During the course of the novel of ‘Deadly Unna?’ the readers are exposed to the negativity between the father and his son. This affects Blacky in way that his self-esteem is almost non-existent, and the negativity is prominent throughout the novel. Examples of the neglect shown by his father are that of the time when Bob refers to Blacky as a ‘gutless wonder’, and the journey we take through the story of Blacky’s deteriorating respect for him. The ‘gutless wonder’ incident was a influential part of the novel, as Blacky realises that his Dad isn’t one to take advice of someone he feels is inferior than him, thus saying, ‘My own son, a gutless wonder. A gutless fucking wonder!’ When Blacky explains to his father about the storm, Bob insults him rather than swallow his pride and takes his son’s advice on board.
His family suffers when he takes his anger out on them for the simplest things just to prove he is a man. Other tribe members suffer when Okonkwo continues to let them down time after time. Okonkwo’s fear of turning into his father, changes him into a different person that hardly resembles his past characteristics of being a heroic, smart and wealthy warrior. Instead, he changes into a man that cannot respect himself and others. Okonkwo is a clan leader in Umuofia.
This shows that he didn’t value the life his father wanted for him. Paul was continually compared to a young man “whom it was his father’s dearest hope that he would pattern” (24). Paul could not see himself living up to this expectation. He knew this was a life he didn’t want, for whenever “he turned onto Cordelia Street he felt the waters close above his head” (19). He wanted to leave this life behind.
Paul despises his common life so much that he feels he must hid it from his peers through lies. He tells them false information of his ‘upper class’ life, such as announcing his travels to far off places, to make them believe he is above the average middle class person. Every lie Paul tells, the further away he gets from realizing and appreciating the good that is already present in his life (such as family) and from
This resulted in him not being able to defend Hassan through his struggles. Amir’s past not only never allowed him to live happily in his present day, but the regrets of his sins dwelled him with grief for a very long time. With this said, it is only assumed that one’s past of sinful deeds can guide them into seeking change and forgiveness amongst themselves. Amir never accepted Hassan as a brother or as a son like figure to their father, Baba. Amir grew up envying Hassan because of the love and acceptance Baba showed towards Hassan more than Amir, “…Baba was there watching, and he patted Hassan on the back.
Okonkwo was scared of people thinking he was just like his father so he worked hard since he was a child. This made him hate everything his father was made of, which is weakness and being lazy. ”Even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness”. (13). when Okonkwo father died he had been in a lot of debt, Okonkwo became obsessed with the idea of manliness in order to get over his father weakness.
With his strong attitude he has no patience for his wife that is why she ends up getting beat many times through the novel. Also when Okonkwo expresses that he is worried that Nwoye, his son, does not exert his energy or strength like a man. Showing that Okonkwo prefers a traditional life style
-Okonkwo (Chapter 4)” Furthermore, in the Ibo society, a man is respected if he is fearless and courageous. Okonkwo would be the quintessential representation of such an individual. He is seen as a man incapable of affection or compassion because he rules his household with fear and a heavy hand. One can infer these qualities of Okonkwo by the following quote in the novel “Things Fall Apart. “Okonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although nobody else knew it, he had not
The mood, however, is sadness, as the reader is left with an impression of a son who is desperately trying to reach out to his father and to show his love, but he is rejected at every turn. When he show the money he had to his father, this turned him angrier because the father said, why he didn´t tell him before, finishing the relationship. 2) How does Pritchett make us feel sympathy for the old man? (same way of answering) For the most part, the old man isn’t likeable. He’s portrayed as a grasping businessman who looks down on his son for choosing to work as a low-paid university lecturer.
The Fall of a Great Man Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is set in the 1890s, during the coming of the "white man" to Nigeria. The story portrays the clash between the white's colonial government and the traditional culture of the Igbo people. The novel is about a very strong man's rise to great prestige, fortune and power which in the end were outweighed by his inevitable death. Okonkwo's demise was not because of colonization, but rather by his obsession with masculinity. Okonkwo's one and only weakness was his fear of becoming a failure like his father.