Why is Okonkwo worth/not worth sympathizing with?
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with as his life crumbles slowly
around him and he is unable to do anything about it. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo’s life slowly
falls apart. At first, all seemed great for him.He had won fame as a great wrestler and he was a
prosperous farmer with two titles already at a young age. He also showed great prowess in wartime.
All seemed great in Okonkwo’s life and he seemed to have a very bright future. But the series of
events that followed like his seven-year exile and his son abandoning his traditional beliefs and
converting to Christianity. Those,coupled with the appearance of the white man has caused him to
lose great future that was once in reach. The white man changed their tribe completely and
convinced many of the tribe members to abandon their god and convert to Chistianity. As the tribe
slowly falls apart, so does Okonkwo’s as he loses his place in the tribe and his future. Thus he is
worth sympathizing with
Why he is not worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo is not worth sympathizing with as he is very
heavy-handed with how he treats his family and the way he treats people in his life is also worth
criticizing. Okonkwo is a violent and impulsive person. Furthermore, he uses violence to get
obedience from his family. He is also disrespectful to people who he thinks are weak and
“womanly”. The way he treats people is wrong and can be said that he is a bit of a coward. We can
say that some events in the novel that caused his life to fall apart are by his own hand. By killing
Ikemefuna, he lost the respect of his oldest son Nwoye. This, together with his violent behaviour
towards his son caused his son to abandon him and convert to Christianity. Thus, he should not be
sympathized with.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: He put in a lot of effort to earn his titles and respect, however,
just because he accidentally shot his clansman made him lose everything that he had. In TFA, we all
witness the efforts and hardship that he put into achieving his titles and honour yet because of one
accident move, he had to be stripped of everything. His efforts were all wasted and we know that he
got the titles through rightful methods. It was an accidental move and causing him to lose his whole
life of efforts, therefore he deserves our sympathy.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with: He deserved to be punished when he beat Ojiugo in Week
of Peace. He allowed anger to get control of him that he forgot the rules and traditions of Umuofia.
In addition, his wives called out to remind him that it was the Week of Peace, yet he did not stop
beating his wife, "but Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not
even for fear of a goddess". He disrespected the gods of Umuofia and do not take them seriously
when he allowed his anger to get over him. Since he was disrespecful to the traditions, i feel that he
is not worth sympathizing and he deserved his punishment.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
He is worth sympathizing with because he had kind intentions for his family. The reason behind the
falling apart of Nwoye, his family and eventually himself, was that he was unable to communicate
with others effectively. In chapter 4, he said "I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the
gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands." Okonkwo did not want
Nwoye to end up a failure, like Unoka. He wanted Nwoye to be "a great farmer and a great man."
However, instead of talking to him nicely and encouraging him, Okonkwo decided to take on the
hard way. He often communicate with Nwoye with threatening and often beat him up. For example,
in chapter 17, he strangled Nwoye.Okonkwo did not know the best way to show his love for Nwoye.
His low emotional quotient (EQ) made Nwoye fearful of him. After the death of Ikemefuna, the
hatred in Nwoye grew and eventually changed to defiance. Nwoye, not knowing the reason behind
the heavy hand that Okonkwo shows him, switched to Christianity, caused the falling apart of
Okonkwo's family. I think that Okonkwo does not deserve the way things fell apart. His harshness,
his coldness he show others, was his personality. He grew up in such environment, leading to the
way he is. He can't be blamed for having low EQ. Thus i think Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
He is not worth sympathizing with because he let pride take control of him in chapter 7, the killing of
Ikemefuna. He was hesitant to kill Ikemefuna at first. However, he let fear overwhelm him. the fear
of being looked down upon, the fear of becoming a failure. He was afraid of being thought weak. He
took fame more heavily than "kinship," and killed Ikemefuna. He regretted, but it was too late to
make any amendments. The killing of Ikemefuna was what caused the change in Nwoye, who ended
up hating Okonkwo. When Okonkwo disowned him, he "was happy to leave his father." Nwoye
hated his father. For this, Okonkwo was to be responsible for the falling apart of his relationship with
Nwoye. Thus, i think he is NOT worth sympathizing.
Why he is worth sympathizing with: okonkwo died a tragic hero’s death. He stayed true to himself
and believed strongly in his village and its culture. He did not submit to the Christians missionaries
rule. At the same time he also thought that the people of his own village thought the same too.
However when he killed the British messenger, the looks of his villagers face were full of
apprehension and shock. It dawned on him that the people of his village would not fight together
with him against the christians missionaries. He knew all was lost. That’s the reason he commited
suicide. He died a hero’s death.
Why he is not worth sympathizing with: when nyowe joined the Christians, okonkwo blamed
everyone but himself. He blamed it on his wife, he blamed it on his chi and he blamed it on his
personal god. But he did not stop to think that it was his erratic behaviour and his forceful hand that
made nyowe join the Christians. Thus he is not worth sympathizing with.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Nwoye disregarded him as a father.
Okonkwo, from the start, had Nwoye's interest at heart, but he was heartlessly rejected by Nwoye.
He wanted Nwoye to succeed as a real man, and that was why he treated him strictly and violently.
Okonkwo "sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating." (page 13) He's fatherly intention
he deemed right was not appreciated by Nwoye, and the young boy repayed him which cruel
rejection and breakage of family ties. Nwoye, at the end, "walked away and never returned"
(page133). This was his way of announcing to Okonkwo, final and firm, that he officially break all ties
with Okonkwo, and reminded him that how their relationship now was beyond salvage. Okonkwo
actually loved Nwoye a lot, although his way of expressing was wrong. He was not supposed to be
blamed and treated like that by Nwoye. I could understand how he would feel, for the son he loved
disknowledged him as his father.
Why is he not worth sympathizing with: He caused everything himself.
For him to be so violent and hostile towards Nwoye, no one else could be blamed. Nwoye was just a
youth and he need to be cared for with love. Yet Okonkwo treated him with violence, so much that
he see his father as an "evil spirit". If we put ourselves in Nwoye shoe, it is totally understandable
why Nwoye hated Okonkwo so much. Therefore, for Nwoye to have disregarded Okonkwo as his
father at the end, it was Okonkwo ultimately to be blamed. Nwoye was just trying to get his rights,
his freedom back by breaking off bonds with Okonkwo, and even though it was cruel to Okonkwo, it
is certain that Okonkwo had cused everything. Therefore, Okonkwo was not woth my sympathy, for
he deserved and earned Nwoye's cruelty himself. Okonkwo must have treated Nwoye so badly that
Nwoye "was happy to leave his father." (page 134)
Why he is worth sympathizing with : Okonkwo himself is actually a victim of change. Being used to
having a high social standing amongst the clan, his power is threatened by the new religion the
missionaries bring. Okonkwo is powerful because they are people who are lower than him, such as
the outcasts. However, the new religion believes that all men are equal. Thus, if Okonkwo was to
accept this new religion, he would be equal to the same outcasts. Okonkwo is afraid of this
becoming reality, which is why he strongly resists this new religion, eventually leading to his own
suicide.
