Linde Fonville Two-Faced

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

their life in an unhealthy way. 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

Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo tries to suppress his fear and 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.

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 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, 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. . 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, other’s

actions greatly affect our lives, just like his father affected Okonkwo.

Works Cited

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