Wow, I cannot believe the end of the
summer is almost here! This is the last blog post for our summer reading
of Things Fall Apart. I hope you have enjoyed reading and
discussing the book. We will be doing much more of the latter once school
starts up later this month.
I am happy to see that many of you took
my constructive feedback to heart and really applied it to your posts. Keep up
the good work! If you missed a post, be sure to make it up ASAP.
Before we move on to our discussion,
I’d like to take a minute to urge all of you to come prepared to the first day
of school. You will need your book and any notes you have taken. Also, you will
need a 3-ring binder and 5 dividers. Preparedness is essential
to do well in this class.
Now, onto Things Fall Apart.
The final five chapters of the book
left my head spinning. So much happened and I was left with so many questions.
Did anyone else find Okonkwo’s death sudden and anti-climatic?
Discussion Questions:
Many changes occurred in the last 5
chapters. Describe how Okonkwo’s reactions differ from his clansmen as the
“White men” take over Umuofia. Provide details from the text and incorporate
your thought process as you read.
Finally, do you consider Okonkwo a
hero? Why or why not? Please be specific here.
Be sure to answer each part of the
discussion topic and support your answer by using specifics from the text.
~Mrs. K
"In the end Mr. Brown's arguments began to have an effect. More people came to learn in his school, and he encouraged them with gifts of singlets and towels." (82%) The people of Umuofia did not trust the missionaries and stuck obdurately to the traditions of their fathers. By and by they began to accept this new way of life and vigilantly approached it and incorporated parts of it into their everyday lives. Many of the people began attending the schools taught by the missionaries and became interested in their manner of life.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning Okonkwo was an obstinate man. He was very traditional and worshipped and lived as he was always taught. When the clan began converting to the ways of these missionaries, Okonkwo still found it odious and refused to tolerate it. After the messengers imprisoned him, Okonkwo unequivocally despised them and swore his vengeance. "As he lay on his bamboo bed he thought about the treatment he had received in the white man's court, and he swore vengeance." (90%) Okonkwo was not a forgiving man and after the uncivil way he had been treated, he was prepared to go to war against the settlers.
His hunger for war was exactly what ruined his heroism. Okonkwo was a brave man. He was equipped to defend his land and his family and didn't have the slightest problem with doing so. However, he was too quick for blood and too slow to comprehend clemency. He was vengeful, bloodthirsty, and heartless. He despised weakness and evaded any novel postulations for fear that they were infelicitous. Okonkwo killed a child and a man because of this fear. It eclipsed him and his turned his steadfastness to recalcitrancy. He was corrupted by his own strengths.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, and throughout Okonkwo’s life, Okonkwo was determined to live his life as a strong, invulnerable man. He tried to never have “feelings,” and he was always skeptical about everything he encountered. His personality doesn’t change when the missionaries, or the “white men” come. Just like the others, he came across them carefully. But unlike some of the others, he turned away promptly. He didn’t want anything to do with the missionaries. He was immensely upset when his own son, Nwoye, who he had spent so much of his time and effort to make him become strong and invulnerable, turned his back hastily on his father and joined the missionaries. Now we can see why this would have made Okonkwo so angry. He had seen a reflection of his father through his son!
I can also see why he would react so negatively when the whole town of Umuofia starts to join the missionaries and let the white men take over. He had already seen his son go away, and to see a whole town do the same thing must have been agonizing for Okonkwo. “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 (246 iBooks version).”
In every story, there is a hero. It doesn’t matter if he/she is good or bad, there is a hero. Each “hero” goes on what’s called a “Hero’s Journey,” in which they take a journey where they face many obstacles and trials, but they progress along the voyage. In the book Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is the hero of the story. Now Okonkwo is far, far, far from perfect! But, again, every hero is imperfect at the beginning. As Okonkwo goes on his “hero’s journey,” he faces obstacles and trials, just like any other typical hero. But what’s interesting here is that any typical hero in the hero’s journey has progressed and advanced drastically when they neared the end of their journey. However, Okonkwo doesn’t show that kind of growth. Yes, he did improve throughout the story, but he never really got to the point where things were well and everything was peaceful for him. That’s where it’s interesting of the unlikeness of Okonkwo’s journey and any others’ hero’s journey. Okonkwo never got his highest, peaceful point at the end of the story. So I say yes, Okonkwo was a hero, but no, he wasn’t a typical hero. He never progressed the way that most heros do. He was too stubborn.
Okonkwo returns to Umuofia with a hopeful heart that the majority of the people have turned away from the "white men's" preaching, and that the people will welcome him greatly... that he can be at peace at home. He is quickly reassured the exact opposite. The missionaries have not only turned the people to their religion, but they have built a whole new community! They had built a trading store, a school, and even a courthouse. Also, Okonkwo was greatly agitated that his return was only noticed by a couple of people and families. All of this was caused by the white men. Okonkwo was not near to forgiving and forgetting. He wanted revenge. He despised that they rest of the clan didn't think as murderous as him. "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." (183)
ReplyDeleteI believe that most of Okonkwo's anger came from Nwoye abandoning him and his family for the idiotic, false white men. Okonkwo blames them for the loss of his son, but it wasn't completely them. The truth is, Okonkwo had already lost his son long before the missionaries came. Nwoye may not have noticed, but he had wanted to leave his father when he discovered the death of his best friend, Ikemefuna. The missionaries were just the final peak and excuse to leave. This whole situation is probably the prime reason of Okonkwo's anger.
