Journal Four Assignment: “Things Fall Apart”

Walelign Kebede

Journal Four Assignment: “Things Fall Apart”

1. Why is Okonkwo so afraid to fail?

Okonkwo’s fear of failure generated from the idea of not wanting to follow his father’s path. Okonkwo regarded his father Unoka as a failure due to his laziness and could not think about the future. Unoka loved spending his time doing nothing, other than playing music and drinking palm-wine. He owed most of their village members’ money, which some he died without paying them.  Okonkwo was left with nothing to inherit, since Unoka was such a poor person. “

Okonkwo was ashamed of Unoka.” Unoka’s charater traits became the root cause of Okwonko’s fear of failure. Okwonko worked very hard to make sure that he did not end up like his father, poor, lazy, and a debtor.  On one hand, this sense of fear with in him, became a driving force that enable Okonkwo to acquire the desire of becoming a rich and sort of a leader, but on the other hand, it was also a source of pain to his own wives and children. Okonkwo fear may have been external, but it had a great grip down inside him. This fear of failure and weakness was so powerful that any thing else in his life. Okonkwo fear was even much greater, than the fear of the spirits, natural disasters.

          The disappointment that Okonkwo experienced from Unoka, manifested in form of anger and resentfulness to anything that his father loved.

2. Choose one good quote from the story that you like.

   

  “As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings.” This quotation has a great meaning in it. I show the importance of success in a person life. You may be from a humble background, but if you work hard in whatever you are doing, you will be respected regardless of where you came from or your age. According to the story only the elders, could get the honor of being the greatest, but Okonkwo hard work and determination superseded that fact.

3. Choose the event that you like and describe why you like it?

Chapter three was my favorite scene. Okonkwo went to Nwakibe, who happened to be the person Okonkwo worked for, since he did not inherit anything from his poor father. Nwakibe was a rich man and Okonkwo went to him for help. Okonkwo’s wealth came from his hard work. Nwakibe was the channel he used to have all he had. Nwakibe granted Okonkwo’s request easily due to the hard work and determination he saw in Okonkwo. Something that made me realize, if someone is such a hardworking as Okonkwo. No one will refuse to be a source of help if you need anything. Nwakibe gave Okwonko eight hundred seed of Yams. While he only asked for four hundred. This shows that determination and hard work will always bring you, even more than you needed.