Okonkwo Character Analysis

To help you, my dear kinsperson, learn the importance of non permit your personal flaws be the reason for your downfall, I must tell you ab push through our former clans existence, Okonkwo. I watched as his weaknesses and pride brought him down to the point of suicide, which is the escape of cowards. He killed himself because he felt like he had nothing left to live for. Instead of facing a new-made, changed life in Umuofia, he escaped by taking his own. Before his downward spiral, Okonkwo was known as a self-determined and hard-working objet dart who worked hard to earn umpteen an(prenominal) titles amongst our clan.Listen as I explain Okonkwos character. Okonkwos father was Unoka, who was loved by all amongst the clan. He was tall hardly very thin and had a slight s likewisep. He wore a haggard and pathetic look except when he was drinking or playing on his flute (4). Unoka was lazy and had m some(prenominal) debts that he didnt pay off yet he was loved. Okonkwo grew up o bserving his dad substance through life by living off others. But Unoka was such a man that he always succeeded in borrowing more, and piling up debts (5).Okonkwo watched his father be pitied because he couldnt feed his wives or children. At his death, Unoka had no titles and he was still greatly in debt. Any wonder then that his son Okonkwo was ashamed of him? (7) Due to his fathers example, Okonkwo knew he wanted to achieve great things and he was determined he would become the opposite of his father. This aspect of Okonkwos character leads him to success. Okonkwo succeeded materially in our clan. unmatchable particular point of recognition happened when he fought Amanlize the Cat.Amanlize the Cat had not been defeated in seven years, and so when Okonkwo defeated him at the young age of eighteen he became well known throughout our clubhouse villages. Okonkwo continued to grow into a great man. He was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look. When he walked his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on springs (3). With his hard work he earned three wives, found financial security, ran a successful yam farm, produced multiple children, construct several huts, and received many titles.Unfortunately, as sometimes happens with great men, Okonkwo had flaws. He had a temper, no self-control, he was over confidant, and he beat his poor wives. His most serious flaw was his pride. safe as hed hoped, Okonkwo became the total opposite of his dad who had been a lazy debtor. His dad had as well as been a peace loving and kind man who was loved by all in our villages and Okonkwo could not say the same. An instance where Okonkwo let his pride cloud his judgment is when he participated in the killing of Ikemefuna, a son he was raising as his own son. Okonkwo thought of Ikemefuna as the perfect son.Okonkwo liked that his biologic son Nwoye and Ikemefuna were getting along because he was afraid of Nwoyes lack of manliness. Okonkwo felt that Nwoye hanging around Ikemefuna would make him more of a man. Trouble arose when the Oracle in his village decided that Ikemefuna had to die because he was interfering with Okonkwo and his oldest son, Nwoyes, relationship. Okonkwo was warned in advanced not to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna, but he did at least because he was afraid of what the other men in the tribe would think of him if he didnt participate.Okonkwo was too hard-pressed that he would be viewed as weak. His pride drove him to help kill a boy he loved as a son and this greatly harmed his relationship with Nwoye. Okonkwo was also too worried close to Nwoye becoming womanly like his father, Unoka, and he didnt realize how he was hurting his family with his ruffianly and stubborn nature. Later on there was an instance when Okonkwos carelessness leads him to accidently kill a woman from our village.The custom in our village is to acquit a man for seven years for such a crime a nd therefore Okonkwo went to his mothers village, Mbanta. As the elders said, if one finger brought oil it soiled the others (106). afterwards seven long years of exile in his mothers village, Okonkwo returned to his village eager to number 1 his life by building more huts and showing his wealth. When Okonkwo came back to Umuofia he expected his wealth to pose him in the same circumstances as before his exile. The clan had undergone such profound change during his exile that it was barley recognizable (150). You see, the missionaries had come into the church and attracted many of our people to it.This changed our clan remarkable with all the new people. He knew that he had lost his place among the nine masked spirits who administered justice in the clan (140). In addition to the new religion that is to this day so different and odd to us, they built a government. In his pride, Okonkwo figured that he could go to war with the new white people, but this turned out to be harder than he expected. Once he went to war he kept being defeated and at last Okonkwos anger got the best of him and he actually killed another man. It was useless.Okonkwos machete descended twice and the mans head lay beside his uniformed body (168). Okonkwo felt worthless, like his life meant nothing any more. Instead of facing the new changes in his clan, he went the cowardly way out through suicide. This man of our clan who had worked hard to become great in order to overcome the shame from his childhood and who had built wealth in our village allowed his pride to be his ruin. What Okonkwo did to end his own life was incredibly self-centred and he took the cowards way out.He killed others in his violent temper, he killed a boy who was like a son to him, and in the end, he killed himself. The only last noble thing Okonkwo did was try and stand up to fight and save our clan from being taken over by the white people. Okonkwo was a wedge and a warrior, but in the end everything he worked for was meaningless. Heed my warnings. Learn from your past to improve your future, but dont allow your past to cloud your judgment and make you too prideful about your own negative qualities.