Okonkwo's fellow clansmen did not have this experience of "betrayal", so they do not have the unwavering, savage ferocity. They also do not have the same weak temper. Therefore, they do not have much of a reason to loathe the white men as much. The only reason to dislike them, is that the white men are telling them something completely different that contrasts with what they have been taught from their fathers. But the white men are smart, patient, and clever. They use smart words to form smart sentences to either confuse or convince the clan of their goodness. "He (the white man) came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one." (176) Only the faithful, loyal, and committed ones (Okonkwo) stay with their beliefs.
Okonkwo's faith, loyalty, and commitment shows throughout the entire book. Now as we look at his progress throughout the book, yes, he was a lot worse at the beginning. His temper became much stronger, but most importantly, he learned lessons to be better. Isn't that the main point of a hero? To become better, and be a hero for themselves? When he killed that boy on that one night, it was an accident. That's what heroes and ordinary people do! They make mistakes, then they use that mistake as a lesson to never do that again, and become better. His heroism showed throughout the entire book (even though he made some pretty bad mistakes).
Now, all of the "becoming better" stuff, all of the heroic stuff was lost when he killed himself. I knew he would become amazing... maybe the best hero ever, but then he made the biggest mistake of all.
Okonkwo just could not swallow the anguish and suffering and disappointment any longer. He didn't want to continue watching his people lose their bravery, and give up to the white men. So he decided to give up his life's work of not being a coward, and become one. Every second of every day, he would push away the feelings of sympathy and weakness, and replace it with hard, cold strictness. Okonkwo put in so much effort, but still ended up like his cowardice father.
Okonkwo was very different compared to his other clan members. A lot of the members listened to the white men or missionaries' words. Okonkwo just wanted to fight the white men and to try to kick them out of Umuofia. However, they had converted so many of the village to the new religion and had made a new community and even trading stores and a courthouse. All throughout Okonkwo's life, he just wanted to be the fearless and strong man. Everybody respected him, but when Onkonkwo was forced to leave because of the murder of Ikemefuna. When he returned after 7 years, he wanted and even thought that he would receive a huge welcome to his original home, but when he found out that that did not happen, he got very angry. The white men had converted so much of the villages people!
ReplyDeleteHe was also extremely frustrated when he found out that his clan was not as "warlike" as before. "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." (183)
Near the end of the novel, when the whole nine villages gathered together to discuss the white man dilemma, a messenger from the missionaries came to them. When he tried to pass, Okonkwo would not let him. He demanded the messenger to tell him why he wanted to pass through. He did tell him saying boldly, "The white man whose power you know too well has ordered this meeting to stop". (204) Okonkwo immediately drew his machete. He cut the head off of the messengers body. This was the man Okonkwo wanted people to know him as. The man who would stand up for his village, even if killing someone is wrong.
In the next chapter, we, the readers, find out that Okonkwo has hung himself. I was confused at first why he would do this to himself. However, I think it was probably because he got sick of the white men taking over the village.
Overall, I think in the beginning of the book, he was indeed a hero. He threw off the cat and people respected him. Later on in the book though, I began to think of him as not of a hero. He killed his son, and made Nwoye want to leave his family, before the missionaries came and later converted him. He was a leader to the clan because he always took control of a situation, but in my opinion, he wasn't a hero at the end of the book. Maybe in the beginning, but not now. He ended up like his father, an ignorant man by committing suicide.
Though it sounds weird, Okonkwo is the old people of our day. He is stubborn and stuck in his ways, and much like the rest of us, he is scared of change. This is completely understandable, change is scary, but necessary. In the book it says,"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." (183) Needless to say, he mourned for change. Humans are creatures of habit, and it's definitely not easy to make/break habits. But while Onkonkwo saw his world crumbling under him, others saw it as something that needed to happen. While they were all moving on, he was stuck behind. That is a hard thing to deal with, and it didn't help that he was treated poorly in this new society. Okonkwo has had to deal with a lot of things in his life, much was self-inflicted, and in my honest opinion this was the blow that broke him.
ReplyDeleteI have a different opinion than Tess. I don't think every story has a hero. I think that every story has people in it, and sometimes while everyone else is busy with their own life, there is no hero there to save them. So sometimes, you just have to be your own hero and save yourself. I think the biggest fault in Okonkwo is that he always wanted to be what everyone else thought he should be. Everyone thought that he should be strong and untouchable, and so that was what he tried to be. He was always so caught up in being everyone else's hero, that he couldn't muster up the strength to be his own. I think that he tried to be the hero, and he failed, and he was hurt. He had to find some sort of relief, some sort of release from all of the pain that he felt. He needed somebody to be his hero. All of his life he had to figure things out on his own. He had to go through life dealing with everything all by himself. He just needed someone to be there for him, to help take away some of his responsibility and pain. But because he was always trying to fulfill everyone's vision of him, he pushed away the people that mattered most. He pushed away his family, pushed away his friends. There was no one for him to turn to. He needed a way out and he found that through suicide. That to me is so devastating. He was so blinded by pain that he couldn't see what he needed most in his life, he couldn't be his own hero. What is so sad to me though, is that he let one moment of sadness take away a lifetime's worth of moments of experiences. He can't see his children grow, can't meet his grandchildren. He can't laugh at any of the funny things that happen through the day. He can't feel the pain of sorrow and loss when a loved one dies. He can't experience any of that, and all because of a moment of lost hope. That is more horrific than anything else in the book. I think that Okonkwo tried to be a hero, and that is heroic. But I also think that suicide is a cowardly way out. You should have the guts to just push through it, even if it's hard. So in conclusion, I don't think that Okonkwo was/wasn't a hero. I think that he was just a person, and he was scared. People do strange things out of fear.
