Monday, March 3, 2008
Okwonkwo as a Father
Throughout the story, Okwonkwo generally only shows anger and frustration towards everyone. He repeatedly beats his wives, and he does not feel remorse about it. He also thinks his son Nwoye is weak and will not make a good man. Does this make him a bad parent? There are also times when he physically shows his love for his children, specifically when he chases after Ekwefi and Ezinma when Chielo takes her away. The next day, "Okwonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although nobody else knew it, he had not slept at all last night. He had felt very anxious but did not show it" (Achebe 112). This clearly shows that he has love for his daughter, even if his actions do not reflect it. In the second half of the book I believe Okwonkwo will prove his love towards his children with an outward sign of emotion. What are your thoughts????
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Although Okonkwo is a very angry and harsh character to his family, I do not believe that Okonkwo is a bad parent. In his culture, it is normal for the male to be the upper hand in a relationship. He must have control over his wives and children, even if it means beating them to keep them in place. Men are also expected to raise strong boys so that they too can grow up to be just like their father. Just because Okonkwo beats his family and has no faith in his son does not make him a bad father. In Umoufia, this is accepted by their society. Besides these negative statements, Okonkwo really is a good parent and protects his family. For example just as Snorlax states, when Enzima and Ekwefi go to follow the Chielo, Okonkwo goes to make sure they are safe.
I do not agree with Snorlax's prediction of Okonkwo proving his love towards his family in the second half of the book. From the title of the book, "Things Fall Apart", I sense that Part II will only bring on more troubling times. I think that Okonkwo's family will have a hard time adjusting to their new lives and it will cause arguements and fights. I predict that Okonkwo's family will fall apart.
I believe Okonkwo is a terrible parent. As a teenager raised by a strict family and in a modern society, I believe Okonkwo takes the wrong actions in being a father. I think these wrong choices force Okonkwo to lose his relationship with his son Nwoye and wifes. I believe his son does not have a great relationship with him because Okonkwo is so ashamed of his son's personality and womaness. When Okonkwo beats his wifes, he is not showing any loving emotion towards his other family members but is merely proving that is stronger than them. I agree with Charmander in that these actions may be acceptable in the Umoufia but this does not make him a good parent to my standards. This does not go to say Okonkwo does not love his family for it is prevalent shows anxiety from Enzima and Chielo's episode. However, it should be stated that love and actions towards being a good parent mean to different things.
As for Charmander's prediction that Okonkwo and his family will fall apart, I agree that when the family arrives to his homeland they were encounter problems. I do not believe Okonkwo will begin to fix his parenting with his children but will continue to make mistakes and wrong decisions.
I would have to agree with charmander, even though Okonkwo always seems to be angry and tough on his family I see it as a way of expressing his love for them. I believe that Okonkwo is a great father to not only his own but also to Ikemefuna who he takes in and calls him his son for three years. Even after Ikemefuna dies Okonkwo says how sad he is that Ikemefuna is no longer with them.
Some things that Okonkwo may do or the way he handles certain situations however may be a little extreme. For example, when his wife, Ojiugo, did not prepare his meal before she left then he decided to beat her. I felt that that was a little dramatic concidering the situation, however I still feel that Okonkwo is a good father to his children.
I do agree with Snorlax's prediction that in the second part of the book Okonkwo will find a better way to express his love toward his family. Family is about loving each other through the good times and the bad ones. I feel that Okonkwo and his family have enough love that they will be able to survive even with the changes.
Post a Comment