Question

“His whole life was dominated by fear of failure and of weakness.” Do you think this is true of Okonkwo? Give your views with reference to the novel.

Answer 1

Yes, this is the central truth of Okonkwo’s character. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe explicitly states that Okonkwo’s “whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.” This fear is not external; it is a deep-seated psychological dread of becoming like his father, Unoka.

1. The Shadow of Unoka: Okonkwo’s driving force is a reaction against his father’s legacy. Unoka was a debtor, a flute-player, and a man the village called agbala (a word meaning both “woman” and “man without titles”). To compensate, Okonkwo obsessively pursues the opposite:
   • He becomes a wealthy yam farmer.
   • He earns high titles in the clan.
   • He becomes a famed wrestler, throwing “The Cat.”
2. The Killing of Ikemefuna: The most tragic manifestation of this fear occurs when the Elders decide that Ikemefuna must be killed. Even though the boy calls Okonkwo father, and despite the warning from the elder Ezeudu not to bear a hand in his death, Okonkwo delivers the final blow. He does this because he was afraid of being thought weak. His fear of appearing feminine or sentimental overrides his natural paternal affection.
3. Domestic Violence and Anger: Okonkwo equates emotion with weakness. Consequently, he rules his household with a heavy hand. He beats his wives even during the Week of Peace because he cannot handle any perceived challenge to his authority. To Okonkwo, to show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.
4. The Rejection of Nwoye: He despises his son, Nwoye, for possessing the same sensitive traits as Unoka. His fear that his Living Fire will leave behind impotent ash causes him to treat Nwoye with such cruelty that he eventually drives the boy into the arms of the Christian missionaries.
5. The Ultimate Failure: Suicide: Even his death is a result of this fear. When he realizes the Umuofia kinsmen will not fight the British, he experiences the ultimate failure of his warrior code. By choosing suicide, an act the clan considers an abomination, he ironically ends up like his father, buried in the Evil Forest without a proper funeral, the very fate he spent his entire life trying to avoid.