Why he is NOT worth sympathizing with : Okonkwo actually had choices in how he wanted to lead
his life. However, he decided to take Unoka's example in a strong and negative way, and drove him
to be obsessed with success. He could have chosen to view Unoka in a different manner, instead of
treating him as a failure. Thus, i do not sympathize with Okonkwo as it was he who made the choices
for his life which eventually resulted in his actions such as killing the white man.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo is a pitiful character who suffers as a victim of change.
He is influenced by the far reaching and rapid aspects of change. Despite enjoying the status as one
of the greatest men in the clan and possessing immerse strength, Okonkwo do not have the ability
to stem the change in his favour, and it is this change that ultimately leads to his defeat. Okonkwo is
met with hurt and sorrow as he suffers the intervention of two major changes that initiates the
theme of “things falling apart”- the culture and beliefs of the Igbo society and the strained
relationships with Nwoye. These two aspects play an integral role in Okonkwo life in which he lives
by and abide by them. Thus, it is devastating to see these two fall apart, especially when Okonkwo
do not have the ability to stem it, nor adapt himself to fit into the altered environment. We can see
that the intrusion of the Christian missionaries caused uproar in the society, as Umofians shamed
and criticized the abomination, but however eventually, the Christians persuaded many to adopt
Christ and abandon their existing culture. Deeply sadden by the dying tradition, Okonkwo tries to
steer the ‘disillusioned’ back to solace, but to no avail, as fellow villages do not agree using violence
to solve the problem. Okonkwo’s son Nwoye also abandoned the Igbo culture to spread the gospel
and eventually ran away when Okonkwo forcefully persuaded Nwoye to abide by local traditions.
Unfortunately, Okonkwo cannot find the best revenue as a solution and hurts others in the process,
causing more hurt. Okonkwo is not capable of expressing his thoughts rationally and often uses
violence as the solution to problem. He has no choice as he does not have the gift of the gap but
only muscles and a legacy of wrestling titles to fall back on. Hence, it would be unfair to blame
Okonkwo for something in which he is influenced by external factors and he does not have the
knowledge to deal with it thoughtfully.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo do have his flaws that do not encourage
sympathy from people. Okonkwo prioritizes pride over relationship, as his desire for pride had cost
him his relations with whom he held on dearly. On significant example would be the killing of
Ikemefuna, as Okonkwo personally killed the boy as he was afraid of being thought weak by the
elders. That would be a great shame to his already prestigious status. At that time, although
Ikemefuna was not Okonkwo’s son, they had already developed a bond as Ikemefuna was the ‘ideal’
son in his eyes- brave, fearless and masculine. Thus, killing Ikemefuna would be as cruel as
murdering his own blood in order to appear strong. After the incident, we can see that Okonkwo lost
his spirits and was devastated, regretting his actions. It is evident that Okonkwo often allowed his
emotions to govern his actions, and it often produced disastrous results. Okonkwo does not seek to
amend his ways, as his hot headedness led to another downfall. Being one who valued pride,
Okonkwo could not bear to have a son who strayed from his traditions to accept others. That would
invite the gossip and ridicule of others, criticizing Okonkwo for not being able to control his
household, abusing his image. Thus, Okonkwo came down hard on Nwoye to prevent him form
shaming the ancestors and embarrassing his father, and eventually, Okonkwo dominating presence
broke the straw on the camel’s back and led to Nwoye running away from the one who was selfish,
domineering, and often unreasonable who demanded the same beliefs from others. As such, one
who neglects family ties in the search for fame and the pursue of a proud image should be criticized
and never sympathized.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with because a lot of misfortunes happened to him, one after
another, which destroys his dream of achieveing the highest title despite the fact that he had put in
years of hard work to achieve it.
Evidence:
The first misfortune struck him when the Oracle gave an order for Ikemefuna to be killed. At that
point of time, Okonkwo was already very fond of the boy. He let him bring his goatskin bag and stool
to ancestral feasts, taught him the art of preparing yams, and told him his masculine stories.
Okonkwo raised Ikemefuna to be a fine man, and treated him like his own son. Not only was
Okonkwo life changed, Nwoye's life was also changed by Ikemefuna. Nwoye had become tougher
than before, which pleased Okonkwo. Basically, Ikemefuna was popular in Okonkwo's household,
and had already become an integral part of the family. Hence when Ikemefuna was killed,
Okonkwo's family was badly affected. Okonkwo could not sleep and eat for two days, haunted by
the guilt. We sympathise with Okonkwo here, seeing him in such a weak state, so vastly different
from the strong man a few days ago. Nwoye was extremely saddened and traumatised. The killing of
Ikemefuna eventually became one of the factors for him joining Christianity, partly destroying
Okonkwo's family and dream of him being a tough young man, capable of ruling Okonkwo's
household.
The next misfortune struck when Okonkwo was to be banished from his clan for seven years.
Okonkwo's gun has exploded accidentally and killed a fellow clansman. He then had to pack his
things and leave overnight to his mother's homeland. His barn and huts were burnt and demolished.
His animals were killed. In a few hours, the wealthy and powerful Okonkwo was reduced to almost
nothing and had to start his life anew again. Hence, we sympathize with him. Even more so when he
was punished/ blamed for something he did not do. He was in despair, and his dream, his life-spring
of becoming one of the lords of the clan was broken when he was so close to achieving it. Moreover,
he did not do anything to deserve this misfortune.
After those harsh seven long years for Okonkwo, he has been anticipating and planning his
comeback to Umuofia. Things were finally going to be better for him after all those bleak periods.
However, just as we thought that way, things took a turn for the worst as the white missionaries had
invaded Umuofia, along with their new religion. Nwoye then joined Chritianity, which broke their
family apart. Okonkwo had expected his family to once again prosper, but it had fallen apart. We
sympathise with Okonkwo here as he was once again dealt a severe blow even when he was not
fully recovered. We can clearly see that the situation was getting worser. The family and wealth that
Okonkwo had worked so hard to built from poverty was falling apart right before him.
Hence, because of these few misfortunes and some after these, Okonkwo's dreams were shattered,
even though he deserved success for the massive amount of work he put in since he was young.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
He has a strong pride and is stubborn man. Because of that, sometimes he breaks the laws nad does
not obey orders given to him.
Evidence:
During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo was angered by his third wife. Thus, he beat her very heavily
despite the fact that his other two wives pleaded with him to stop beating as it was the sacred week.
But Okonkwo 'was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a
goddess'. Even after realising his crime, he had tried to justify his mistake with Ezeani, the priest of
the Earth, to show that he was not really in the wrong. However, his stubborness in refusing to
admit his mistake from the start resulted in him being severely reprimanded and criticised. Hence,
we do not sympathise with him as he was in the wrong from the start and was too egoistic and
stubborn to stop commiting his crime even though he had a choice. He also did not admit that he
was wrong from the start. We feel that he deserved to be punished.
