Okonkwo is assertedly driven by his fear when he acts out and kills Ikemefuna but if he had acted otherwise it would of been portrayed as an act of weakness. Sadly his tremendous angst lead him to take the life of an innocent boy that looked upon him as a father figure. Okonkwo's strict paranoia towards the opinion the other men might of had of him and the rumors that would have spread if he had acted indifferent triggered him into taking away Ikemefuna's life. Only to secretly haunt him for some time; little does he know that by killing the innocent boy he actually did fulfill his father's weak trait because he acted upon cowardliness. -Melenny Gallardo
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Was it an act of weakness for Okonkwo to kill Ikemefuna?
Okonkwo treated Ikemefuna with love and in several occasions even thought of him as being superior than his birth son, Okonkwo unfortunately participates in the death of Ikemefuna. He was basically forced to take action in his murder due to the fact that it had been decreed by the oracle himself. Okonkwo lives in fear of being seen as a weak link by the other men. This insecurity he holds within him has a lot to do with who he is and has become as a person. It all traces back to his deceased father, who was indeed lazy and known to be an enormous disappointment in Umuofia. Through his fathers past characteristics Okonkwo be holds the major aspects of setting himself to being entirely opposite from his father. He was alleged to be feminine, weak, and a drunk.
Okonkwo is assertedly driven by his fear when he acts out and kills Ikemefuna but if he had acted otherwise it would of been portrayed as an act of weakness. Sadly his tremendous angst lead him to take the life of an innocent boy that looked upon him as a father figure. Okonkwo's strict paranoia towards the opinion the other men might of had of him and the rumors that would have spread if he had acted indifferent triggered him into taking away Ikemefuna's life. Only to secretly haunt him for some time; little does he know that by killing the innocent boy he actually did fulfill his father's weak trait because he acted upon cowardliness. -Melenny Gallardo
Okonkwo is assertedly driven by his fear when he acts out and kills Ikemefuna but if he had acted otherwise it would of been portrayed as an act of weakness. Sadly his tremendous angst lead him to take the life of an innocent boy that looked upon him as a father figure. Okonkwo's strict paranoia towards the opinion the other men might of had of him and the rumors that would have spread if he had acted indifferent triggered him into taking away Ikemefuna's life. Only to secretly haunt him for some time; little does he know that by killing the innocent boy he actually did fulfill his father's weak trait because he acted upon cowardliness. -Melenny Gallardo
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I don't believe Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna out of weakness as much as I think it was out of his selfishness. The character that we see in Okonkwo is perceived as a warrior, a provider, a rash-thinker, a misogynist, and a selfish man. I think the death of Ikemefuna was meant to show readers that the protagonist in a novel is not always completely immoral. Though there are shades of goodness in Okonkwo, there are also traces of selfishness and greed that demonstrate why he's not our idea of an average hero.
ReplyDelete-Rachel Robutti
I agree with Rachel. I don't think Okonkwo killing Ikemefuna was an act of weakness, I think it was just another way to show how Okonkwo will do whatever in order to not be like his dad, who was weak. Okonkwo wants to be that "macho" man.
ReplyDelete-Destiny Quinones
DeleteShows the weakness that most people in power only hold that power because they’re supported by those around them and when faced with a situation in which they can do the right thing but stand alone they choose not to.
ReplyDelete- Alicia Cornejo
I think that Rachel is right is in stating that Okonkwo killing Ikemefuna is an act of selfishness. Okonkwo was driven to kill Ikemefuna because he didn't want o be like his dad, who is weak. So he doesn't like to be seen like how his dad was seen, weak and broke.This still doesn't justify killing Ikemefuna because this was an act that benefited himself by letting people know that he's not weak. I also agree with Rachel with the fact that we can't just see heroes as black and white.
ReplyDelete- Vy Ly
'Selfish' would be the most accurate term to describe Okwonko. I think this part is a critical point in the book; it's when we seen that Okwonko is more concerned with looking strong to others than in protecting those he loves. His shame of looking weak like his father makes him kill a boy who had come to trust him. Okwonko knew what he was doing and still made this choice. - Elisabeth Magana
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