When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia he is shocked that the “White Man” has seemingly taken over. As the “White Man” came, Umuofia didn’t run them off. The white man became somewhat friends with the leaders of Umuofia. “Whenever Mr. Brown went to that village he spent long hours with Akunna in his obi talking through an interpreter about religion. Neither of them succeeded in converting the other but they learned more about their different beliefs.”(137) Through this Mr. Brown learned how their culture worked. By this he was able to in a way deceive the men of Umuofia. When Enoch, a church member who had been cursed, “killed” an egwugwu the clan was furious and wanted him dead. They destroyed the church looking for him. Later on six men, including Okonkwo, are taken into prison and beat heavily. When they got out, Okonkwo got so mad he killed the chief messenger. The others escaped and Okonkwo hung himself. I think of Okonkwo as a hero. He didn’t want his land to fall to its doom because of a new religion. He stood up for what he believed in and stuck with his decision. The rest of his war-like clan had become soft. They were too afraid to fight for themselves. In the end they became slaves for that. Okonkwo believed in his clan when they fell. When the clan fell he took matters upon his own hands and tried to save the clan. He killed himself so that he wouldn’t have to suffer so greatly again.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo's clansmen want to be peaceful about solving their problems with the Christian community. They state this by saying, "When a man blasphemies, what do we do? Do we go and stop his mouth? No. We put our fingers into our ears to stop us hearing." Okonkwo wants to go and make them leave. He states this by saying "Let us not reason like cowards. If a man walks into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I just shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head." I believe that Okonkwo thought he was being a hero. I also think that right before he hung himself he realized that the only thing he really was doing was making it harder for all the clanspeople.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo has always reacted different from the other villagers. He reacted in a similar way when the white men came and brought changes though. He laughed at first and brushed there foolishness off his shoulder. But when he came back to his fatherland and many people had converted and everyone was talking about Christianity his views changed. He wanted the white men gone. He was willing to go to war. The other clans men saw that the new church was bad but, they did not see as Okonkwo did. Okonkwo hated everything the white men did. He hated there government and was very closed minded about it. The other villagers were more opened minded although they did not like it. After a egwugwu was murdered others started see what Okonkwo was seeing in the new religion.Okonkwo and five other respected men had been imprisoned for the three days. While imprisoned they were treated very poorly. This made the entire village furious. They called a meeting in the market place the next to discuss what would happen next. While at the meeting Obierika asked Okonkwo if he was afraid Egonwanne would talk the clan out of war. Okonkwo then answered, " Araid? I do not care about you. I dispute him and those who listen to him. I shall fight alone if I choose." (Location 2179) Obierika knew the rest if the clan would not react thus way. Not five minutes later when the white men showed up Okonkwo proved his point by decapitating the head messenger. This showed how different he was from the rest of the clan. His bold move also showed he was hero in his own way. He always did what he felt was the best thing to do. Although his anger often got the best him he was a very good man. He was a hard worker and very respected in both his motherland and fatherland. He ruled his home as a man should, with an iron fist. Okonkwo was wise and he rely did care about his family. He was a hero right up to when he died. He hung himself to show he would give into the white men, he would sooner die. Obierika's quote about Okonkwo showed what a hero he really was." That man was one of the greatest in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog..." (location 2247) Okonkwo was a hero in his own special way.
ReplyDeleteThe white men have started to control everyone’s lives. Okonkwo has never liked being controlled and is livid. Okonkwo wants to start a war but it is too late. Obierka puts it this way “Our own men and our sons have joined their ranks.”(151). Most of the clansmen aren’t very upset and wanted peace. Overall Okonkwo was just so much more determined than anyone to drive the white men out of the land. In some people’s minds that might make Okonkwo a hero, but for me he isn’t one. Okonkwo was too swallowed up in pride to be a hero. An example of this pride is when he killed someone in order to make himself look strong.
ReplyDeleteI thought that he seem more bothered by the white people that everyone else was because he was the one whoe wanted to start a war against them. He was also the one mostly against them. He says,"they have broken the clan and the have gone their several ways." That means to me that he thinks that every one is becoming like them so he wants to kill them to stop the people from becoming like them.(91%) There was also when he killed the messenger showed how much he hated the white people than the others did. This in which caused him to seam a little made and kill himself.
ReplyDeleteNo I do not think he is a hero be cause of how he acted and what he did to himself and the messenger. He should of been smarter and kinder to the people he cared about and been nice to his family. That caused his son his adoptive son to die because of his religion. There also how he is always trying to beat his dad in every this made him a cruel and mean person.
The way that Okonkwo felt was different than many of the other clansmen. "There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation."Okonkwo wants to drive them out of the land or kill them. Okonkwo also thinks that it is making them soft and not warriors. Others think that "the white man had ideed brought a lunatic religion, but he had also built a trading store and for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia." The trading post had made some of the clansmen not want the white man to leave because they are probably making money from them. It was one of the things that made some of the clansmen reluctant to drive them out.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Okonkwo is a hero. He could not control his anger and took his anger out on the messenger. He was then a coward and took his own life instead of facing the consequences of his actions. All he wanted to do was to fight and kill the white man. He was not a hero in any way just because he killed someone.
