a wise action.”
I like this quote because it shows the complete turnaround of the Umuofians. They were once savage people who participated in festivals which commended violent behavior. Now, the natives have become more enlightened through the teachings of the Europeans. They now have a sense of control over themselves, unlike before, when a whole town volunteered themselves to take part in slaughtering Ikemefuna.
Okonkwo’s return to the new Umuofian comes as a surprise to him. “The clan had undergone such profound change during his exile that it was barely recognizable.” Okonkwo had been exiled for accidently killed a clansman a decade ago. In that time, the Umuofian that he left behind,when he got help from his uncle, had transformed from its warrior based culture to an actual society with schools, churches, courts, etc. Howeoever, Okonkwo’s attempts to cling onto Umuofian’s past—a past that was outmoded by new things. Children were not wrestling nor taking part in wars anymore but receiving an education that would have once deemed to be fit for a “woman”. This drastic change was all too much for Okonkwo to bear—therefore he had hanged himself, indicating the death of Umuofian tradition.
Chinua Achebe’s purpose in writing Things Fall Apart was to, like hilary stated, acknowledge the fact that the world is always changing. Change cannot be dodged. It is a force that will follow man to the very end of time. Those who are weak in accepting change will crumble as Okonkwo did.
However, I was originally thinking along the way that somehow Chinua Achebe was also commented how people can be so evil at times when they do not even know it. Achebe does not expect us to be fortunate enough to be saved by a third party like the Umuofians were. Instead, he intends for us to reflect upon ourselves so that we will save ourselves from our innate tendency to commit evil.
Overall, I didn't really like the protagonist, because his character remained rigid throughout the story.
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