Anna Maynard

G Block

Portfolio

Unreachable Expectations

Manliness is a necessary quality to maintain when striving to have any influence or

prestige in Umuofia society. Okonkwo has much influence in Umuofia due to his expression of

that exact characteristic; his strong physique and his success in war are great traits to maintain

when striving to have a grand reputation in Umuofia. Okonkwo tries to force his legacy upon his

son, Nwoye, who is constantly unable to meet those high expectations. When the Christian

church arrives, their view on life completely contradict those of Okonkwo and greatly intrigue

Nwoye. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo’s overwhelming need for Nwoye to

express the highly valued characteristic of manliness ultimately encourages Nwoye to convert to

Christianity.

Okonkwo uses brute force to scare both Nwoye and his wives when they fail to please

him. Okonkwo holds very high standards as to which characteristics his family members should

have, Nwoye, being a boy must be strong and masculine. Okonkwo encourages and enforces

manliness through physical and verbal abuse. When the conversation of Ikemefuna’s death arises

“Nwoye overheard it and burst into tears, whereupon his father beat him heavily” (57).

Okonkwo does not believe that men should show emotions because it shows weakness and

feminine qualities. Nwoye perceives losing a brother and it is not acceptable for him to show any

kind of emotion. Nwoye is never enough in his father’s eyes because he didn’t have to fight out

of poverty; the only way that Nwoye would ever please Okonkwo would be to have the same, or
larger accomplishments than he had. Nwoye doesn’t measure up to Okonkwo’s view of

manliness, which leads to constant scrutiny under the hand of his father which ultimately leads to

his conversion to Christianity; further disappointing and disgusting Okonkwo.

Throughout his life, Okonkwo constantly lowers Nwoye’s confidence and feeling of

value. The Ibo people value strong, masculine men both religiously and secularly. Okonkwo tells

stories of war and death to instill toughness inside of Nwoye, and “Nwoye knew that it was right

to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still preferred the stories that his mother used

to tell,” (53). Nwoye knows that his father needs him to be strong and masculine, and constant

reminders come in the form of beatings and verbal abuse. The mindset that Okonkwo ingrains in

his son, forces him to think that the only possible mold he can fit is that of a tough man who has

the skill set and capability to run the household. Nwoye fears his father, so he cowers to

Okonkwo’s demands and hides his true self. When Nwoye begins to fit the mold his father

wishes for him to fill, he “saw that his father was pleased, and no longer rebuked him or beat

him” (54). Nwoye pretends to be interested in masculine stories to avoid beatings; however, the

childhood love for reassuring, calming stories never leaves him forever. Okonkwo forces Nwoye

to embrace a certain characteristic that is not his own, and when the Christians, with their

reassuring hymns arrive, Nwoye’s captivation of the new religion makes him convert to the

religion with comforting poetry.

The fear that Okonkwo implants into his eldest son forms Nwoye to a depressed

adolescent who has no capability of pleasing his father. Okonkwo views his son’s fear as laziness

which leads to more abuse in an attempt to try to take the laziness out of his son. Okonkwo

“sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a

sad-faced youth” (14). His inability to please his father hurts Nwoyes mental health, growing up
constantly striving to please his father and failing, put a damper on his happiness and feeling of

self-worth. Okonkwo is a terrible father to Nwoye, he doesn’t try to form a bond with his son, he

constantly puts Nwoye down. Nwoye is unable to be the manly person Okonkwo wants him to

be and Okonkwo abuses him for this, when the Christians arrive, Nwoye attraction to the

Christians begins due to their lovingness and acceptance towards everyone.

The role that Okonkwo plays as his father, makes Nwoye want to rebel to a more

comfortable place. Growing up with constant fear of his father’s opinion, the ideas of

Christianity comfort Nwoye. Okonkwo’s bad fathering and constant lowering of his son’s self-

esteem makes Nwoye fear and dislike him. When a way out appears, Nwoye goes against his

father to create his own ideas and beliefs. Fathers should not force their sons to be a certain

person, fathers should help the child grow and learn about their own interests. In a world where

children can be anything, a father can help his son grow and flourish into an individual with his

own ideas and interest rather than forcing him to conform to his ideas of a perfect man.
 Work Cited Page

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Penguin Books, 2017. Print.

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