By the time I was finished reading Things Fall Apart, all I could see was the irony of Okonwo's situation.
For the entire duration of the novel, we watch as Okonwo desperately tries to distance himself from his father. He seeks to gain prestige and success, ultimately ending up with both. However, as Okonwo becomes greater and further separates his name from that of his father, the violent man ends up drifting away from his fellow clansmen. This distance apart from his people puts Okonwo at a reverse parallel from his father. Whereas one man was seen as an outcast to his people, the other man is seen as having overcome his people.
In the end, Okonwo becomes exactly like his father. The two are really just one character, with both men living out their lives on opposite sides of one extreme. Both begin and end their lives without a fancy title or a pile of riches. Neither was memorable in the slightest.
Edit - Replied to Osten Belew and Leanne White.
For the entire duration of the novel, we watch as Okonwo desperately tries to distance himself from his father. He seeks to gain prestige and success, ultimately ending up with both. However, as Okonwo becomes greater and further separates his name from that of his father, the violent man ends up drifting away from his fellow clansmen. This distance apart from his people puts Okonwo at a reverse parallel from his father. Whereas one man was seen as an outcast to his people, the other man is seen as having overcome his people.
In the end, Okonwo becomes exactly like his father. The two are really just one character, with both men living out their lives on opposite sides of one extreme. Both begin and end their lives without a fancy title or a pile of riches. Neither was memorable in the slightest.
Edit - Replied to Osten Belew and Leanne White.
Comments