Characterization of Okonkwo

What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? What does he represent or is symbolic of? 

What is the purpose of Okonkwo’s character within the text? 

How does Okonkwo’s character contribute to big ideas?

In the novel “Things Fall Apart” written by China Achebe, the protagonist Okonkwo is characterized initially characterized as a strong masculine character that lacks emotion. This is evident by his physical strength, known as a great wrestler beating Amalinze the cat when he was eighteen. Despite his lack of compassion he is a hard worker who provides for his family. Okonkwo leads the story as the plot line follows the events and experiences of his life through the European dominance over Africa. He is symbolic of the traditional Igbo culture and the single story. Okonkwo at first is portrayed as the stereotype that the Western nations have made Africans out to be, characterized as someone who beats his wives and commits murder.  However, as the story develops, the audience starts to sympathize with Okonkwo as he is humanized. 

Okownkwo has all of these characteristics due to manner in which he views his father, as failure. He tries to be the complete opposite of his father and live up to the societal expectations of gaining wealth, power and status. In the Igbo society Okonkwo can be seen as the perfect example of what is expected of men within the society. Okonkwo is symbolic of the old ways of the old Igbo people within society, he has a sense that masculinity is the most important thing as this is what his society valued most, trying his best to live according to the conservative ways of his society. Thereby he refuses any form of change, ultimately leading to his suicide. Change is now an important part of Umuofia and culture as things continue to change because of Colonization, therefore Okonkwo does not symbolise these aspects of the Igbo culture but rather the older and more conservative ways of living.

Okonkwo holds the same values he did at the beginning of the novel as he did in the end.  This was the biggest reason for his downfall, he could not accept the fact that his culture had been changed by the British, Everything that he had worked his entire life for, no longer matter because society had changed.

One of the purposes of Okonkwo's character within the text was to portray that the inability to adapt or to change to fit the circumstances can ultimately lead to ones downfall. Furthermore, Okonkwo is representative of potential flaws within the old Igbo society, evident through Okonkwo's hyper-masculinity which leads him to join in the killing of Ikemefuna as he does not want to appear weak as like his father. Obierika, who is the only one that questions the norms of their society suggests that Okonkwo not join in the killing. However due to not wanting to been seen as weak, Okonkwo kills him anyway, causing great emotional turmoil for him, allowing the audience to sympathize with his show of emotion. This is also some of the aspects that the British tried to change, such of throwing twin babies in the forest and unnecessary killings. Moreover displaying the imperfections in the Igbo traditions. This plays a big role in the characterization of Okonkwo as he has he holds all these values close to him. Okonkwo's character contributes to the larger idea of how blindly following societal and traditional norms without question does not lead to a moral outcome. Obierika on the other hand subtly question everything however his masculinity is never questioned.