Okonkwo Round Character Analysis

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In one sense Okonkwo can be said to be a round character as he is as violent at the end as at the beginning; he is as unable to think before he takes any decision or a physical action at the end as at the beginning; he is as unable to balance the female and male understanding within himself at the end as at the beginning. The main character, Okonkwo, is portrayed throughout the novel as a round character. A round character is one who encounters struggle and is morally changed by it. It can be argued that he seems to be a round character as he is in fact a dynamic character because he recognizes the failure of his tendency for violence over communication; he recognizes his failure to harmonize the female and male and that he needs to do so; he recognizes that his ultimate…show more content…
Okonkwo is characterized as being selfish because he only strives to be the opposite of his own “cowardly” father, Unoka. Okonkwo would do anything to be not seen as a weak, fearful or powerless. Achebe shows Okonkwo’s fear of being weak in the quote, “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down (Ikemefuna). He was afraid of being thought weak.” (Achebe 61). Okonkwo is characterized in this quote as being the type of person who will do anything so that others will not think of him as weak. Even though it meant killing someone who was like a son to him , Okonkwo cared more about himself than someone who called him “father”. Further in the book, when Chielo took Okonkwo’s daughter, Ezinma, into the the forest a different face of Okonkwo is shown. Okonkwo decides to follow after Ekwefi who is following Ezinma. Although it is not directly stated, Achebe uses indirect characterization to show the caring side of Okonkwo that he is worried about his wife and daughter. This side of Okonkwo isn’t shown often, but that scene is used to characterize him as protective and

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