"people said that he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said that his good fortune
had gone to his head. They called him the little bird nza who so far forgot himself after a heavy meal
that he challenged his chi."
The day before Ikemefuna was killed, Ogbuefi Ezeudu went specially to Okonkwo's household and
warned him not to take part in the killing. He even said it twice, "That boy calls you father. Do not
bear a hand in his death.", "I want you to have nothing to do with it. He calls you his father."
Okonkwo did not heed his advice even though the other man was older and more superior than
himself. Instead, he went against it because he believed that his reasons for his actions were more
'correct' than the instructions given to him.He did not want people to think that he was a weak man.
From here, we are able to see that he has a strong ego. He defied the instructions given to him to
satisfy his own personal reasons. Hence, we can see Okonkwo's arrogance and felt that he deserved
to be punished for his outright defiance. Thus, we feel that he is not worth sympathising with.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: He is worth sympathizing with because of his unfavourable
childhood. When he was young, his father, Unoka, was "lazy and improvident and was quite
incapable of thinking about tomorrow." Unoka only cares about music and not other much
important matters, like his family. He was a failure. "He was poor and his wife and children had
barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and they swore never to lend
him any more money because he never paid back." Unoka had not taken any title at all even after he
died. Unoka made Okonkwo to be what he is now - having a cold and unfeeling exterior. Okonkwo is
determined to succeed because of his father, and he hates men who are useless (in this case, a man
who holds no title), because they resemble his father. He puts on a cold and unfeeling exterior, but
in actual fact, it is to cover up his soft side. He looks strong, but he is miserable and vulnerable
inside. He does not show any feelings because he thinks that showing feelings is a sign of weakness,
and this is all because of his childhood. If he had a happy childhood and his father was not a failure,
he might not turn out to be like that.
Why is he not worth sympathizing with: He is a person who is very violent. "He had a slight stammer
and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists."
This shows that he uses violence to vent his anger. When he could not get his words out quickly
enough, he does not think of some other way to calm himself down and solve the problem. He
immediately thought of violence. He is violent and fierce to the point that "his wives, especially the
youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children." He uses his family
as an outlet for his anger. For instance, during the New Yam Festival, everybody in the village were
all enthusiatic and looking forward to the celebration. However, he could never become as
enthusiastic as most people because "he was always uncomfortable sitting around for days waiting
for a feast or getting over it. He would be very much happier working on his farm." He was restless
and angry because he was uncomfortable. He let out his anger by scolding and beating his second
wife, just because she cut a few leaves off the banana tree to wrap some food. He is not worth
sympathizing with as he treats people very rudely, especially his wives.
Why is he worth sympathizing with :
Okonkwo was a victim of change. Because of this change, he lost everything - his son, Nwoye, his
religion, tradition, statuses and titles. Change is the only constant in life, but Okonkwo could not
accept that fact. He wants everything to be the same as before. Because he was exiled, his lost his
house, statuses and titles as he was exiled to his motherland and had to live there for 7 years. When
he came back, the change Reverend James Smith and Mr Brown brought about, angered him. He did
not want Christianity to take over his village. However, the people were already adapting to the
changes that they brought about. Okonkwo could not adapt to the changes, and eventually
committed suicide.
Why is he not worth sympathizing with :
Okonkwo was not worth sympathizing with as he was a cruel, cold-hearted and violent man.
Although he was exiled to his motherland for 7 years, I still think he does not deserve my sympathy.
He was a fierce, violent father and husband. In the first part of the novel, he was seen as a
respectable man that brought home his first head at a young age. He was driven to be a successful
man due to his father's laziness - he could not stand how his father was so lazy and like a woman.
Therefore, because of this, he expects Nwoye to be like him as well.
Why Okonkwo is worth symphatizing with:
From young, Okonkwo did not have a good life as his father is a useless bum. His father was called
agbala which is also known as woman. Imagine your father was being insulted as feminine, you must
have really felt bad. Hence he did want to follow his father's footstep and he decided to hate
everything his father did. He did not want to bring shame to his family like how his father did. This
probably moulded him to become so stubborn and emotionless. Okonkwo thought of changing
religion as degenerated and weak. We could see this as he did not want Nwoye to abandon their
ancestors to attend the missionary school. He did not want to succumb to the white men's
colonisation. This may be due to his bad past where he had suffered a lot which moulded him to
become cold and hard. It was not really his fault. Moreover, we could not say it was wrong to
forsake your ancestors and cultural beliefs for a new change and religion. It was Okonkwo's
determination to preserve his cultural beliefs and ancestors that cost his life. Thus, we should
symphatize with him, being ended up as a tragic hero.
Why Okonkwo is not worth symphatizing with:
We should not sympathize with Okonkwo as it was his inability to change that cost his life. Everyone
has their thinking and interests. If Nwoye wanted to attend the missionary school, why not let him?
It may be a good thing after all and he can probably learn new values which are good too. Yet he
only thought about himself and ancestors which cause him to lose a son in the end. The more he do
not allow Nwoye to become Christian, the more Nwoye will rebel. And in the end, he left his house
for good to attend the missionary school. His stubbornness has cost his son too. He kept going
against the white men to preserve Umuofia's culture and tradition instead of listening what the
other religion has about. It is probably time to change and for the better. However he only thought
that as degenerated and weak and refuses to submit to change. Also, the white men are very strong
and have weapons. It will be very difficult to go against them. Hence, we should not sympathize with
him as it was his stubbornness and inflexibility that cost his life.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo has lead a tough and hard life. From young, he was
driven by the fact that Unoka was a useless father and that he did not want to be like Unoka. Thus,
he worked extremely hard to achieve his titles. He has become what he had become because of
Unoka. Unoka was useless and left debts for Okonkwo to clear after he died. He was lazy and
incompetent. Okonkwo was laughed at during his childhood because of his father's incompetence.
Thus, Okonkwo hated his father for causing him to have a sad childhood and to be looked down
upon.
After many years of hard work, Okonkwo had achieved many titles. Suddenly, because of an
accident, he lost everything he had worked for in his lifetime. He lost his home and his reputation.
