Okonkwo's Exile

Upon reading Part two of the book, something that really struck me was that Okonkwo was exile for an accident. I know that he was a warrior and revered highly in his tribe, but to me the beatings of his wives and his children just does not seem right, which is of course due to the fact that I am not accustomed to that culture. The fact that Okonkwo was not exiled for the beatings of his family, just surprises me because although it is not outlawed in his tribe, it is looked down upon, especially because Okonkwo broke a sacred week in the tribe. This was not the only instance that Okonkwo's behavior was unfavored, however, it was a mere accident that put him into exile. It just amazes me that that was what did it. Since Okonkwo's exile, he has lost his drive in his crops, due to the fact that before he was working towards being a lord of the clansman, and now that privilege has been taken away all together. Okonkwo feels lost, especially because he no longer has his son, and his wife's only daughter, Ezinma, has just recently passed.  Upon reading part two, the description of Okonkwo's exile really stands out to me because every time something happens to Okonkwo, I am simply reminded that he is there because of an accident; that just really lingers in my mind.

Okonkwo: Anger Issues

In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the first part clearly demonstrates that Okonkwo was serious anger issues with beating his wives, shooting at Ekwefi, and in the end killing his "son". From the beginning it is clear that Okonkwo believes in violence and has incorporated that ideal into his lifestyle. To start this part of the novel, Okonkwo is angered by his wife, Oijugo, because she went to go get her hair braided before making a meal for him, so he beat her, despite the peace of the sacred week. After repenting for his sin, he did not change his way, rather another incident occurred. He finds that another one of his wives, Ekwefi, angers him (it should be noted that she did nothing to anger him, so this time it was unprovoked) and he decided to beat her. After this incident, things went back to normal for a little, but when Okonkwo went hunting with her, things went south again. This time she muttered something under her breath that angered him, thus he decided to shoot at her. Thankfully he missed her, but still this type of anger needs to be controlled. Finally, just to prove that Okonkwo has anger issues that need to be controlled, Okonkwo kills his "son" that he actually really loved, due to the fear that he does not want to look weak. When he is walking home with a group of men from Umuofia, a man attacks the group with a machete. Rather than saving his son and showing his compassion, he cuts the boy down and leaves him behind, thus aiding to his foster son's death. Although it does upset him that the boy is dead, he did have the chance to save him, but he could not risk his image of violence and power. In recap of what I have learned about Okonkwo in this part of the book is that: Okonkwo has major anger issues, which explain the beatings of his wives, and problems with power, which is why he did not aid his "son" when he was being killed. 

Character Foils: Okonkwo and Unoka

In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the characters of Okonkwo and Unoka are introduced immediately as father and son. Upon reading these descriptions, I recognized that the characters are foils of each other. While Okonkwo, the son of Unoka, was brave and had defeated the cat, Unoka hated the sight of blood and never was financially stable due to his inability to harvest a crop, unlike Okonkwo who made a fortune in sharecropping. Also, Unoka was musically talented, playing the flute as well as many other instruments, this could be interpreted that he is a softer man; a man who is not a warrior, but a man of love. While his father is a man of music and love, Okonkwo was chosen by his clan to represent them, since he is the fiercest warrior of his tribe. These are among many of the features that prove that Okonkwo and his father are complete opposites, thus making them character foils.