The novel, Things Fall Apart, conceptualizes that social and wealth rank in life do not matter as much as finding happiness. Okonkwo always tries to be the opposite of what his father was like. His father had the reputation of being a lazy debtor. Okonkwo becomes so obsessed with his pride that he lets it go to his head and looses everything he had worked for by committing suicide. Okonkwo fears showing affection or sorrow because he thinks it makes him look weak. Sadly enough I compare to him in this way. Expressing your emotions does not show you are weak because everyone has emotions and can easily be emotional over the smallest things in life. I do catch myself being shy at times when I should speak my feelings which is one of my personal flaws that I am aware of. Okonkwo is not aware that it is only human-nature to share your feelings about certain issues and that it is all right. Appearing emotionless, is what leads Okonkwo to his next flaw which results violence. He is harsh when he deals with his family, in particular his son Nwoye. Okonkwo wants to have a relationship with him but can't because of his lack of expressing his emotions. Okonkwo beat his wife and was forced to pay a penalty. Although he knew his actions were wrong he did not show his regret to the villagers because he did not want to appear weak. Okonkwo resorted to violence to make his points understood. This is a characteristic that Okonkwo has and I do not. Okonkwo wanted to make his main goal in life to set himself apart from the reputation his father had. He becomes well known and wealthy. After learning that the word for a man without a title in Ibo is the same word that means "women" , he is crushed. His father had no title so to Okonkwo this means his father was basically a women. That is the time when Okonkwo became obsessed with social status and because of that obsession, he would do anything to protect his image as a strong man in his...
