Things Fall Apart Characters Essay Research Paper — страница 2

  • Просмотров 188
  • Скачиваний 5
  • Размер файла 16
    Кб

Ikemefuna’s death because he calls Okonkwo “father.” They tell Ikemefuna that he is going back to his natal village, and a group of men goes with him. When they begin to attack him, Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo for help. Okonkwo kills him to avoid looking weak. Nwoye converts to Christianity a few years later because he never comes to terms with Ikemefuna’s death, decreed by indigenous gods. Maduka – Maduka is Obierika’s son. He wins a wrestling contest in his mid-teens. Okonkwo wishes he had promising, manly sons like Maduka. Nwoye – Nwoye is Okonkwo’s oldest son. Okonkwo decides that Nwoye is weak and lazy from an early age. He continually beats the boy, hoping to correct the faults he perceives. When Ikemefuna comes to live in the hut of Nwoye’s mother, Nwoye

quickly becomes attached to him. Ikemefuna is like an older brother to Nwoye. Under his influence, Nwoye begins to exhibit more masculine behavior, pleasing Okonkwo. After Ikemefuna’s death, Nwoye begins to doubt some of the laws and rules of his tribe. He also does not understand why twins must be thrown away to die. He converts to Christianity when the missionaries come to Mbanta while his father remains in exile. Okonkwo is furious that his son would be so “effeminate” and weak. Obiageli – Obiageli is the daughter of Okonkwo’s first wife. She and Ezinma are close in age, but Ezinma has a great deal of influence over her. Obierika – Obierika is a close friend of Okonkwo. When Okonkwo goes into exile in his mother’s natal village, Obierika sells the largest of

Okonkwo’s yams. He sells some seed-yams, and gives others to sharecroppers. In this way, he ensures that Okonkwo does not suffer complete financial ruin. Okonkwo’s exile also makes him wonder why a man should be punished so harshly for accidentally killing a clansman. He also wonders why twin newborns must be thrown away to die since they committed no crime other than being born. Obierika comforts Okonkwo during his depression over Ikemefuna’s death, but he thinks Okonkwo was gravely wrong to take part in it. Ogbuefi Ezeudu – Ogbuefi Ezeudu is an important clan elder and leader. He was also a great warrior in his youth. He delivers the Oracle’s pronouncement of death for Ikemefuna to Okonkwo. He warns Okonkwo not to take part in the boy’s death because he calls

Okonkwo “father.” When the announcement of the old man’s death occurs, Okonkwo shudders because the last time Ezeudu visited him, he delivered the Oracle’s pronouncement and his warning against taking a hand in killing Ikemefuna. Ogbuefi Ezeudu receives an elaborate warrior’s funeral because he was a great man in Umuofia. During the funeral, Okonkwo’s gun explodes, killing Ezeudu’s sixteen year old son by accident. Killing a clansman, even inadvertently, is an offense against the clan’s gods. Okonkwo has to go in exile for seven years to atone for his sin. He travels to his mother’s native village, Mbanta. Ojiugo – Ojiugo is Okonkwo’s third wife. Okonkwo – Okonkwo is a clan leader in Umuofia. His father, Unoka, was a coward and a spendthrift by the

standards of the clan. He feared the sight of blood, never took a title, and died of an abominable illness. He left numerous heavy debts unpaid at his death. Since early childhood, Okonkwo was ashamed of his father. However, his hard work and his prowess in war earned him a position of high status and influence in his clan. He rises to a position of wealth sufficient to support three wives and their children. Okonkwo’s tragic flaw is that he is terrified of looking weak like his father; as a result, he behaves rashly, bringing a great deal of trouble and sorrow upon himself and his family. After he takes part in Ikemefuna’s death, his fortunes take a turn for the worse, and he ends by committing suicide, a grave sin in his clan. Reverend James Smith – Smith is the

missionary who replaces Mr. Brown. Unlike Brown, he is uncompromising and strict. He demands that his converts reject all of their indigenous beliefs, and he shows no respect for indigenous customs or culture. He is the stereotypical white colonist in many ways. Uchendu – Uchendu is the younger brother of Okonkwo’s mother. He receives Okonkwo and his family warmly when Okonkwo travels to Mbanta to spend his seven years in exile from his fatherland. He notices Okonkwo’s despair at his misfortune. He gathers his family together and explains to them the value of the mother and her people. A man stays in his fatherland when his life is good, but he seeks refuge in the motherland when his life is bitter and sorrowful. He advises Okonkwo to be grateful for the comfort his