Okonkwo was miserable. The beliefs that he stood so strong for were the cause of his exile. It caused
him to be reduced to nothing. It was ironic.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo was a cruel man. He had beaten his wives
countlessly and even his son Nwoye. He was violent and irrational when he let his anger take over
him. He was wild and hard to please. He also did not show his emotions as he thought that to show
emotions was a sign of weakness. Thus, he was seen as cold and aloof. He likes to vent his anger on
people. Once, he was walking in suppressed anger and decided to beat his wife when he found a
small excuse that allowed him to do so. He had beaten her heavily and even shot her. He scared all
his family members whenever he was angry.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo is worth sympathizing because he is unable to show
his true care and concern through his actions, and at many times it becomes translates to a wrong
message to his loved ones. In the incident whereby he almost shot his second wife, he had done so
because he was worried about his children’s welfare, as she had gone to braid her friend’s hair and
did not prepare dinner for her children. In the incident where he had killed Ikemefuna also showed
that his pride, has overruled his love for Ikemefuna, and killed him despite the fact that Ikemefuna
had ran to him to seek refuge.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with: Okonkwko is not sympathizing with as he is stubborn and
refuses to change his way of thinking and insists that it was the Christian missionaries that has
changed his life, and ruined it, also making Umuofia become a womanly clan. It is the way he has
perceived things to have changed. He does not self reflect on his own wrongdoings and how his
popularity has declined due to the fact that he has been exiled for seven years. It was said that if a
lizard loses its tail, it would grow back. Like when Okonkwo has been exiled, Umuofia would
naturally find another leader and forget about its previous one.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo was brought into this world the hard way. while many
others were born with "spoons in thier mouths", a happy family with fathers working hard to
provide for the families, Okonkwo had a father who was "lazy, improvident" always "making merry"
and "his children barely had enough to eat". and his father's reputation was horrible, Unoka was like
"womanly" and had no title. okonkwo had to build his own future on his own, there was nothing to
inherit, and he had to be independent from young, he stated that at "nwoye's age" he was already
working on the farm. and then he became from zero to "hero", the greatest wrestler in Umuofia and
having a high title and becoming successful and he also finally got what he always wanted since
young, POWER. to be everything that his father was not. and i sympathize with him because he
worked so hard to be who he is today,and he had no one to count on, just himself but he made it.
but all this was just gone in a flash, when he was exiled for seven years and lost his reputation and
most importantly, his power which is what he lives for, something like his god of life. i really
sympathize with him for this point because he became from zero to hero and zero AGAIN for some
accidental reasom of accidentally shooting the son of someone. and i think it is such a misfortune
because for someone who has worked so hard, he should be able to enjoy his life and not end up
killing himself ):
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with: when he faces with difficulties in life or when things just
does not go the way he wants it to, which is really part and parcel of life because life is always ups
and downs and NEVER goes the way we want it to, he refuses to accept his circumstances and let go
of his mistakes and he starts to self pity himself. when he was exiled for seven years, he thinks he is
the greatest sufferer in the world and does not reflect on himself at all, thinking where he has gone
wrong and try to pick himself up. he just sulks about himself and stays right there at the bottom. this
stubborness really makes me angry and makes me not want to sympathize with him because he
does not even try to stand up from where he has fallen. i think if he at least tried to do sth about his
life, i will still sympahize with him and want to hep him bacause he is willing to help himself.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo was a blind person who was unable to face changes accordingly. He did not able to adapt
changes happened in his tribe and even thought the people in his tribe were “unmanly”. He was
unaware that he was actually the one who was stubborn. Due to his inability in dealing with changes
in his surrounding, he was then being unable to bear with the issue when Christianity entered and
Nwoye joined the religion. In Chapter 21, it was also stated that, “Okonkwo was deeply grieved,” this
emphasised that he was facing troubles in solving his unhappiness. He was stressed and lost in his
mind. At the end of the novel, Okonkwo himself was unable to bear with his failure alone, and
committed suicide eventually in order to end his misery.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo was violent and rash in his actions. He was unreasonable at most of the time. In second
part of the novel, TFA, he did not even give a chance for Nwoye in explaning himself when Nwoye
was found joining Christianity. When Okonkwo first found out that Nwoye was one of the Christian
converts, he dealt with him severely. “Answer me,” roared Okonkwo, ‘before I kill you!” He seized a
heavy stick that lay on the dwarf wall and hit him two or three savage blows,” showed his anger and
rashness in his action without considering his son, Nwoye’s feeling at all. Although all these were
causes of his useless father, Unoka, Okonkwo should not be as strict to Nwoye. Instead, he might
ended up in a different way if he was able to overcome his own mistake. Besides, “A sudden fury
rose within him and he felt a strong desire to take up his matchet, go to the church and wipe out the
entire vile and corrupt gang,” also showed his violence towards
Christianity. He killed one of the white men in this novel too when he was in frustration. He ended
up dying at the end of the novel is all due to his own actions. They were merely just the reactions
paid for his actions. In other words, all those were his self retributions which were not able to blame
to the others.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with because he is driven by one thing and one thing only. That is
fear. Okonkwo was so afraid that he would end up like Unoka that he was determined to turn out
the total opposite of him. This lead Okonkwo to become a very violent person as he used violence to
cover up his fear. Besides, violence was regarded as masculine and showing too much emotions was
regarded as feminine. He is so afraid of being womanly that he does many things that he did not
mean to or did not want to do. Examples such as aiming his gun at Ekwefi and killing his own foster
son, Ikemefuna. He was not told how to control his violent nature and how to enjoy a bit of life. He
did no enjoy waiting around for his crops to grow as he wanted to be busy all the time. This was also
driven by the fear of being lazy like his father. Therefore, Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with as he
is only driven by fear and not love or anything else.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo is not worth sympathizing with because he is prideful and it seems like he only cares about
himself. Okonkwo is filled with pride and he cannot let go of his past success. He keeps thinking that
he is still the almighty and powerful Okonkwo and thus keeps comparing the present and the past.
An example would be he cannot believe that he has a womanly son like Nwoye, as he was the top
wrestler of Umuofia, the most masculine. This isn't worth sympathizing as he's pride lead to violence
and led to many things such as wanting to constantly prove his worth. Pride comes before a fall.
Therefore, Okonkwo taking his own life is all because of his own pride and this cannot be helped as
he brought this entirely on himself.
Is Okonkwo worth sympathizing with?
Why he is worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo was a successful man. But all these didn't come free.
He worked really really hard before he achieved what he has then. His father, Unoka, died without
taking any titles and was heavily in debts. He did not even leave Okonkwo with any barns of yam
crops nor a young wife. Everything that Okonkwo had achieved then was started from scratch; all by
his own abilities. He learnt how to feed for himself and his mother at a young age. Now that he had
became a successful man well- known throughout the village, he had changed. In order to prevent
himself from becoming what his father was like, he detested everything that his father used to be or
like; idleness and gentleness. He is sympathetic because just because of the dark childhood that his
father leaves with him, he had to put on a strong facade and work doubly hard to achieve what he
wants. He also do not display any emotions because to him, showing affection is a sign of weakness.
He bottles up all of his feelings and deep inside his heart, there was a lot of struggles and dilemma
that nobody understands and that he had to face them all by himself.
