Things Fall Apart

The first 7 chapters in “Things Fall Apart” serve as a great example of how an experience can affect one’s life for better or worse. The main character, Okonkwo, is described as the character with a coarse and gruff temperament who passionately despises his father, and anyone similar for that matter.  Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, is quoted in the book as “lazy and Improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow” (Achebe 4). Unoka, for his entire life didn’t carry a title which was important within these villages. Unoka was a coward who always managed to borrow money he couldn’t repay. These were chiefly the reasons the village laughed at Okonkwo’s father. Unoka’s characterization as a disgrace clearly resonated with his son and is the defining experience that made Okonkwo who he became. Okonkwo could’ve taken two paths as a result what he witnessed with his father. Okonkwo could have accepted a life similar to his father merely because he didn’t know better. Or he could have accepted a life opposite of the life of his father.  This crucial experience would have justified any life Okonkwo chose and would have pulled him to the extreme of that decision.  The community naturally judged according to a man’s worth separately from his father, but if Okonkwo would have followed Unoka’s path they would have had no sympathy for the fact that he had a horrible example to follow. The same goes for if he would’ve accepted the life of a successful man; his father would have equally been a justifiable reason for what he became. Unoka would’ve set such a horrible example Okonkwo had no choice but to succeed. As the story progressed within the 7 chapters, it’s noticeable that Okonkwo is greatly affected by avoiding any comparisons with weakness, failure, disgrace and his father.