Okonkwo's characteristic (top and bottom) values

Top 3 values:

• Success + power

“He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had had no patience with his father.” (pg. 3)

“Whenever the thought of his father's weakness and failure troubled him he expelled it by thinking about his own strength and success.” (pg. 48)

Through explicitly alluding to Okonkwo’s repulsiveness to failure and his strong abhorrence to unsuccessful men, Achebe directly constructs Okonkwo’s character to be one who immensely values success and within the Igboland. Furthermore, the drive for success based on his excessive fear of being a failure like his Father, further propels Okonkwo’s initial character development at the onset of the novel.

• Achievement & prestige

Chapter 1. (pg. 1)

“As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat.” p.1

“He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife. To crown it all he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars. And so although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time. Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered.” p.6

Analysis- direct characterization. The narrator is telling the audience what the personality of the character (Okonkwo) is.

• Religious Faith/ Loyalty to his clan

“Why, he cried in his heart, should he, Okonkwo, of all people, be cursed with such a son. He saw clearly in it the finger of his personal god or chi.” (chapter 17)

-- direct characterization- Okonkwo does not specify whether he is religious or not, only his reaction to Nwoye’s conversion suggests that he is very fond of the Igbo religion

The quote suggests that Okonkwo felt ‘cursed’ to have a son like Nwoye who would betray him and his religion for Christianity

Bottom 3 values:

• Laziness

“He had had no patience with his father. Unoka, for that was his father's name, had died ten years ago. In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow.“ (pg. 3)

“Okonkwo's first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness.” (pg. 10)

“Okonkwo wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man. He would stamp out the disquieting signs of laziness which he thought he already saw in him.” (pg. 24)

Much like Okonkwo’s great trepidation of failure, one other element that Okonkwo truly detested was laziness as this was one significant characteristic that Unoka, his father exhibited. Okonkwo’s primary purpose as an Igbo man was to contrast with nearly every character trait of his father. This is established and revealed through direct and indirect characterization, accordingly.

• Morality

“He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo's return. And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace. His first two wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it was the sacred week.” p.21

Analysis- This evidence from the text is an example of indirect characterization. This is indirect characterization because the narrator of the book is presenting the audience with actions performed by Okonkwo which accentuates his brutality and immorality towards women and sacred events in the book.

• Altruism

“He heard Ikemefuna cry, “My father, they have killed me!” as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” (chapter 7)

--indirect + direct characterization- Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna (indirect) whom he treated like a son because ‘he was afraid of being thought weak’ (direct)

This quote shows how Okonkwo thought of himself before anyone else and in this case he took his own son’s life to get himself a better reputation