Why he is NOT worth sympathizing with: A point which makes him not worth sympathizing with is
the fact that he is proud and treats people without respect. There was an occasion at the kindred
meeting when he insulted a man because he did not have any titles. He treated people without
respect just because he was successful. This makes him not worth sympathizing with because even if
he is a successful man, he should not have treated the man like that. He also dealt with his family
with a heavy hand. For example, there was once when Ojiugo went to plait her hair and did not
prepare his meal. When she came back, he beat her up severely. Just because of a small matter and
he had to beat her up makes him really a chauvanistic and unreasonable man. The most important
point is the fact that he killed Ikemefuna despite him calling him "father". Even the elderly advised
him not to go along with them for the killing but yet, he insisted in following. That was because he
did not want to be deemed as being weak. For the sake of his titles, statuses and pride, he was
willing to forsake the relationship of himself and the boy, and watched the boy who was already like
his own son, die infront of him. This makes me realise that Okonkwo is a egoistic and proud man
who is cold- blooded and not worth sympathizing.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo was a man who prides himself on his achievements and success in life. From young, he had
to support his family due to his incapable father. His father also left nothing for him to build his
success on. Instead, Okonkwo started from scratch,using only hard work and determination to
effectively transform from zero to hero. However, just when he was nearing the end of his dream,
to become an elder of the village, he unintentionally killed a boy and was exiled as a result. His
success, his wealth and all those things he worked so hard to achieve were razed to the ground
along with his house, and he became a exile seeking a home in his motherland. Such a steep fall
from success which is hard-earned is something to be pitied indeed.
Why is he not worth sympathizing:
For all the misfortunes which befallen him, it is safe to say that Okonkwo was the catalyst for these
problems. Take Nwoye for instance. Throughout his entire life, he had never treated Nwoye with any
form of care and concern, only using violence and fear to rule over his son. While his intentions were
good, his approach was bad. This deprived Nwoye of his deserved childhood as he was told to be a
"man" when he was just a boy. This eventually led to his departure from his family, which would not
have happened if Okonkwo respected and loved him.
Why he is worth sympathizing with:
I think he is worth sympathizing with as since he was born with a useless father who did not provide
him with a headstart like how other fathers did. He did not have a land of his own neither did he
have money. He felt inferior that he does not have all the things other people of his age had and
that he had a useless father who only indulges in drinking. This developed him into a person that has
a strong sense of pride and would do anything to get recognition and get status even if it means
killing Ikemefuna. He did not want to be seen as weak. I think that beneathe his tough exterior, he
was a person who has a low self esteem and thus, wanted to do things that made him feel powerful
like beating up his wives and killing Ikemefuna.
Why he is not worth sympathizing with:
I think that he was not worth sympathizing with as he was too stubborn and was to inflexible. When
the white men took over the village, the villagers slowly accepted the cahnge but Okwonkwo on the
other hand,refused to adapt to the change. If he had adapted to the change and the new culture and
would stop being so hard on himself, he wouldn't have killed himself. Change is inevitable and we
must only learn to adapt and oblige to it. Being overly stubborn would do more harm than good wish
is why it eventually led to Okwonkwo's death. He has only himself to blame for being too
headstrong.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo was a victim of change. The change was too great to deal with, especially for Okonkwo
who had just returned from exile. Okonkwo had built his status and became famous throughout his
tribe by following his religion and working very hard to earn his titles. He became a very respectable
and powerful man in his tribe. However, as the Christians tried to change the tribes religion, they
started to promote that every men should be treated equally. Okonkwo would have felt that all his
hard work had gone down the drain.
Therefore, I feel that Okonkwo deserved sympathy as he had worked hard to earn his titles and
statues fairly. However, it would all be in vain as his titles and status would have been taken away
from him due to the new religion.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
The reason for Okonkwo's death was his own fault. He had let his pride get the best of him.
Okonkwo was too proud to accept the change. He had become too driven into thinking that he had
to be the complete opposite of his father and to be a famous and respectable man in his tribe. He
had been brainwashed by this idea due to his religion in the tribe. He did not want to be just an
ordinary tribesmen. Therefore, resorting to committing suicide as he would rather kill himself then
to die in the arms of the missionaries.
Change is also needed for man to advance. Okonkwo needed to accept change in the tribe as it
would help to improve traditions. Due to the religions in the Ibo tribe, traditions were very harsh..
Some examples were outcasting osus. They restricted the osus greatly and when they died, they
would be buried in the evil forest. This should come to a stop. These men should have been treated
fairly and as the missionaries were promoting that all men are equal, it would help these tribesmen
fit in with the tribe. However Okonkwo had been too selfish to think of the benefits of these
tribesmen. He had only thought about his own social status. He could not stand being equal with
such men.
Therefore, I feel that Okonkwo did not deserve sympathy as it was his own pride that had cost him
his own life.
Why he is worth sympathizing with: He has a large family to take care of. Not only that, he has to
take care of his reputation in order to feed his family and himself. He probably wants to save his
status in Umofia because he did not want to be looked down upon by his children just like how he
used to look down on his useless father. This is because i believe that every parent loves their
children no matter what. And Okonkwo hopes that his children would be like him when they grow
up, being the highest in Umofia.
Why he is not worth sympathizing with: Even though he is just putting up a facade, he still shouldnt
resort to killing Ikemefuna just to protect his image. This is because he treats Ikemefuna as his son,
and since he treats him as his son, he would definitely love him. He should also not kill his wife as if
she is his wife, that means that he actually loves her. I do not think that one should kill or harm a
person that he or she loves, no matter what.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo had a father which was considered as lazy and died without any honours. Everyone was
aware of his father's poor reputation and even classified Okonkwo to be like his father. Due to that,
Okonkwo grows up determined that he will not turn out like his father. He follows strictly to the
traditional values of the Igbo people and turns into a domineering and brave tribe leader, or so it
seems to his tribe members. He is also a very successful farmer, a domineering husband, and
recipient of many tribal honours. However, he kills Ikemefuna though he does not intend to as he is
afraid of being seen a cowardly. This fear of failure all stems out from his father's failure to be seen
"as a man”. Okonkwo's focus on traditions become so rigid and inflexible, that he cannot seem to
deal with changes . Thus, he has a difficult time adapting to changes that occur in his village. In his
mind, he thinks that everything should remain the same as it always has been. What he cannot seem
to accept is the fact that things in life are always changing and he must learn to adapt if he wants to
survive.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
However, I think that the same point could be argued to show that Okonkwo is not worth
sympathizing with. Due to Okonkwo’s incapability to accept changes, he indirectly caused his own
death. He was stubborn and stuck to his own ideas. Unwilling to accept the fact of the arrival of the
white man into his village. He does not welcome changes with open arms but shuns them. Showing
Okonkwo’s cowardice. He closed his eyes to changes and could bear the fact that the world around
him is changing, afraid of losing all the power and authority he possess. He eventually succumbs to
stress and breaks down, committing suicide. Thus in my opinion I think Okonkwo is not worthy of
sympathy due to his cowardice.
