Week 4: Perfect Character A Delusion or Reality

In the novel Animal Farm, the hope for a better world remains unattainable. Even with the change of governance, the animals are eventually mistreated. How is it possible that the longing for good can turn awry when the person is in power for long?

In the case of Okonkwo, he is not painted as someone who is without fault. In fact, he is in many ways a tragic hero. Neither is he a person who is evil despite his part in killing Ikemefuna. Based on your understanding of him in the novel, reflect on the following questions:

• How has Okonkwo been a figure of inspiration and disappointment to his people? 
• What are the characteristics of Okonkwo that you can find in your nation’s leader?

Source: http://reflectiononthingsfallapart.blogspot.com/

  In the beginning of the story, Okonkwo was seen as a very respectable man. This is because in a young age, he managed to win a fight with a senior fighter. He also owns wealth with his own effort because other people know that he could not inherit any wealth from his father. However, after the missionaries came to Umofia, he started to lose all his glory and in the end he became a disappointment to his people. 

  One of the characteristics that I can find in our nation's leader is the tendency to not follow the footsteps of other countries. In this story, Okonkwo does not give up and follow the missionaries and he fights for his people. This is one of the characteristics that I adored until now because this made Malaysia different from other people. 

Name: Elfera Achin
Class: PISMP TESL (R1)

Okonkwo had been a figure of inspiration just only at the beginning of his success. His villagers look up at him because he is the leader of the Igbo community of Umuofia. Okonkwo is renowned as a wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams which known as a ’manly’ corps in their community. He portrays all the masculine characters that a man should possess because he does not want to looks weak like his father. His wives and children are scared of him because he always isolates himself by exhibiting anger through violent, stubborn and irrational behaviour. Okonkwo also had been a figure of disappointment to his people. When the White came and spread Christianity to their clan, he thinks that the changes are destroying the Igbo culture. Okonkwa rashly kills a messenger from the British district office, his clansmen back away in fear and he realizes that none of them support him and that he can't save his village from the British colonists. He knows that he is defeated. He commits suicide, a shameful and disgraceful death like his father's.

one of the previous nation’s leader that possessed the same characteristic as Okonkwo is Rentap.  Rentap was a Dayak rebel leader in Sarawak during James Brooke’s era. Rentap's rebellion was due to James Brooke's action of eliminating the Ibans in Skrang. Being a leader of the Iban there, he wanted the Iban stay where they are and lives harmoniously so he fought for their right to the land. He also had the spirit of a leader and warrior which Okonkwo has. His spirit of fighting can be known with his battle cry which is Agi Idup, Agi Ngelaban!! which means I will fight as long as I will live!! But in the end, he died, still in hiding. 

KELLY KATTY JAMESON 

I personally think that Okonkwo is a great leader on his own way. After I read everything and gone through with the character analysis, I come to the conclusion that he has done well for his nation. When he was a young boy, he had to supply the needs for his family as his father was a useless leader of the family. His father kept jolly around and did not care much about the family. Even after the father’s death, he was buried in the Evil Forest as he did not contribute anything to the society. Since then, Okonkwo has this strong desire in his heart not to end up like his father, a failure. He has struggled a lot along his way and we can see that he is such an inspiring teenager when he has been trusted to plant a large amount of yam by the leader of his village. He also has been the inspiration to the young people when he has defeated the unbeatable person in his village, Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. This is seen great by the people as he is seen as the strongest person in his clan, replacing the unbeatable, Amalinze the Cat. For his whole life, Okonkwo rejects everything that his father has stood. Okonkwo even marries three women and becomes the father of several children.

However, he has brought disappointment to the people when he beats his wife during the Week of Peace. He also ignores the warning from the leader of the clan to not to kill his son, Ikemefuna. To make thing worse, he was then exiled from the village after he accidentally killed the son of the leader of the clan during his funeral ceremony. This is totally the beginning of his worst time.

Okonkwo also someone that is cannot adapt to changing. As the white men come to live among the society, Okonkwo cannot be able to function anymore. His anger, rashness and violence finally have brought to his own destruction.

In my place, there are a lot of leaders that have the characteristics of Okonkwo. The prime minister also has struggled a lot to bring the country to stand in the eyes of the world. As much as he wants to keep the tradition, there is a lot that has to stand for. However, there are also some that are just doing things right at the beginning. When things start to change, they cannot handle it anymore.

By, 

Angela Devung 

Okonkwo since the beginning has inspired the people of Umofia when he won the fight with one of the senior fighter and won the respect of the people around him. He was later being appointed as one of the leader. He inspired people to give their best and try to put in some effort in struggling in their life. As a leader he also inspired people to fight against the modernism and also against the new culture and religions that the missionaries bring in. Disappointment arrive when Okonkwo accidentally kill the son of his clansmen and he was exiled from his own fatherland. this show how people disappointed towards him for what he had done. 

I can see our country leader like Tun Dr Mahathir as an example of great leader. He managed the country well and also he have the hardest time but he managed to get through all those challenges. Tun like Okonkwo fight for their own people. When inflation happened in the world, country all around the globe struggling to get out of inflation and Tun have done a great job and our country save from the inflation and now we still managed to live well without any help from outside.