“Things fall apart” by Chinua Achebe exhibits numerous themes that correlate in the world we live in. Despite the book being published over 50 years ago the themes are still important and relevant to this day. Understanding the importance of these themes, principally fatherhood, allows one to realize the great effect of personal experiences and how they directly or indirectly affect others. The greatest claim to this process derives from the fatherhood theme in the story. Oknokwo’s horrible example of a man, by his father, forced him to become everything he wasn’t. This same goal was then forced on the people closest to him like his son, Nwoye.
The influence from the poorly set example of Oknokwo’s father directly affected how Okonkwo was molded. In the early section of the book; quotes describing, Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, like “he was in fact a coward and could not bear the sight of blood” (Achebe 6) or “Unoka was never happy when it came to war” (Achebe 6) directly influenced Okonkwo. The influence was so extreme that when Okonkwo is being described the quotes are exactly opposite. Okonkwo “had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars” (Achebe 8) and “unlike his father he could stand the look of blood” (Achebe 8). These two examples prove the strength of Unoka’s influence and how it made Okonkwo and his father’s attributes poles apart. If the quotes themselves still present direct influential doubt, the quote “Okonkwo’s greatest fear…was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father” (Achebe 13) further proves in the case of fatherhood and how direct the connection between Okonkwo and Unoka is.
Going deeper, it’s essential to observe other outcomes resulting from an influence and labeling it direct. The quote “he had not patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father” (Achebe 4) is the clearest example of Unoka’s direct influence on Okonkwo. This quote is put into effect during a situation at a kindred meeting when a man, without any titles, contradicts him in front the others. Okonkwo acted swiftly with the absence of patience, and returned the comment “this meeting is for men” (Achebe 26) or in other words calling him “agbala” (Achebe 13) which means women or man without titles, to emphasize he’s unsuccessful. As the influence of his father directly affected Okonkwo, Unoka’s influence indirectly affected Nwoye through Okonkwo.
Whether or not the tough parenting was accepted in the Ibo culture; Okonkwo’s verbal and physical abuse continually put strain on his relationship with Nwoye until he left for the missionaries. Okonkwo’s extreme principles of refusing to be his father made him successful and worked very well as it allowed him to not take failure as an option. However, those same extremes were put into other situations like raising his son. Okonkwo most important principle which worked for him personally was “to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved… Gentleness and another was idleness” (Achebe 13). As Okonkwo adopted this for himself he also forced this principle on Nwoye. The quote “Nwoye… was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness and sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating” (Achebe 14) showed that these were the instances where Okonkwo enforced his influence based principles on his Nwoye.
This harsh parenting took a toll on Nwoye from an early age with the quote “Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth” (Achebe 14). The last example of harsh parenting that resulted from Okonkwo and Unoka’s relationship was when he told Nwoye during the preparation of yams “ if you spilt another yam of this size, I shall break your jaw” (Achebe 32) this posed as Okonkwo’s way of “stamping out the disquieting signs of laziness” (Achebe 33) which resembled so much of his father. These situations gradually got worse throughout the book and Okonkwo’s fixation of being nothing like his father help sever ties with his own son, as he realized he saw much of his grandfather in him.
The ability of major influences possessing the potential to affect us negatively, positively or both is one of the 3 options we have. As poor of an example Unoka was, it pressed Okonkwo to become everything his father wasn’t, and the negative experience gave Okonkwo a positive outcome in regards to gaining many achievements. That personal positive outcome for Okonkwo was then pushed to its extreme and forcefully pressed onto Nwoye. Okonkwo’s goal to be so different from his father is what drove away is son. This relationship between the main character and his son is common within fatherhood and comes with many variations. The influence of a father or lack thereof, plays a crucial role on a son. The influence and experience directly affects the son at which he is forced to make a choice. The boy either becomes his father or completely opposite and however significant the situation is, that boy who has grown into a man, indirectly imposed that on his children. What must be learned is that which Okonkwo didn’t. There must be balance and control in one’s principles regardless of what harrowing or even idyllic experiences formed them. Being able to find and develop a happy median is beneficial for all.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.
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