At a glance, many of us would certainly say that Okonkwo was a rash, violent and abusive man who
is not at all worth sympathizing with. Well, I, for one, respectfully disagree. Okonkwo's character was
built and developed by his community and their circumstances- his father's failures, how women are
seen to be second-class to men .etc. Deep down inside, Okonkwo was really a scared, insecure man
who needed to actually hold onto his strength as the only way to feel accepted by the society. A
modern illustration would probably be a child from an average financial background having to go to
an elite school for wealthy kids. When the other children go to school in their Porsches, Rolls Royces,
Maybachs and Bentleys, this child takes a bus to and fro from school. When the other kids have the
latest iphone 4 and other gadgets, this child only uses a hand-me-down Nokia. When the other kids
go to school clad in their Burberrys, AX, Abercrombie & Fitch .etc, this child goes to school in
Giordano. Such a child would ultimately feel inferior when pegged upon the other children. He/She
would try to act like he/she is really an elite, just like the other students to get a sense of belonging.
When he probably knows the fact that he/she is in real fact, less well off then his/her peers, he/she
would still try his/her best to 'blend in'. He/She would find a certain aspect in which he/she stands
out and would go around boasting about it. He/She would try his/her best to join the elite class.
However, such acts of uncertainty apparently never works. Even when this uncertainty seems to
have been overcome and the person gets this 'social elite' status, he/she would never feel
contended. Why? Everything he/she is living in is simply a setup; an act so that he/she would not be
looked down upon by others. The painful fact is that this setup could come crumbling down anytime.
All that is needed is someone else to break down the thin wall set up by these acts of uncertainty. In
this case, I feel that Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with. To cover his insecurity and weaknesses, he
had to go against himself and act all 'macho' on the outside. He was in real fact, trembling in within
as his thoughts waged war against his will.
On the other hand, Okonkwo's extent upon which he wishes to be seen by the people as a
respectable man simply goes too far. He was even willing to take the life of someone who calls him
father; whom Okonkwo himself loved and for once, felt a certain connection with, all for the sake of
being 'popular' and not seen as weak. He beat up his wives and was rash, ready to harm them
anytime he wished to. To him, status surpasses all. Wanting to be high up in the social ladder is not
at all wrong. In fact, it drives you to work hard to earn that success. However, to some people, it is
the means he/she is willing and going to take that leads them into trouble, staining ther own hands
with blood of others, that is no longer a will, that is GREED. And greed is wrong...
In conclusion, I still feel that Okonkwo does deserve sympathy. After all, I believe that he himself did
not wish his life to be that way. Well, it certainly is true he has taken some wrong steps along the
way but hey, that's what life's about- Are you willing to forgive others and take them as who they
are? After all, (I believe) no one out there is perfect but there is One who forgives and accepts you
for who you are; someone who is ever-willing to give up His life just for you..... He is Love and He
looks beyond your wrongdoings and sins, mending your broken hearts and lives. As how we are all
forgiven, we should forgive others. Once we learn to forgive, we'll see that after all, Okonwo does
deserve this sympathy.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
-He had a sad childhood, because he didnt have a responsible father to start with. His father left him
neither land nor crop for him to continue on, but instead, a huge pile of debts and probably a
lifetime of wallowing in self pity. This probably left him humiliated. He could not walk out of his past,
but instead used "violence", something that he thought could remove him from his misery, as he
gained fame through violence, defeating The Cat.
He kept re-living his past, he could not open up his heart to learn to forgive, nor forget. That
incident, that part of the childhood "scarred" him for life, and made him remember. That period of
hardship he went through to make up for what he had lost, had taught him to be tough, self-reliant,
humble, hardworking, and motivated to grow crops. He was described like a robot, in the book.
There were quotes saying that he was very rigid and would work and work, he never hardly ever
tired. Should he ever had a feeling to stop, that nagging feeling of being useless like his father scared
him.
He was afriad, yet he could not deal with the internal fear well, he abused authority over other
people, (in his family) (to people with lower statuses than him) to show that he is in control, when in
fact he is not. I pity him, because he could not control his own emotions or deal with them well. The
leader had told him not to bear a hand in Ikemefuna's death yet he still struck him down when he
favoured Ikemefuna over his biological son. He had to resort to such extreme forms of actions just to
prevent him from thinking about the past, now that is very sad. One who cannot walk out of the
past, start life anew as a better person, life is meaningless. Life has little value if you have to
constantly prove yourself, to rid yourself of the past when you can just attempt to let go slowly and
be a happier person. He is actually someone wth inferiority complex, from what i have inferred from
the book.
Another point why i sympathized him was because he did not know how to live. His whole life is all
about work, work and more work. He has not truly relaxed, like his father, for fear of becoming like
him. But the thing is, in life, we need a balance. Without it, it will go haywire. Work and play should
come together, and make life easier. Because he focused too much on working, he forgotten the
true meaning of life.
He abuses his family and people around him just to prove that he is better, he is in control, he will be
the one that can tell people what to do. Life will be miserable like this. Working can give you success
which can satisfy (physical needs), but can it really support you emotionally? Family is the only
outlet, whereby they can truly hear your troubles out and love you like no outsiders could. Yet he
chooses to abuse them (emotionally) just because he is too selfish ,too clingy on the past that he had
suffered. I dont understand why he must bring this hurt forward to other people. He is giving out
negative energy in a way. His actions, hurt himself and will cause a problem that will accumulate
over a long time, which results in him hanging himself. His family loves him, yet he has to make them
afriad of him. Why? He could be a good husband and a good father but then again if it was so, then
there would not be a book written because there isnt enough conflicts -.I pity him, for so many reasons but dont know hotmail got space or not. I pity him as he is trapped in
limits. Life, is for sure, without limits. He chooses to live his life by burdening himself, by refusing to
move on, get over the past and move on. His actions are based on what he feels about his past and
that is indeed, sad. He thinks so much and so meticulously when he scolds people, but not when he
cares. He cares about the people around him and doesnt show it. What is the use of being in this
world if you have not learnt how to love? He is intelligent, yet he doesnt always use it the right way.
He enjoys seeing people beneath him (assumption) and he likes the feeling of superiority= which
means to be in control.
Then, he becomes some sort of control freak that makes everyone's lives miserable just because he
had a horrible childhood. (assumption, once again.)
He does care about his family and that is very commendable, due to the fact that he is always very
demanding of his family. But at least he makes sure that there is order in the family and that is
crucial to building a family with good r/s, but unfortunately, his r/s with his family is often very
stranger-like.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
First of all, life is not really fair to begin with. He terrorizes everyone's lives just because he did not
have a happy start, this is no excuse.
Life isnt fair because we were supposed to fight for what we want, we learn that in life, if we do not
fight, we will not get the opportunities that other luckier people may get. In the process of fighting,
this struggle enables us to grow, and learn to be independent, to know right from wrong, to know
that life is not an easy ride, but it is still possible to live through it. Everyone is born differently and in
this case, he doesnt have any defects (eg. physical handicap or learning disability) and actually he
should be contented but he actually laments that his life is not good enough by working harder but
he still blames his father.
