How are Okonkwo and Obierika similar?
Obierika is similar to Okonkwo in that he has no problem going to war and no problem with beating children and women. Obierika mentions, “I am not afraid of blood; and if anyone tells you that I am, he is telling a lie” (2888). The difference is that he does all of these actions more sparingly.
What aspects of pre colonial Igbo culture does Achebe seem to question or criticize in the book?
Achebe criticizes the Igbo practice of killing of hostages from another village in revenge in a situation where a person from the said village has taken a life. He uses the case of Ikemefuna to show his disapproval since this boy was brought to Umuofia as a hostage, where he was put in the charge of Okonkwo.
How is Obierika story important to understanding Okonkwo’s story?
Obierika is an important character in Chinua Achebe’s postcolonial novel Things Fall Apart. He’s a foil for the protagonist Okonkwo, often encouraging him to act rationally and think things through before doing something violent and destructive.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and nwoye?
(Click the character infographic to download.) Nwoye is Okonkwo’s eldest son who Okonkwo considers irredeemably effeminate and very much like his father, Unoka. As a child, Nwoye is the frequent object of his father’s criticism and remains emotionally unfulfilled.
Why is nwoye attracted to Christianity?
Nwoye is drawn to Christianity because it seems to answer his long-held doubts about his native religion, specifically the abandonment of twin newborns and Ikemefuna’s death.
Is Okonkwo description of nwoye accurate?
Is Okonkwo’s description of Nwoye accurate? How do we know? Nwoye is Okonkwo’s son and Okonkwo feels that his son is becoming lazy in his eyes so he nags and beats him. We do not really know that the description of Nwoye is accurate because this description only comes from Okonkwo.
Why does Okonkwo not like nwoye?
Okonkwo is frustrated by Nwoye because he reminds him so much of his own father, Unoka. Okonkwo is disappointed that Nwoye resembles Unoka in that he’s sensitive and often lazy. Okonkwo views these as signs of femininity which he believes is one of the most disgraceful traits an Ibo man can display.
Why must people crawl at Agbala?
Why must people crawl when visiting Agbala? The entrance to the Oracle’s shrine is described as a round opening no larger than the entrance to a hen house, so, on a literal level, visitors must crawl on their bellies simply to fit through the entrance.
Why does Okonkwo kill ikemefuna?
Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna because he doesn’t want to appear weak in front of his fellow clansmen. Afraid of appearing weak, Okonkwo deals the fatal blow to Ikemefuna despite Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s warning.
What is Okonkwo’s tragic flaw?
Okonkwo’s tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. In his thirties, Okonkwo is a leader of the Igbo community of Umuofia.
How does the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves prevent the powerful Umuofia from going to war with their neighbors?
The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves prevent the powerful Umuofia from going to war with their neighbors by determining if the war is just and then approving or disapproving it.
What does Okonkwo fear the most?
Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.
Is Okonkwo a hero or a coward?
Okonkwo is a tragic hero in the classical sense: although he is a superior character, his tragic flaw—the equation of manliness with rashness, anger, and violence—brings about his own destruction.