Before spring break I thought that Okonkwo was a hero to his people because he was an inspiration and was someone to look up to. However, I am not so sure that Okonkwo is a hero anymore. The characteristics of an Igbo hero might be different from the qualities of a hero today. Okonkwo is not a hero in today's society because he is short tempered and does not consider other people's opinions. He lives in fear of becoming lazy and womanly and his actions revolve around this theme. A hero today would instead be proud, courageous and would not favour one gender over the other. Okonkwo often beats his wife and children. A hero in today's society would not hurt other people as a punishment but rather negotiate and reach a conclusion without using violence. Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna even though he was specifically advised not to. Okonkwo only disobeys because he is afraid of ruining his image as a strong man with no weaknesses. A real hero would not commit a violent act just to save his or her image. A hero is not concerned about what others think of them and it would definitely not cloud the hero's judgement.
In Igbo society I suppose that Okonkwo's accomplishments were outstanding and Okonkwo was admired by his fellow villagers. He is known as a hard worker and a successful man. But after Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, his luck changes. He is exiled for seven years after accidentally killing a fellow clansmen. This forces Okonkwo to restart his career because his home and land is burned to cleanse the village. Christian missionaries successfully convert Nwoye, Okonkwo's son, to Christianity. This is one of Okonkwo's greatest fears and he is disgusted by his son. Finally, Okonkwo hangs himself after returning to his village and realizing that his village is unwilling to fight against the Christians. The act of committing suicide is very bad in the Igbo culture and only strangers could take his body down. A real hero would not give up and commit suicide. They would persevere and keep trying no matter how long it takes. This quality is what makes a hero someone to look up to because the ordinary man would just give up, like Okonkwo.
I agree with you completely!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Okonkwo beats his wife/children really bothers me. Okay maybe feminism didn't exist back then, but Okonkwo was rather extreme when it came to his attitude towards his wives or women in general. I think it was possible to gain respect in Igbo culture without being as violent as Okonkwo. Take the elders for example, we didn't read about them running around beating women and other members of the village! They were respected because they were wise and encouraged those around them. I think the elders are more the heroic than Okonkwo ever will be.
Anyways, I should stop before this turns into a rant.
Nice work!