[However he does make use of resources by working as hard as he can. ]
His son, Nwoye loves him a lot and yet he chooses to treat him like this. For Okonkwo, Nwoye
actually tried to change himself. To lament about women ,about offering to do "man's " chores, to
love listening to Okonkwo war stories. He did not like any of this, and yet he tried to change,because
of Okonkwo, yet O did not know. He was selfish, that he wanted Nwoye to do things within his own
expectations, He does not think or consider that perhaps some of his expectations were too harsh,
or not right. In a way, he is "killing" his son's interests because he has already created a special mold
for them to grow up in. To have the right spirit, to be manly, to be more harsh. (himself)
Throughout the whole story, there wasn’t a single bit of remorse in him. To what he had done to his
wives or children. But perhaps his culture had made him believe that doing this was fine but was
love really translated like this? Hurt and fear under the person you love? Though some people
actually respect O. But, he is still like a terrorist.
He doesnt realize his mistakes.
why is he worth sympathizing:
To me, I feel that Okonkwo is worth sympathizing for as he committed a "female" crime and it was
an accident. However, because of this accident, he lost everything that he had, the goals of which he
had to become one of the lords of the village and even had to flee to his motherland for 7 years
before he can return back to his village. To me, I think he is worth sympathizing for this is not his
fault, yet he had to bear heavy consequences due to the traditions and customs of his village. As we
understand, because of this accident, he was forced to start a new life in his motherland before he
could return 7 years later.
Also, we may also be able to sympathize for him when we understand that Nwoye had converted to
Christianity and did not return home, and in fact, deny the existence of his father. We understand
that though he does not have high hopes for this son of his, he does expect him to be more 'manly'
and attempt to be like Okonkwo in future. However, due to the arrival the whites, it all changed and
his own son turned his back on Okonkwo. As we can imagine, this is a really hurtful thing to any
parent, even if they do not bear hopes in their own children. No parent would want their children to
turn their backs against them, and the same applies for Okonkwo. For this, we may sympathize him
for this, for the fact that he did not get the 'respect' from Nwoye and had to watch his son convert to
Christianity in front of his own eyes.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
For many of us, we view Okonkwo as a violent man who actually treats his family very harshly. He
was one who uses violence to settle things and ruled the family with a heavy hand. As we know,
Okonkwo had applied a reasonably high amount of pressure on Nwoye and Nwoye's respect for him
was long gone when Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna with his bare hands. To Nwoye, we know that
Ikemefuna was the main reason to why he changed for the better and to him, Ikemefuna was the
only person who seems to be able to portray a 'fatherly' image for Nwoye. With the killing of
Ikemefuna, it is obvious that this was a relatively traumatizing affair for young Nwoye. With such an
incident happening on Nwoye, it was only natural that Nwoye grew a strong dislike for his father and
eventually convert to Christianity, for this was the place where he could 'escape' from his cruel
father and the Igbo culture. From this, we can see that Okonkwo was not worth sympathizing for the
'lost' of his son, for it was he himself who brought this upon himself. In fact, it may be the building
stress and sadness from Okonkwo that caused Nwoye to convert to Christianity in the end. Hence,
we could see that for the departure of Nwoye, Okonkwo should not be sympathise for he was the
one who brought it upon himself.
At the end of the novel, we understand that Okonkwo committed suicide in the end. To a certain
extend, I feel that he is not worth sympathizing. As we know from many parts of the book, Okonkwo
was a highly stubborn person who was unwilling to change his ways, constantly believing that he
was right all the time. When the whites invaded, he was unable to change his thoughts to accept
them(though we understand it is really hard) and with his agressive temper, he made it worse by
killing one of the messengers as he was unable to accept the changes that he had to face. To him,
this was unacceptable and that the whites deserved to die for they were the ones responsible for
making their culture split apart. However, if he was able to at least accept the changes, he would not
have suffered so much due to his egoist and proud, stubborn character. Hence, I feel that he is not
worth sympathising for it was he who brought this upon himself as he was unable to accept changes,
which were necessary, and thus, led him to his death.
Why is he worth sympathizing with: Okonkwo suffered alot in his youth and had to work hard to
achieve his goals, it is normal that he pushes his sons (Nwoye) alot, as he wants his son to have the
best. When he "abuses" his family and pressurizes them, he is actually trying to show/display his
love and care for them, but cannot find the right means/method to do so. We should sympathise
with Okonkwo as he is affected by the environment thal he lived in and did not have a good family to
begin with, causing him to become the man that he is today. Okonkwo is a victim himself.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with: Even when given chances to change and show affection in
a nicer way, Okonkwo refuses and just wants to stick with the same thing. He is like an amath test
paper, the questions are always in the same format, never changing, unlike emath when they try to
trick you by turning the questions and twisting the whole concept around. Because he refuses to
changes even when given the chance, Okonkwo cannot be sympathized. When a man is not given a
chance to change and suffers as a result, he is to be sympathized; but when a man is given a chance
and yet does not want to change, he is to be pitied for being to foolish and not recognizing the fact
that he was able to change his fate..
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
He started his own farm at a tender age, earned his own fame and recognition without the help of
his father. Furthermore, he had such a terrible father, I am sure people around him would have
negative impression of him as well. As humans, we are all very judgemental, if we know of someone
related to the person, we would normally assume they are similar. He lived a life of tough struggle,
he never really had enough time to revel himself in his own achievements. Besides, his fame and
recognition lasted briefly. Due to an accidental shot that killed a boy, that was the start of his
downfall. He was casted out of his fatherland for exile. This caused him to lose his drive and
motivation to start his farm. He felt like he was ‘learning to write with his left at an old age’, aimless
and without the youthful energetic self. Upon his return, he could not even restart afresh as his tribe
was already half fallen apart. With the Christians winning the trust of people in the tribe, less were
standing on his side. None were as hard-hearted as he was. His determination in bringing the tribe
up failed. His suicide in the end was a result of his love for his tribe (and likely his fame, glory and
pride). Hence, I feel he is pitiable and worth sympathizing with.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
He was too hard. He would not compromise. He had too much assumption in himself of what is
weak and what is strong, what is effeminate and what is manly. These were the reasons why his son
ended up leaving him, and also, why he suicide. He isn’t worth sympathizing at all for all those
downfall was his own fault. If he was a little softer with his son, if he was a little less rough with his
son, his son would feel appreciated, feel loved and feel accepted under his wing. Having so many
kids, yet he did not know the rule of taking care of kids. Kids need to feel the warmth, they need to
feel accepted, they yearn for love from parents. If a child constantly faces beating, scolding and
hollering, he would never learn to appreciate the love the parent is showing. Hate and resentment
will pile up within their souls and make any bit of change a wonderful escape from their parents He
could not take that two religions could stay under the same ‘roof’, his tribe. He had to ensure that it
is only dominated by one religion. . His death was a result of his rigidness and stubbornness. He is
not worth sympathizing with.