The arrival of the “white man” changed the clan’s ways of life. It talks about schools being built (pg181-182) and many of the people learning and getting jobs. Not only was a school built but a trading system were they could trade more of their goods. Mr. Brown was one of the reasons these changes didn’t arouse fighting amongst the whole clan. “Mr. Brown came to be respected even by the clan, because he trod softly on its faith” (pg178). These changes bothered Okonkwo greatly. Because of them his arrival from exaltation wasn’t as big of an event as he had hoped. He wasn’t honored the way he always hoped for. “Mr. Brown himself was breading down in health. …But in the end he had to leave” (pg182). The new reverend, Reverend James, came things got worse. He did not tread as lightly about faiths and made many mad. Okonkwo got more and more infuriated. He was already haunted by some of his previous actions and after being captured and killing the messenger, he snapped. In the end Okonkwo’s need to not be a coward like his father killed him. He couldn’t cope with what he had done when he thought he was being brave and courageous. “It is an abomination for a man to take his own life” (pg207). Okonkwo ended up being the exact kind of man he fought every day not to be.
ReplyDeleteThere are many things Okonkwo did that I believe were wrong. He killed many and ended up killing himself. I wouldn’t judge him too hardly for the fact that like everyone in the world he had ghosts that haunted him. He couldn’t get away from them and looked to the last option in his eyes. I don’t think he was a hero because of the many horrible things he did. At some times he may have been, like when he stood up for his beliefs (pg204) although it ended in him killing another man. Because of the many times he wasn’t acting like a hero I don’t’ think he was one.
Okonkwo was very set in his ways, in the ways of his father's. He did not like to differ from them and wasn't going to compromise. Okonkwo wanted war and as his last stand, he beheaded the Christian messenger. 'He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers get away.' Location 2221) Okonkwo was very disappointed by his brethren. They were being cowardly and according to the text, womanly. This discouraged him enough to hang himself.
ReplyDeleteI think that Okonkwo standing up for what he believed was right and his father's traditions is heroic. He still tried to follow what his people had been living so long, while others fell away from that into Christianity. However the fact that he hung him self is not heroic. A hero would have stayed through it all and helped those who were trying to do the same thing.
Okonkwo I found hardly agreed with the other villagers, he was going to get revenge even if no one was going to help him. "As he lay on his bamboo bed he thought about the treatment he had received in the white man's court, and he swore vengeance. If Umuofia decided on war, all would be well. But if they chose to be cowards he would go out and avenge himself." (pg. 199) He also thought when he returned to Umuofia that the men were acting like women. "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." (pg. 183) He was disappointed that he had lost the chance to take the highest title in the clan. But wasn't going to give up just because he had been in exile for seven years. When Okonkwo and the other men had been imprisoned by the white men Okonkwo realized that he had been treated horrible. And that's why he killed the messenger with his machete. I don't look at him as a hero because the things he had done in his past. A hero wouldn't kill himself just because he doesn't know what to do with himself. He gave up by killing himself.
ReplyDelete"There were many men and women in Umuofia Who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation."(178) This right here shows that he has some of the strongest feelings against the new things that are happening. His feelings were also displayed when the church leader, Mr. Brown, came to visit him. "As soon as he had learned of Okonkwo's return five months earlier, the missionary had immediately paid him a visit. He had just sent son,Nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to the new training college for teachers him. And he have hoped that Okonkwo, would be happy to hear of it. But Okonkwo had driven him away from the threat that if he came into his compound again, he would be carried out of it."(182) This shows how mad he still was about his son and how much he hated the new religion and lifestyle. At the end of the book I don't think I consider Okonkwo to totally be a hero. I thought that it was cool how he stood up for what he believed in, but I think that killing himself would make him a coward in his own definition.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo was a man who loved the old ways too much. He was afraid of change, and that was his undoing. He mourned the times when Umuofia was more warlike and violent. "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 life women." (183). While the other people in the clan were flexible and adapted, Okonkwo stayed stubborn. When he killed one of the messengers, he realized he had no chance of reclaiming the men who once were, and that was what broke him.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Okonkwo was a hero. He tried very hard to be, and almost was at one time, but he had very few heroic qualities. He was stubborn, and blinded by his own ambition. He was brave, yes, but he was also unnecessarily violent. As Maddison said, suicide was the cowardly way out. He tried too hard, and that drove him to do regrettable things, had he lived.
It's much of a disappointment to Okonkwo, as we all know he desired fame and a good name of Umuofia. Okonkwo believes that if they do not wipe out the white man and his ways the clan will fall apart. This is greatly represented in Chapter Twenty One pg. 129, "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." Others in the clan believe that to leave them alone would be a better custom and show more respect allowing them to worship their own God, separately.
ReplyDeleteI believe that as in my eyes and my beliefs Okonkwo would not be a hero, he looked for pride, fame, and glory in himself. He wanted to be powerful and honorable to his beliefs. In Umuofia's eyes I think that Okonkwo could look like he was a hero, trying to save them from the white man and the white man ways.
Okonkwo believed that the white men should have been killed immediately, but nobody agreed with him, saying that they were harmless. I believe Okonkwo felt more strongly about them being removed because they were stealing his "spotlight". It says "Okonkwo's return to his native land was not as memorable as he had wished. Umuofia had not taken any special notice of the warriors return." (153). As the clansmen were discussing the white men they said, "He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one." (129). My thoughts while I was reading that were that Okonkwo did not need to worry as much about fighting against his brothers because he never had any real brothers of his own.
ReplyDeleteEven though the clansmen in Okonkwo's obi said that it was an abomination for a man to take his own life, I think that they still believed that Okonkwo was a hero. Obierika says "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog." (151). I am not sure what the missionaries thought of it, but the commissioner believed him to only be an interesting chapter in his book. I believe that Okonkwo was a hero. He may have been an awful man to be around most of the time, but my faith in him was restored just a little bit when I read about he and Ezinma. He was trying to defend his culture and the things that he believed in, which is not too different from the people and religions known today.
