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/
Name: Elfera Achin
Class: PISMP TESL (R1)
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
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.