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Okonkwo Falls Apart
	The novel Things Fall Apart, set in a colonial period, captures how change places immense pressure on those who aren’t willing to shift their values to fit more modern principles. As foreign people and a new religion threatens to override Umofian traditions, Okonkwo finds himself unable to adapt. Traditional Igbo culture and its shallow set of rules constitute his entire character, and as traditional values shift, he is lost and unbalanced. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses Okonkwo’s dysfunctional relationships to illustrate how his association of manliness with aggression attributes to a lack of identity.
	Gender roles are imbedded deeply in Igbo society, and Okonkwo especially regards ‘feminine’ characteristics as weak. The everyday domestic violence is overtly displayed through Okonkwo’s blatant abuse of his son, Nwoye. While his violent tendencies flourish, Nwoye’s gentle and reserved personality is perceived as effeminate. Okonkwo, with the thought of his father’s shortcomings in mind, prepares to “stamp out the disquieting signs of laziness which he thought he already saw in him” (Achebe, 33). In trying to draw out Nwoye’s aggressive and masculine side, he only succeeded in damaging their tenuous relationship further. He incited only fear and mistrust, and even when Okonkwo is vulnerable and mournful, Nwoye “was afraid of him and slipped out of the hut as soon as he noticed him dozing” (Achebe, 63). Nwoye is unable to connect with Okonkwo. His abusive and misguided attempts at parenting is ultimately what drove Ikenefuma to embrace Christianity. In the end, Okonkwo’s perception of passivity as a weakness is overturned. Nwoye is resilient enough to break free from his abusive father, while Okonkwo corners himself and commits suicide.
		At the heart of all Okonkwo’s problems is how he “was ruled by one passion — to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness” (Achebe, 13). While this drives him to become a hardworking, highly successful member of the Igbo, he also rejects Unoka’s positive traits, such as gentleness or his talent for communication. His staunch opposition to music drives the wedge between him and Nwoye deeper. Instead of coming to terms with his dad’s shortcomings, he “expelled [the thought of his father’s weakness and failure] by thinking about his own strength and success” (Achebe, 66). After Nwoye’s murder, Okonkwo refers to his death as “his latest show of manliness” (Achebe, 66). Unlike Obierika the rules of society mattered more to him than his conscience and morality. He can’t understand why he can’t get over it, and compares himself to Unoka for letting his caring, effeminate feelings show.
	Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart uses Okonkwo’s unhealthy connections to demonstrate how his values on aggression and passivity stems from a lack of identity. In an unstable, foreign situation, Okonkwo is unable to adjust his values to even ensure his own survival, much less flourish like Nwoye. To thrive in the ever-changing world, people require flexibility and adaptability. Despite living in environments that may encourage certain harmful characteristics, the ability to distinguish between positive and negative traits allows for a strong moral compass and a sense of self-realization. A strong foundation leads to a stable and satisfying life many could only dream of.