Okonkwo wanted to do war as soon as possible. He wanted revenge for what the “missionaries” did. He wanted them to leave Umuofia, whether by force or not. He began to get angrier and angrier as the “missionaries” did certain things that kept upsetting him. His clansmen wanted to talk to the “missionaries”. They wanted to have the “missionaries” leave peacefully. Soon, the clansmen decided to fight, and to remove the “missionaries” anyways. I thought that Okonkwo was a man of action. He wanted to do something productive. He also saw himself as a good warrior, and loved to fight in wars. I also thought that he was very anxious to get the “White men” to leave. He kept telling the other clansmen to fight. “”We should have killed the white man if you had listened to me” Okonkwo snarled.” (pg. 142)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo may have been a hero in some of his clansmen’s eyes, but to me, he was not a hero. He killed himself, in which, to me, is not something a hero would do. He also did not even try to stand up for others, for example, he assisted in helping with the death of Ikemefuma, and didn’t try too hard, or at all, to even see if Ikemefuna could stay. Also, he didn’t even try to talk to his son, Nwoye, about his decision to join the “missionaries” and work something out. Also, to me a hero would play a major role in a war, for example. All he did was angrily kill someone, and then kill himself.
Okonkwo is different from the rest of the clan."There were many men and women in Umuofia Who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation."(178) He only sees the disadvantages in the Christians being around. He shows his opinions through anger and violence. So when he came back to the clan he reacted as such. But the kicker was the way clan reacted to the treatment given by the White men. When Okonkwo was taken prisoner by the "ash buttocks" Okonkwo sort of snapped, and his death resulted in such.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion a hero is a man who is willing sacrifice himself for the good of his people and family. Okonkwo to me showed some of these traits but did his actions for selfish reasons. But when I put myself in the situation of the clan I see how Okonkwo may be seen as a hero. So when he did what he did I understand the reaction of his peers."That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog." (151) Okonkwo did not die an honorable death but he did die with some honor among his people. An accomplishment he had been striving for since the ridicule of his father.
Okonkwo is war oriented and wants to attack immediately. Where as the other clans members want to keep the peace with the white men for the sake of trading and profit. “The white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion, but he had also built a trading store and for the first time palm oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia.” (178) Okonkwo saw the problems of having the white men stay living nearby and recruiting clans people. Okonkwo wanted to punish the white men for what they did and kept holding in all his rage until he couldn’t handle it anymore. When Okonkwo hung himself he proved himself unworthy of the title hero. I think that a hero would be someone who saves and protects others. Okonkwo did not do anything that would not benefit himself in some way. A hero would put others before himself no matter what. Okonkwo did so many horrible things including participating in the murder of his “adoptive” son Ikemefuna. “As the man who had cleared his throat drew up his machete, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand. He heard Ikemefuna cry, “My father, they have killed me!” as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of feeling weak.” (61) With all things considered, Okonkwo could never be a hero to me.
ReplyDeleteBefore entering into his exile, Okonkwo was one of the most highly respected clansmen. “Even in his first year of exile he had begun to plan for his return….Okonkwo saw the high esteem in which he would be held, and he saw himself taking the highest title in the land.” (pg. 172) He didn’t realize all of the changes that were taking place over the course of seven years. When Okonkwo learns of the “white men” he begins to see a lot of changes in the people around him. Okonkwo doesn’t like the changes that are taking place, and his pride begins to take over. He only sees the bad effects the missionaries are having on the village.
ReplyDeleteExpecting a grand homecoming, Okonkwo and his family make the journey back to their hometown. Seeing that the “white men” are more respected than ever, Okonkwo’s anger turns to rage towards the missionaries and their supporters.
The heroism Okonkwo sees in himself, is not seen by everybody. He thinks of himself more highly than the other clansmen. The fact that he won’t be able to save the entire village gets to him finally. His cowardice takes over, which results in his suicide.
He is not seen as a hero, as a hero is willing to help others, not just himself. He only worries about the way he appears to others. A true hero puts everybody before themselves, to try and make the world a better place for everyone.
When the "White men" first came into the village wanting change and spreading religion, Okonkwo's opinion and the opinion of his fellow clansmen were very much the same. At the beginning almost everyone thought the new strangers were evil and dangerous due to the fact that the "white men" wiped out the village of Abame. But, as the sons began to be converted and the missionaries becoming friends with leaders that's when the opinions started to change. Okonkwo thought the "white men" were always bad and did not want them their. His opinion on the matter was probably fueled by the fact the his son Nwoye left him and in a way dishonored Okonkwo. Near the end when the "white men" were near total control, Okonkwo and his clansmen both reacted differently. For instance, when the leaders of Umoufia were imprisoned Okonkwo said, "we should have killed the white man if you had listened to me."(87%) While at the same time the other leaders were saying nothing and obeying every command. When Okonkwo killed the messenger he was determined had no regrets but the village did nothing. "They had broken into tumult instead of action."(92%)
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question of wether I think Okonkwo is a hero or not, I would have to say no he is not one. He was a cruel, unkind man who really only cared about himself and his image. He also did a lot of things that were definitely unheroic, like when he killed Ikemefuna . A real hero would have stopped that murder from happening. He was a very successful man and was one of the only ones in the village who stayed firm in his beliefs and fought for it till the very end, but did more harm than help. At the end of the book after I had read about Okonkwo killing himself I have no other thoughts on Okonkwo other than he is a coward. He probably would have been punished for killing that messenger but by killing himself he left many children and wives, fatherless and widows. In my eyes Okonkwo would not be considered a hero.
