An Identity in Crisis

An Identity in Crisis

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a story about personal beliefs,customs, and also a story about an identity confliction. There is struggle between family, culture, and religion of the Ibo tribes. It shows how things fall apart when these beliefs and customs are challenged and how a personal identity changes for a man. The novel concerns the life of Okonkwo, a leader and local wrestling champion throughout the villages of the Ibo ethnic group of Umuofia in Nigeria, Africa, his three wives, and his children. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo is internally challenged and slowly becomes someone that is no longer recognizable by his friends or his family. When Okonkwo faces change, his identity starts to fade.

Okonkwo is one of the most powerful men in the Ibo tribe. In his tribe, he is both feared and honored. This is evident by this quote, "Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on the solid personal achievements. He brought honor to his tribe by throwing Amalinze the Cat" ( Achebe 3). This suggests that in Okonkwo's tribe, making a name for yourself in any way possible, even if that means fighting and wrestling to get your fame attains power. Okonkwo wanted to be one of the highest leaders in the tribe, and was willing to do anything in order to achieve that goal. He loved his tribe, and they defined him.

The Ibo people had a very different religious lifestyle and culture. They believed in many gods; they were a polytheistic tribe. The Ibo supreme god was Chukwu, and the people believe "he made all the world and the other gods" (Achebe 179). They believed that everything has a spirit and that ancestral spirits called the "egwugwu" kept the law. The Ibo family consisted of a man, his wives, and how many children they had. Each wife had her own hut she shared with her children. The more wives and children that the man had defined him; it showed that he had power, respect, and wealth. There was also a group of elders and they were men in the tribe who had achieved high- ranking titles. They are the members that kept the order in the village. Their culture respected the seniors because they were filled with knowledge and wisdom. They had their own political structure; it was their way of life. Okonkwo believed in his tribe. He wanted nothing more than to be revered by his fellow tribe members. Okonkwo wanted to one day lead his tribe. He truly believed that there was no sacrifice too great for his kinsman. Okonkwo was dedicated to the life of the tribe.

Early in the story, starts Okonkwo's personal conflict between himself and his father, Unoka. "Okonkwo was ruled by one passion - to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness" (Achebe 13). Unoka was considered to be a failure. Okonkwo did not receive anything from his father. He inherited no farm, no money, and no title. Okonkwo was determined to have it all... money, wives, food, and a farm. If there was daylight, Okonkwo was working his farm; if there was warrior to wrestle he was wrestling, and if there was an internal-tribe war he was fighting in it. It was in spite that Okonkwo became whom he did. The tribes hold great respect for men who had a title. A man within the tribe, who didn't have any titles, was referred to as a woman. His father, Unoka was a man of failure in eyes of the tribe and in the eyes of his son. "Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered" (Achebe 8). It is Okonkwo's anger and bitterness over his father's failure that seemed to be the driving force behind Okonkwo's early actions. "Although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time" (Achebe 8).

Just as Okonkwo did not want to be like his father, Nwoye did not want to be like Okonkwo. Nwoye possessed traits that Okonkwo did not look at such as gentleness, forgiveness, and acceptance as being manly. These were signs of weakness and womanly. "Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength" (Achebe 28). "Okonkwo wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man. . . . I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands" (Achebe 33).

In the fourth chapter Okonkwo is yelled at by Ezeani, the priest of the earth goddess, for beating his wife during the sacred week of peace. Okonkwo did not feel remorse for his actions and thought of it as a sign of strength and manhood. Okonkwo was plagued over being seen as weakling or even womanly. Okonkwo went as far as to kill Ikemefuna to prove that he was not weak to his tribe. Okonkwo liked the boy and thought of him as a son because he saw good qualities in him. When it came time to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down" (Achebe 61). He delivered the second and final blow even after Ezeudu told him not to. He said, "the boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death" (Achebe 57). "Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after the death of Ikemefuna" (Achebe 63). Ikemefuna's death had shattered him emotionally and physically. But, he made himself get rid of those feelings. Ikemefuna's death and his own guilt turns Okonkwo. He starts to have a slow breakdown. Ironically he went against the wishes of the tribe to prove to them that he was a man.

Just as Okonkwo was gaining power and higher positions within the tribe, he was banished for seven years for accidentally killing a brother of the tribe. They burned Okonkwo's obi's and he and his family was sent into exile. Okonkwo had to live in his mother's maiden land of Mbanta. Okonkwo was at a loss