Why is Okonkwo worth sympathizing with:
Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with because the extent of change in Umuofia when he was away
was to such a great extent that it required him to have great adaptations to be able to live properly
in Umuofia again. When Okonkwo accidentally killed someone during a wedding celebration, he was
sent away with his family to his motherland, Mbanta, according to his gods. He was sent to exile for
7 years.
During these years, there was much change that was going on in Umuofia. The Christians had started
to settle in Umuofia and slowly spread Christianity to the people of Ibo. Under strong influences of
Mr Brown and Reverend Smith, many of the Umuofians had switched religions. When he went back
to Umuofia after 7 years, the welcome back he expected did not become reality. Everything was
different. The tribe was torn apart by Christianity. Some stayed, some changed. Being a deeply
religious man that was rooted to his beliefs, gods and chi, this was a great change to adapt to. As he
was previously one of the noblest men in Umuofia, it hurt him so much to see his fellow tribesmen
convert to Christianity. He could not bear to see their gods insulted and abandoned.
After being in exile for so long and coming back to such a scene, Okonkwo is worth sympathizing
with.
Why is Okonkwo not worth sympathizing with:
As mentioned earlier, many of the tribesmen of Umuofia has converted to Christianity. So, why
couldn’t Okonkwo? We all know that Okonkwo is deeply connected to his Ibo tradition. But, change
is necessary for men to be successful. As time passes, things change. And people need to change too
for them to keep up with time. Christianity is the modern tradition introduced in Umuofia and
people encouraged to convert.
If the tribe wants to stick together as one, they should all convert and approach the new religiontogether. The ways of the Ibo are perhaps too old-fashioned and irrelevant as the world changes and
modernization occurs. For example, killing themselves just because they disgraced the gods or
because the gods say so are not the way to live your life. The Ibo tradition I feel is too exaggerated
and extreme. People don’t deserve to just die because they are told to. Men pave the paths of their
own lives. Hence I feel Christianity is the right tradition for the tribesmen to take up.
However, there are some like Okonkwo who simply refuse to accept change. Accepting change is
helping themselves- by refusing they are simply NOT helping themselves. The white men are already
encouraging in their introduction of Christianity, especially Mr Brown. It is the refusal of men like
Okonkwo that force the white men to their aggressive ways. Even Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son, has
already converted. So why cant Okonkwo?
Hence, I feel that Okonkwo is not worth sympathizing with.
Why is he worth sympathizing with:
He is a victim of change. Even though he may seem cold (severing ties with Nwoye because of
Nwoye’s new belief), harsh (wanting to wage war against the missionaries) and unreasonable
(objecting so violently to the new belief the missionaries brought) for refusing to accept change
brought in by the missionaries to his village, he is actually quite pitiful.
The village and its beliefs in its various gods and its various practices stood for everything that
Okonkwo thought was ‘right’. His whole life he has based his beliefs strictly on what the society
believed in; their gods and traditions. When the Christian missionaries brought a new faith and
claimed villagers believed in ‘false gods; gods of wood and stone’, everything that Okonkwo based
his life upon started crumbling down. To have a sudden assertion that everything you thought was
right was actually wrong is very overwhelming. Unable to accept it, Okonkwo chose to end his
sufferings by ending his life.
He is worth sympathizing with as if we put ourselves in his shoes, we can feel that it would be very
difficult for him to adapt to the sudden change in his homeland. It is like having your whole world
turned upside down. A possible analogy may be asking one to acknowledge ‘new’ parents. What if
you found out that your current parents were not your parents and that you have been living with
‘strangers’ your whole life? We may not be able to fully understand how Okonkwo feels but we can
try to do so.
In addition to not being able to accept the change, Okonkwo had to deal with the loneliness that
came with the change. As most people had already adapted to the change, Okonkwo stood alone in
his venture to resist change. Being alone can be hurtful and Okonkwo had to stand alone to see his
family (Nwoye leaving) and his home (Umuofia’s decline from a strong village to one under the
missionaries) fall apart before his very eyes. Hence, Okonkwo is worth sympathizing with as he
suffered much with the change brought to his village.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with:
He is not worth sympathizing with as he has done a lot of things that brought hurt to others and his
end was his own choice.
Okonkwo’s life was all to his own doing. His strained relationships with his family members were all
due to his character and own actions. For example, even when Ikemefuna called him ‘father’ and he
was fond of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo still killed him in the end. This shows his stubbornness and
selfishness in forgoing family ties in exchange for prestige and recognition by others as he did not
want to appear weak. His action brought hurt to Nwoye as Nwoye looked up to Ikemefuna as a
brother and was really attached to him.
Also, Okonkwo does not attempt to understand Nwoye’s feelings of wanting to convert to
Christianity. Instead, he just flew into a fury and even strangled Nwoye. He does not think of his
other family members and does not care for what they think.
Okonkwo’s downfall was sealed by his own hands. It was he who chose to end his life. Instead of
fighting for what he believed in, he chose the easy way out and ended his life. For a man that was so
strong and proud, to choose such a cowardly end just proves his inability to stay strong when it was
needed the most. Hence he is not worth sympathizing with as his end was just the result of his own
actions. His sufferings were also due to his own doings.
Why is he worth sympathizing with
Okonkwo's life is dominated by fear of being like his father, "the fear of failure and of weakness". In
the patriarchal hierarchy of his tribe, honor and respect are measured in strength and courage, and
Okonkwo's constant fear is that he will not measure up. Okonkwo, having been teased because of
his father when he was young, deeply "resented his father's failure and weakness". As an adult
then, the basis of Okonkwo's constant fear is that "he should be found to resemble his father". It is
due to his sad past that results in him trying his very best to get as many titles as he can, being as
successful as he can be. Refusing to show any traits of being like a woman, he does not express any
"womanly" actions like showing love expressively, being gentle or embracing peace. However, this
leads to certain disadvantages like his relationship with his son being in shambles, as described
"Nwoye (is) developing into a sad-faced youth" in Chapter 2. Thus, Okonkwo is worth sympathizing
with because he is unable to live his life freely, happily and contentedly, forever trapped by his past.
Why is he NOT worth sympathizing with
Okonkwo is too proud. He is haunted by the disgraceful way his father lived and died hence he is
determined to be totally unlike his father. Okonkwo is now a successful man, having three wives,
plentiful yam harvests and holds many titles in the village. As he had achieved this through his hard
work, great effort and determination, he is proud that he managed this all by himself, while many
other men in the village were successful partially due to their fathers leaving them valuables but
Okonkwo's father did not leave anything behind for him to benefit from. We cannot deny the fact
that Okonkwo's success was due to himself and not the work of a god, but this led Okonkwo to
become very cocky because he thinks he is better than everyone else and is harsh and cruel to the
people around him. For example, he had a hand in killing Ikefemefuna because he did not want to
bruise his pride and ego by appearing weak. If his pride had not got the better of him, he would
surely not have killed Ikemefuna. Thus, he is not worth sympathizing with because his pride matters
too much in his life, such that even his beloved wives and children are second to his pride.