Linde Fonville Two-Faced

Suppressed emotions: feelings that one chooses not to acknowledge, causing them to live

their life in an unhealthy way. Okonkwo’s father died a failure, leaving Okonkwo hating

everything his father loved.Throughout his life, Okonkwo lives in constant fear of becoming like

his father, whom was weak, womanly, and a failure; therefore, Okonkwo conducts his life in a

very different and manly manner so that others view him as strong and heroic. In Things’ Fall Formatted: Font: Italic

Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo’s tries to suppress his fear resentment and aspirations to be

nothing like his fatherand confirm his masculinity through his actions, but the underlying fear

ultimately causes the fragmenting of his relationships and contributes to the downfall of his tribe.

, ultimately causes him to live his life in fear of weakness and failure.

Okonkwo worked hard to gain success, but only because he feared he would turn out like

his father. Since Okonkwo’s father failed to leave a legacy, “Okonkwo did not have the start in

life which many young men had… But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his

father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future. It was slow and painful. But he

threw himself into it, like one possessed. And indeed, he was possessed in fear of his father’s life

and shameful death” (Achebe, 18). Okonkwo’s constant and hidden fear of his father drives him

to be successful. Not only does it drive him to be successful, but it drives him to confirm his

masculinity as well.

Throughout his life, Okonkwo seems strong and successful. He shows nothing but signs

of manliness. Underneath his outside appearance, he has a fear so deep that it occupies his daily

life. Ruled by his fear, Okonkwo constantly suppress his fear and reassures himself of his

success and masculinity. He confirms his success and power through his daily actions.

Okonkwo’s actions, to assure his masculinity to himself and others, cause his family to

live in fear and ultimately drive his son away. Okonkwo beats his wives and children and
criticizes his first son, Nwoye. Even after people told him not to, Okonkwo took part in killing

his adopted son. “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid

of being thought weak” (Achebe, 61).). Okonkwo murders Ikemefuna to uphold his masculine

image, but Nwoye finds it difficult to forgive his father for the killing of his best friend. Despite

his best efforts, Nwoye fails to fulfill the image of Okonkwo’s perfect son; Okonkwo continues

to shame and ridicule him for his womanly attitude. Nwoye retreats from his father because he

wishes to be nothing like him and seeks refuge with the Christian Missionaries. Ultimately,

Okonkwo’s suppressed fear of becoming like his father causes him to appear harsh and angry

towards his loved ones. Okonkwo did not have to take part in killing his son, but his fear of

resembling his father encourages him to take strong actions to make sure that people view him as

masculine.

Okonkwo loathes the fact that his tribe falls subject to another power and that he is no

longer in control of his community, therefore, his fear of weakness drives him to exert his

masculinity through the harsh actions towards the opposing power. He fears the weakness of his

tribe. Okonkwo fears the lack of control, and as a result, Okonkwo takes matters into his own

hands and executes violent attacks against the European’s to reaffirm his power over the land.

For example, “[in] a flash Okonkwo drew his machete […]. Okonkwo’s machete descended

twice, and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body” (Achebe 204). The fear of his father

drives him to aspire to have control of every situation, therefore, when he loses control, he takes

harsh actions to regain his power. Okonkwo realizes after his harsh actions that his tribe will not

go to war; they are confused, frightened, and weak. The uncovered weakness of Umuofia leads

Okonkwo to kill himself, leaving his tribe helpless and vulnerable against the angry Europeans.
Okonkwo’s hostile actions may leave lasting repercussions from the Europeans on Umuofia, as

well as leading to his own demise.

Although Okonkwo’s bone-deep fear seems as though it drives him to seem masculine

and heroic, be successful, it ultimately leads to the fragmenting of his relationships, the loss of

his tribe, and his demise. Okonkwo loses faith in his tribe, his son, and himself. His fear piles up,

leading him to make precarious actions when Umuofia becomes vulnerable, weak, and

unsuccessful. Okonkwo’s challenges are similar to the ones that we face in everyday life. Our

parents often push us to achieve great feat’s, whether that is in school, sports, or friends. The

legacy of Okonkwo’s father pushes him to be great, just like the pressure of our parents push us

to do have great achievements. .Many times, outside forces drive people to do great things.

Whether it is a fear or a friend, our lives are greatly affected by the others around us, just like

Okonkwo.

Works Cited Formatted: Indent: First line: 0"

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.