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ReplyDeleteOkonkwo had never liked or agreed with the "white men". As the white men grew more powerful and treated Okonkwo and five other men horribly his opinion and attitude towards them became more negative. "As he lay on his bamboo bed he thought about the treatment he had received in the white man's court, and he swore vengeance." Okonkwo wanted them to leave Umuofia so his people could live the way they once did before. Okonkwo is a very selfish, unkind man. He wants everything to be his way. Instead of accepting a different culture he causes much grief for himself. Killing himself made me upset because he then put his family in such a horrible situation and by doing that he didn't solve any problems, he just ran from them. He is not a hero. He treated people with disrespect and never accomplished anything great enough to be considered a hero.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed how the world around us is constantly changing? Change is a natural part of life, whether we accept that or not. Okonkwo knew that his society was changing but he refused to accept or deal with it. Similar to a child who won't listen to their parents and pout because they can't have their way. I understand how hard change be, everyone can. I felt much sympathy for Okonkwo and his family, "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." (83%) but sometimes you just can't fight it anymore. Sometimes you don't need to fight it, other people in Okonkwo's tribe saw this change as a good one, one that might bring more happiness unto everyone. I belief Okonkwo should have tried harder to understand and eventually accept the changes and move on. I don't think killing himself was the answer. His stubbornness was a tad unnecessary, his world was not coming to an end, it was merely improving. His actions made me frown upon him very much.
ReplyDeleteYet, no matter how stubborn and childish he was towards a good change I do believe he was a hero. He stayed true to himself and he fought for what he thought was right. "If Umuofia decided on war, all would be well. But if they chose to be cowards he would go and avenge himself." (89%) In the end he lost the battle and became so depressed that he killed himself but he stayed faithful and I can, in an unusual way, respect that dedication.
Okonkwo never trusted or liked the white people. He wanted to get rid of them and fight them "If they listen to him I shall leave them and plan my own revenge." (90%) Okonkwo thought his village was getting weak. He was very angry when his son chose to follow them.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo always wanted to be strong and important. He always wanted to be a hero to his village. Even though his clan thought of him to be strong and a hero I don't think that way. He didn't have enough courage to save Ikemefuna, instead he wanted to be strong and he killed him. He always cared too much that others would think of him heroic so that he never was a hero.
Hailey Busk:
ReplyDeleteThis story has definately been a roller coaster of diferent things but the ending of this story really shocked me. I realized that Okonkwo was not going to be the hero of this story he ended up being a coward. He showed me that being phisicaly strong has nothing to do with being mentaly strong. When i first started reading the last five chapters i thought that Okonkwo was going to drive the "white man" out of his clan for good but he probably made the situation worse. Hanging himself was definately the selfish choice he abandoned his family, leaving them in a bad position. I figure that his family will now join the Christians since the have nowere else to go. At least there they will get sympathy.
“There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation” (178). As time passed in the villages, the people gradually came to be more accepting of the new religion. The number of converts increased and the rest of the people became much less hostile towards the disciples. Even the great leaders of the villages were more tolerant. “[Mr. Brown] made friends with some of the great men of the clan… and had been presented with a carved elephant tusk, which was a sign of dignity and rank” (179).
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo, however, possessed a great aversion to the new church and all of its followers. When Mr. Brown went to teach Okonkwo and his family, Okonkwo threatened, “that if he came into his compound again, he would be carried out of it” (182). Okonkwo had always been set in his ways, and to him, giving in to the church would be an act of weakness. He respected the traditions of his fathers and despised anyone daft enough to go against them. He had not received a good first impression of the church when Nwoye became a missionary, and the fact that it was growing infuriated him. Later on, he and five other men were captured and were kept in a similar manner to being held for ransom. They were treated very poorly, and after released, Okonkwo swore vengeance against his tormentors and their faith. What Okonkwo did not realize is that he was the one showing signs of weakness. The new religion was an immense change in Umuofia, and those that were not afraid of it and were adapting were the ones exhibiting actual bravery. Okonkwo was too afraid to change himself and his lifestyle, and was therefore the real coward.
Many of Okonkwo’s acts were the polar opposite of heroism. He only cared for himself and how others perceived him, and did anything to put himself in the position he desired. He killed a boy that looked at him as his own father just to try and prove he was not weak. When he was in exile, he had already begun to plan ways to make a grand entrance in his village after the seven years passed. He made very rash decisions and was loud about his own opinion. When trying to find a solution, Okonkwo could always be counted on to turn to the path leading to bloodshed and contention, which he thought would bring about a quick result. “He had spoken violently to his clansmen when they met in the market place to decide on their action…. They had not agreed to kill the missionary or drive away the Christians” (192). Finally, when the circumstances that surrounded Okonkwo became too hard to cope with, he ended his own life instead of dealing with his hardships. “It is an abomination for a man to take his own life” (207).
However, Okonkwo did show some characteristics of a hero. He was very determined in whatever he did, and instead of idly lying around waiting for something to happen, he took his life into his own hands and made it happen. “Although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time” (8). He also acted on what he believed and his faith in the traditions of his fathers was not shaken. He stood up for his beliefs through all of the confusion with the new church, and was not swayed to change what he knew to be right. “He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking and falling apart…” (183). Though his actions may not have seemed courageous and respectable to others, he still was a true definition of heroism.
The other clansmen were no longer as warlike as Okonkwo. Since Okonkwo hated the white people and swore vengeance on them “As he lay on his bamboo bed he thought about the treatment he had received in the white mans court, and he swore vengeance.” (99). So when they had the meeting to decide on war, when Okonkwo realized that they weren’t going to war, he killed the messenger. I think that Okonkwo commited suicide because Umuofia had become womanly.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Okonkwo is a hero. He beat his family, he thought that being womanly was a bad thing, and killed someone out of anger because his clan wouldn’t go to war. He is not a hero.
