A TRAGIC HERO
.... Okonkwo has an administrative status in his society. He goes to a neighboring village to negotiate a conflict in order to prevent a war. He brings two hostages, a young boy Ikemefuna and a virgin. He likes the boy Ikemefuna but never reveals this because “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” (p.28). Oracle of the hills, one of the gods orders to kill Ikmefuna. Okonkwo gets really depressed because he could not refuse the order and he loves the boy. He does not want Ikemefuna to be killed because he likes him of his intelligence. The oldest person of the village Ezeudu says to Okonkwo “That boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death”(p.57). Okonkwo feels that his emotions are overcoming his strength and revealing unmanliness. He kills Ikemefuna with his own hands to preserve the image of his strength among the people and himself. Later on he feels really weak and sad about what he had done and misses the boy. Writer shows that Okonkwo is not emotionless but, he never lets any emotion take over his strength. He fears weakness and emotions causes weakness. His anger many times leads him to make mistakes. He once beats his wife in the Week of Peace, in which nobody was allowed to cause harm because earth goddess may get upset and crops may not grow that season. Villagers condemn Okonkwo and he feels very embarrassed for his act. Okonkwo never intends to break the rules of his society. He respects the laws and intends to follow them but his impatience leads him to cause problems for him self and others. Okonkwo seems to become an individual from a leader as the tragic events take place in his life. His gun discharges at a funeral ceremony and kills a clansman. This event initializes the collapse of Okonkwo’s character. He gets exiled for seven years because killing a clansman is one of the biggest crimes in an Ibo society. He leaves his village with his family and valuable possessions. He arrives at Mbanta, his mother’s village, which is not considered manly among Ibo people. Okonkwo feels only depressed until his friend and his uncle Obireika brings him the news that neighboring villages have been taken over by white men. Europeans arrive in Umuofia. Missionaries start to preach Christianity to the villagers. At first the villagers resist the missionaries and their religion. The Europeans lure villagers with their tools and technology and many of the villagers start to embrace Christianity. Villagers adapt Christianity as it brings more opportunities, techniques in the field of agriculture, buildings, and many other things. They see the lifestyle that they had never seen before. Ibo outcasts like the new lifestyle Europeans bring to them and find it more respectful than what Ibo society offered. They enjoy the social status and respect Christianity offers to them. They are not judged on their manliness and property. They did not need to follow their society’s rules that required them to be a warrior or a land owner. Okonkwo gets back to his village after his exile. He feels missionaries are contaminating his culture and its moral values. He is also scared of loosing his status as his society will no longer judge men for their manliness, strength and property. He is afraid that his people will not listen to him and elders but white men. Okonkwo could not tolerate white men taking over his customs and people, and ruining the course of Ibo religion. At the village meeting when all clansmen were there Okonkwo kills one ...