FATHER/SON RELATIONSHIP Blacky’s relationship with his father is integral in moulding the adolescent that he is. Although the relationship between the two is clearly negative, it somewhat helps him to look past the fatherly influences, and to seek positive role models to assist him through the journey to maturity. Blacky’s self-esteem levels are low due to the negative relationship and he expects no support from his father. His relationship with his mother, the relationships he develops with other men assist Blacky in developing the courage to stand up for what he believes in. During the course of the novel of ‘Deadly Unna?’ the readers are exposed to the negativity between the father and his son.
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
In their village, having no title (as a male) means that you aren’t worthy or powerful. Understanding that Okonkwo was very afraid of failing, even more afraid of being like his father. Meaning having no power, or being worthy. The narrator tells us that Okonkwo, “...was ruled by one passion - to hate everything his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness.” (Achebe pg.13).
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.
Masculinity vs. femininity is the most compelling theme in the novel that reveals Okonkwo’s flaw. His relationship with his father is not good as he considers his father as weak, coward and irresponsible. He views his father as overly pensive, slow to act, effeminate. Therefore, he adopts opposite traits. He also associates violence with masculinity.
The expected reaction to his father’s rare appearances would be what the child did in the story. He is too young to understand that his father is an important part of his life also. 2. Larry is not reliable as the narrator of events. He is obviously biased against his father and wants his mother’s sole attention.
Achebe described Okonkwo's father in this way: “Unoka (Okonkwo's father) …was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow.” (Achebe 4) In contrasting that to the culture I have been brought up in, it seems that the majority of men who had a father like Unoka responded in living their life in trying to make up for what their father lacked in his – which is the same idea that I felt that Okonkwo's goals and ideas were based on. I say this because of how often he had to fight the urge to show affection or love to his children and wives, and also to his believing that if he told Nwoye stories of battle and destruction that Nwoye would become more of a man. I feel grateful that I have been raised in a family that the idea of showing affection is encouraged, and that there is nothing wrong with the feminist traits of women, and that it is ok for me to have them. I have been raised to always express yourself through words and emotion, and in some cases physically. If one of my five sisters or one of my 4 brothers did something nice for me I wouldn't just turn my shoulder and pretend like nothing happened or just stare at her/him with indifference, but I would
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.
Nnaemeka marries out of tradition, where the father chooses who he wants his son to marry. His son chose himself and that is a great disrespect to his people. It causes pain and disappointment to the father. The father is in pain because he couldn’t believe his son went out of tradition and decided to marry someone of his choice. “..Father’s silence was infinitely more menacing than a flood of threatening speech.
The way Okonkwo faces his problems in things fall apart eventually leads to his downfall. Okonkwo's dedication to his manliness is what leads him to these circumstances of violence and the way he thinks is the reason for his downfall. Okonkwo was a proud strong man who by working hard was able to bring himself to a respectable man in his clan. Okonkwo always let his anger get the best of him and show no emotion to prove he was a real man and better than his father. Okonkwo was scared of people thinking he was just like his father so he worked hard since he was a child.