Okonkwo "mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women." (183) But "there were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation." (178) When Okonkwo realized that the clan was not going to war against the white men, he killed the messenger.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Okonkwo was a hero in some aspects, but not in others. He beat his family, but perhaps it was because he did not want them to end up like his father. He killed people out of anger, but later felt guilt. I see him as an anti-hero.
"There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation." (178) That showed that Okonkwo had a strong hatred for the white men and against their ways. When Mr. Brown came and visited Okonkwo in his obi, he threatened him and then chased him away. Mr. Brown came to visit him to inform him of his son Nwoye, now know as Isaac, who was sent to a new college to train teachers. That showed how much Okonkwo showed how much he hated his son and the new religion. In the end, Okonkwo was sort of a hero in a way for standing up in what he believed in. After he killed one of the missionaries, he went and hung himself and that showed what a coward he was and lost his image of looking like a hero in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteAs the “white men” start to gain more control of Umuofia, the clan just kind of ignores them. Okonkwo does not. Okonkwo wants to fight them, to scatter them, to clean out the white men. Day by day the “white men” win over more followers, creating more traitors to the clan. The “white men” and the clan were very neutral with each other, meaning they did not fight, but they did not agree either. The clan ignored the “white men” and the “white men” ignored the clan. That is until a person from one group threatened or offended someone from the other. This is when they would argue and do unreasonable things to each other. Enoch, a Christian convert and trader to the clan, unmasked an egwugwu. “One of the greatest crimes a man could commit was to unmask an egwugwu in public, or to say or do anything which might reduce its immoral prestige in the eyes of the uninitiated. And this is what Enoch did.” (Page 186) The egwugwu was furious. They destroyed Enoch’s compound and burned down the church. After such a defying outrage of the clan, the government leaders of the “white men” were not satisfied. They took the six highest titled men and imprisoned them. This did not please Okonkwo. After spending a few days in the white men’s jail, Okonkwo’s anger had grown. The next day the clan was having a meeting in the market place when five of the prison guards interrupted. Outraged at such disrespect and still angry from his pour treatment, Okonkwo killed one of the men. When the clan let the other messengers run free, Okonkwo realized the “white men” had already won without war. The next day some of the clan people found Okonkwo’s lifeless body hanging in a tree. Okonkwo is anything but a hero. He realized that his hopes had failed, but he did not even try to fight for what he wanted. Instead he took his own life to get away from the “white men”. Okonkwo’s actions made him a coward.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo had always been a warrior. He had a very high ranking in the clan. Okonkwo never liked the “white man”. The warrior side of him wanted to drive them out. The book says that after he first met the “white man”, “Okonkwo was fully convinced that the man was mad” (147). When Okonkwo went back he asked Obierika why they had not fought the white man yet. Obierika said, “It is already too late. Our own men and our sons have joined the ranks of the stranger” (176). The clan did not want to fight their brothers. I think since Okonkwo was gone, he did not share the same feelings. He did not know which of his fellow clan members had joined the missionaries. Okonkwo thought that all the warriors of the clan had turned into “soft women” (183). As the “white man” really started to take over Umuofia Okonkwo tried to convince the other men to drive them out, but they would not. They all respected Mr. Brown and did not want to fight with him.
ReplyDeleteI think that Okonkwo was trying to be the hero. He wanted to save his clan from falling apart, which is a heroic thing to do. But I think killing the messenger was more for revenge. If he had been able to control himself, he might have been able to fully convince the clan to go to war. After he killed the messenger though, he ruined that chance. He probably knew the Commissioner would come to take him to be hanged and decided to commit suicide instead. So in the end he was just a confused man.
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ReplyDeleteWhen the Christian missionaries first arrived to the village Oknonkwo and the other clansmen had the same opinion of them. Both Okonkwo and the clansmen wanted nothing to do with the missionaries. But as time went on the clansmen learned to adjust to the new religion. That was Okonkwo's problem, he was scared of change. As the village converted to the new church, Okonkwo's anger grew towards the missionaries.
ReplyDeleteI do not consider Okonkwo a hero. I think what he did was very wrong. He should not have killed the messenger, I believe he only did it out of fear. I think Okonkwo was a coward. I did not feel bad that he died. I did feel bad for his family.
Okonkwo thought his village was turning into a bunch of women because they would do nothing about the invading white men. He was particularly angry with the white men when they captured him and the tribes leaders and forced their people to pay ransome. And Okonkwo planned on taking revenge with or without his clansmen. Okonkwo was not a hero, when he decided to take his own life his body became an abomination. So they had the white men take him down, but Okonkwo was a hero to his loyal freind Obierika who was willing to help him threw anything."That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog...."(pg208)
ReplyDeleteThe clansmen thought that the new religion was tearing the clan apart and turning their brothers against them. They didn`t want a war because they didn't want to fight with their neighbors. Okonkwo wanted them gone and was easily led in the direction of violence. He even had the thought to take on the "white man" by himself if his clan would not agree to help him. He wanted to kill the white man in order to restore Umuofia to the way it had been when he had left.
ReplyDeleteHero is not the word that I would use to describe Okonkwo. He attacked the messenger because he was angry and acted in the heat of the moment. He wasn't trying to do something for the people he was doing it for himself. Okonkwo then killed himself in shame because things were tough and so he gave up. Okonkwo also left his family to fend for themselves. When he killed himself he was again only thinking of himself and not thinking about his family and how much that they depend on him to live.
