In every society, social forces are one of the undeniable influence that have negatively and

positively shaped individual identity. In his novel ”Things Fall Apart, ” Chinua Achebe displays a
life story of a powerful main character named Okonkwo by detailing the life experiences,
expectation and hardships when he has encountered with the European colonisation through the use
of folktale and symbolism. Achebe highlights the fact that Okonkwo’s self-confidence and
individuality are faded through the inevitable religious and social custom.
To emphasise this points, Achebe reinforces the idea that social customs strengthen
Okonkwo’s social status as a model of Umuofia society but weaken his attitude and feeling.
In this novel, it has been implied that Okonkwo was the one who pushes himself patiently to avoid
his poor chi, and he is also the most outstanding character who has high self-confidence and is self-
centred. Due to his determination, Okonkwo gains all his title, prosperity and reputation solely by
himself since he cannot rely himself on his unsuccessful father. Trying to be different from his
father, Okonkwo holds other people’s burdening expectations on himself and barely express his true
feeling. He finds that sympathy and loves should be suppressed given that it’s the sign of weakness.
This leads to the event when he killed his beloved kins to follow the decision of the Oracle, and to
show strength that he does not surrender to deep bond. For instance, the most tragic example was
when Okonkwo surprisingly know that Ikemefuna will be sacrificed according to the Oracle’s
decision, and he must not have a hand in his adopted son’s death. As shown on page 61,”Okonkwo
drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak. ” Despite a cry of
Ikemefuna asking for mercy, Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna himself, and later has a complicated grief
showing on page 63, “He did not sleep at night. He tried not to think about Ikemefuna, but the more
he tried the more he thought about him. Once he got up from bed and walked about his compound.
But he was so weak that his legs could hardly carry him. He felt like a drunken giant walking with
the limb of a mosquito. Moreover, after committing a harsh decision, he tried to distort his mind by
thinking that it’s the right action for a decisive man illustrated on page 65, “ Now and then a cold
shiver descended on his head and spread down his body. When did you become a shivering old
woman.You, who are known in all the nine village for your valour in war? How can a man who has
killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo. ”
Even though the villagers repute him as a strong man after Ikemefuna’s death, he contrastingly felt
broken inside because he puts the one who truly loves, trust and respect him as a father into death.
In conclusion, other people’s expectancy might make Okonkwo proud to follow, but it’s better for
him not to follow all other’s indirected command, especially murdering Ikemefuna given that such a
mistake will leave an anguish, which haunts him forever.

In the later part of the novel, Achebe also highlights how social forces and changes have
force Okonkwo to commit suicide based on Okonkwo’s self-perspective opposing with the
European’s. In chapters twenty to twenty five, Achebe reveals contrasting ideas within Okonkwo’s
chaotic mind, supported with the tone of mourning and bitterness as well as using hopeless diction
in describing the changes that he faces. After reading part I and II, it can be easily observed that
Okonkwo was a prideful and stubborn person, and he always follows other’s expectations to erase
his poor family background, and by killing his beloved kin as mentioned in the above paragraph.
Those actions show that he allow other’s expectation to rule his life. It suppresses and ruins him
from inside causing him great anxiety. In part III, various events that happen after his arrival from
exile add on to his depression. For instance, as stated on page 182, “Okonkwo’s return to his native
land was not as memorable as he had wishes.” and “Umuofia didn’t appear to have taken him any
special notice of the warrior’s return. The clan had undergone such profound change during his
exile that it was barely recognizable.” This reveals that he lost his importance in the society. From
this change, according to the last paragraph on page 183, “Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was
not just a personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and
he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women.”
He also realizes, “Worthy men are no more.” His desperating opinion shows that he had lost faith in
himself and the clan, and he has no power to resist his bitter destiny anymore, so he decide to end
his life. To conclude, the factors that harm Okonkwo and led to his scandalised death were primarily
because of social forces, pressure and expectation, but in the end it solely depends on his lost of
pride, acceptance and attention. He can’t accept the change when people start to value other ideal of
strength such as education not power, so it seem to him being viewed as weak and worthless person.
When he isn’t powerful and respectful anymore, he hang himself persistently showing that he
would rather be broken than bend.

Therefore, the overall theme within, Chinua Achebe’s novel reflect both benefit and harm of
influence of social and religious custom toward identity. In connecting Okonkwo’s and other
characters’s perspectives and experiences, it is not difficult to see that Okonkwo’s personality has
been distorted by other people’s expectation, traditional believes and unexpected changes, which
devalue his Igbo tradition. Finally, although social forces sometimes strikingly impact a person and
are expected to be followed, this novel portrays the sense of how social forces and pressure can
suppress one’s real personality and left each individual with chaos, sorrow and depression.

Therefore, people should be flexible as well as being consistent to their individuality.

Build on how he got self confidence(bg)

我外婆有两个⼆我的妈妈叫pooi。今年四⼗岁了。他在泰国出⽣。他现在是⼀个商⼈。从⼩
到⼤，我妈妈很漂亮也可爱。她的个⼦是⼀⽶六。她的体重是七⼗公⽄。她有⽐较⽩的⽪肤，
因为他是⼀般中国⼈。她的个⼦是⼀般。她有点⼉胖，因为他喜欢吃东西。她有圆脸和直头
发。他的短头发和眉⽑⿊⿊的。妈妈的眉⽑很浓密跟外公⼀样。她有棕⾊的原眼睛，不笑也
不⼤，可是眼神很锐利。她有疗效的肩和⼤⼤的肚⼦。妈妈喜欢穿连⾐裙，眼镜和⿊⾊的鞋
⼦。她也喜欢穿短裤。妈妈做饭做的很好吃。除了做饭以外，我妈也会唱歌。她唱歌唱的⾮
常厉害，因为他从六岁开始唱。