“Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper…”

Okonkwo was obsessed with proving his masculinity, he was harsh with his children and wives. The wives feared him and in sometimes try to protect one another for he was constantly beating his wife.  While some may think that beating a woman is what makes you a real man, I agree with the others who say that beating a woman only proves that they are really weak at heart.

“Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man.”

This quote reveals that Okonkwo  acted in such manner in order not to seem like a weak man.  He mistaken the concept of masculinity which led him to commit such ubsurd actions. Also  he constantly remembered his father whos was a nobody, and feared of ever becoming like him.  

"Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still preferred the stories that his mother used to tell, and which she no doubt still told to her younger children."

Nwoye’s  thoughts were opposite of okonkwo’s, he didn’t give as much importance to being masculine as okonkwo did.  Eventhough he was  forced to act in a masculine manner in order to please his father, Nwoye  inner self  wasn’t so concern of being masculine.  This is proven by the fact that he preferred his mother’s stories rather than his father’s masculine ones.

"He could hardly imagine that Okonkwo was not his real father. He had never been fond of his real father, and at the end of three years he had become very distant indeed."

The great bond between  Ikemefuna and onkonkwo developed in ekemefuna a great affection towards okonkow . even though okonkwo is not his real father ikemefuna sees him as if he were.  Therefor he shows no fear as he is being taken into the woods to get killed.

"He was a man of action, a man of war,"

 This quote is a representation of okonkwo’s reputation. He was known as a man of great strength and character who’ only fear was weakness and failure. But not only was he a man of action but a man of authority who ruled over his views and children. Okonkwo was very determined to maintain his manly reputation.

Introduction Post

I am reading Things That Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, this novel is about a wealthy and respected warrior  by the name of  Okonkwo. unlike his father, who was a nobody  always in debt and died having nothing, Okonkwo was able to become a classman, warrior, and farmer.Okonkwo is a leading mamber of the Umuofia clan, well respected in his community and seen as a role model by many.