Okonkwo still has hope about getting rid of the "white man". Many of the clan have given up hope for getting the "white man" out of their clan."Why did they not fight back?" (175) Okonkwo said this because the people did not fight back soon enough and let the people in instead of kicking them out while they still could. "'It is already too late,' said Obierika sadly." (176) There are only two "white man" in Umuofia at this time but there are also many of their own people that have joined the ranks of the "white man". "There are only two of them. But what of our own people who are following their way and have been given power?" (176) Many men and women do not feel as strongly against the "white man" because he has made a trading post and great riches have come into Umuofia for the first time. But Okonkwo does not want the "white man" around. "he had just sent Okonkwo's son, nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to the new training college for teachers in Umuru.
ReplyDeleteI think Okonkwo is in some what a hero for the people of the old ways but he was not able to change. He was too stubborn to be a hero in some ways.
Okonkwo was furious about the white man taking over Umuofia. For some reason, the rest of the village had not been bothered by their presence. "He know Umuofia would not go to war." (205) Okonkwo was a hero because when he hung himself, he caused a spark. I think that Umuofia went to war after Okonkowo's death.
ReplyDeleteAt first Okonkwo and many of his clansmen didn't like the new religion. They all wanted to be rid of it. Slowly the new church gained more converts. The people of Umuofia got used to having the religion around and did not mind it as much. The new religion was helping the clan, it built a small hospital and a school where they could learn how to read and write. Okonkwo had not accepted the religion like the others. "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." (183) Okonkwo is very stubborn and likes the old customs of Umuofia and is not willing to change his lifestyle for the new religion nor does he want to. I do not believe that Okonkwo was a hero. He is not a hero. A definition of a hero is "a person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." No one in Umuofia admired Okonkwo. If they did they might have helped him capture the other messengers that were escaping. Mr. Brown was more of a hero in my opinion. He built a church where people that had nothing could finally have something, he built a hospital which was there to help everyone in Umuofia, and he built a school where many people learned how to read and write. Okonkwo did not do anything of the sort. He was quick to anger and did nothing to help his clan members. He despised the new religion and longed to put an end to it. He knew when he had failed and then killed himself because he was ashamed of himself.
ReplyDeleteThe first time okonkwo saw the missionaries he was filled with disgust. In the beginning, he just kept quiet and didn't see a need to fight. However, when he came back he realized that his clam was taken over and no one was doing anything about it he was furious! No one was a with him. Everyone have already excepted it. "there were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation." (178) yes, there was only two "white men" but So many of his people of his clan had joined. He had lost hope. Okonkwo was never a hero to me. Heroes are supposed to be the people you look up to. A hero is not a person who kills them self. Why would anyone want to look up to him? He beats his children and he killed his son! That is something a hero would never do.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo and the clansmen have different points of view about the "whitemen" staying in Umofia or not. Obviously Okonkwo chooses the negative part of things. He does not want anything to do with the "whitemen." In my opinion I think Okonkwo is afraid of change. the clansmen, however, don't mind them staying, but they do have their pro's and con's.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo, to me seems really intimidating and scary. He does not look like a hero to me. Why would a hero Kill himself? Obierka made a comment that effected my point of view on Okonkwo. He says, "His body is evil and needs to be touched by strangers." I'm glad someone else see's my point of view on Okonkwo.
When the White men invaded the village everyone went CRAZY!!!! They were so scared and confused and didn't know what to do. I think Okonkwo hanged himself to send a message to the white men and to try to scary them away to save the village. He was a hero he hanged himself to try and save the village and to save the people.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the white men going into the village, everybody was so afraid and didnt know what do other than go out of control. I think Okonkwo was a hero because he had enough guts to hang himself to try and save the village along with the people in the village. But other than hanging himself to try to save the village, i dont believe he is a hero because of how much he abused his kids and wives.. he knew he could scare people just by saying something to them, so why didnt he just say his oppinion to the white men? But depending how things would have turned out from there, Okonkwo would have been dead either way.
ReplyDeleteThe white men who came into the village made many changes as to the way the Africans lived. They overtook the tribe in many ways, the tribe didn't know what to do other than go out of control. I don't think Okonkwo is a hero at all. I believe when he cut off the mans head he did it out of anger and didn't care what the consequences would be among the whole tribe not just himself. When Okonkwo hung himself his friend said it was against their ways for a man to take his own life. I think that Okonkwo was a coward for doing so. He just left his wives and children and took the easy way out, instead of dealing with his problems like a man.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo was always against the missionaries, he did not believe nor want to believe in what they where trying to teach. Onkonkwo kept getting more and more fearfull because people where starting to abandon their own religion an go to the missionaries. "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"(183). In some ways I do consider him a hero, and in other ways I don't. For example I do because he stands up for what he believes and he is a leader, but I don't because he can be very pushy and not open to change.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo did not like the "white men" because they were teaching the clan another religion and the clan was turning away from their religion."'The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.'"(152) yes I think Okonkwo is a hero because he is a really good fighter/war hero and he possesses power and prestige.
ReplyDelete("He had just sent Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, who was called Issac, to the new training college for teachers in Umuru. And he had hoped that Okonkwo would be happy to hear it. But Okonkwo had driven him away."pg 182). Okonkwo is mad at the missionaries while his clansmen are not because they believe that with them sending there kids to the missionary school they are helping them while Okonkwo thinks they are dooming them because they are loosing there ways. He is also mad because they have changed the clan and have not noticed the warriors return ("He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart." pg. 183). Also I think okonkwo is a hero because he did what I wanted to do because the white men were tearing his religion, his family, and his life as he knew it away from him and pretty much throwing it in the trash. But I don't think of his suicide by hanging was a very heroic act. Even though he did that I still think of him as a hero.
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