Why is Okonkwo afraid he will turn out like his father?

Okonkwo grew up ashamed of his father, Unoka, who was lazy, weak, and enable to provided comfort and food for his family. As Achebe describes, Unoka “was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow” (p4), “He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat” (p5). Unoka, was known on the village as a debtor since he owned every neighbor and people would laugh at him.  Okonkwo saw on his father the image of a man who he wouldn’t want to become; consequently, “was ruled by one passion – to hate everything that his father had loved” (p13). Because he spent his life afraid he would turn out like his father, he tried hard to be the opposite. He was a hard worker, provided food and comfort for his family, created his own wealth, and became a macho. In fact, he was the opposite of Unoka. He ignored his own feelings because it was sign of weakness, for example, he beat his wives and children, specially his oldest son, Nwoye, who was very similar to his grandfather. Another example is when Unkowko killed a boy called, Ikemefuna, whom lived with him for 3 year and called him Father. He decided to kill the boy because, “he was afraid of being thought weak” (p61).  However, deep inside he was hurt after killing the boy and we learn that he couldn’t eat for two days. Although he was suffering, “whenever the thought of his father’s weakness and failure troubled him he expelled it by thinking about his own strength and success” (p66).

Second: Choose one good quote from the story that you like. Explain the meaning of the quote in your own words. Also, explain why you like this quote and how it relates to your question.

Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after the death of Ikemefuna. He drank palm-wine from morning till night, and his eyes were red and fierce like the eyes of a rat when it was caught by the tail and dashed against the floor. He called his son, Nwoye, to sit with him in hisobi. But the boy was afraid of him and slipped out of the hut as soon as he noticed him dozing. (63)

  

Even though Okonkwo thought it was right to kill Ikemefuna, because he didn’t want to appear to be weak and the boy was not his real son, Okonkwo feels extremely hurt and guilt. Since Okonkwo lost appetite for two days, it shows that he loved Ikemefuna as his own son and couldn’t take his mind out of him. He calls Nwoye to stay by him, but now he fears his father. Maybe he thought that if Okonkwo could murder his son Ikemefuna who he loved, he could possible do the same to the one he loved less.  

I like this quote because after reading chapter 7, I was terrified with the death of Ikemefuna and didn’t want to keep reading. However, turning to the first page of chapter 8, the tears I was holding finally rolled down in my face while reading how miserable Onkonkwo was feeling. It shows that he wasn’t a completely monster, but just a poor man lost own his own soul. Who wasn’t strong enough to protect his own son, Ikemefuna. 

Third: Choose one scene (event) in the story that you like and describe why you like it.

My favorite scene is when Onkonkwo calls the two boys, Nwoye and Ikemefuna, “to sit with him in his obi, and he told them stories of the land” (p53). I like this scene because it is the first time I saw Onkonkwo being a father to Nwoye, who was neglected by his father his whole life. Nwoye was more similar to his grandfather, Unoka, and for this reason Onkonkwo and Nwoye didn’t get along. Even though Nwoye didn’t like stories of war, he enjoyed setting with his father and his brother to hear the stories and to eat together. It was a happy moment for all of them.