Things Fall Apart

Say why you think Okonkwo is a man of action

and not of thought
Okonkwo plays the leading role in the book Things Fall Apart.
He is illustrated to us as a strong, proud, capable and short violent
tempered person who rose up from nothing to a man of great
importance in the Igbo tribe. He is a brave wrestler, wealthy farmer
and a fierce warrior .He is proved to be a man of action and not of
thought.
Firstly, Okonkwo is a man of action, a man of war. He had
participated well in two inter tribal wars and had acquired five
human heads which he used to drink palm-wine during special
occasions. We say he is a man of action because he was not like his
father who could not withstand blood. He was very physical and was
ready to show his physical strength in any event he could participate
in.
Secondly, Okonkwo threatens to break Nwoyes jaw into a half
because he didnt know how to prepare yams to plant. When Nwoye
split a yam in a wrong manner Okonkwo would say If you split
another yam in this size, I shall break your jaw in a threatening
manner. But after that he knew that they were still young and did
not understand the art of preparing yam.
Thirdly, during the Week of Peace he beat up his third wife,
Ojiugo for going to plate her hair. The fact arouses when his wife
returns, and when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his
anger he had forgotten that it was the week of Peace. This shows us
that he truly does not think about what is going on and proves to us
the fact that he is not a man of thought but a man of action.
Moreover, He beat up his second wife, Ekwefi when he found
out that she had taken some leaves to wrap some food this made
an outlet in his compound, which helped him to spot. At first he
shouted Who killed this banana tree?.As a matter of fact the tree
was very much alive.he never thought about the situation .He acted

upon the situation as he had always done. Then he gave Ekwefi a

sound beating then he left her alone.
In addition to this, Okonkwo had an old rusty gun which he
frantically used to shoot his wife. He told Ikemefuna to fetch his gun
when Ekwefi who had just been beaten up murmured something
about guns that never shot .Okonkwo that had never shot even a rat
rushed and got his fully loaded gun. He ran out again and aimed it at
her later He pressed the trigger. Then he jumped into the room to
check if anything had happened to Ekwefi after he heard the wailing
of Ekwefi and her daughter and then he picked the gun and went
away.
After that, Okonkwo beat up Nwoye for mourning when
Ikemefuna was about to be taken away. Nwoye overheard the matter
while the elders were discussing about it and started crying. Then
his father beat him heavily.
Besides, Okonkwo bears a hand in the death of Ikemefuna.
Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down because he was
afraid of being thought as weak like his father, Unoka. Yet he was
told by the village elder,Ogbuefi Ezeudu that That boy calls you
father .do not bear a hand in his death .But after the death of
Ikemefuna ,Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days and tried to
drown the matter by drinking palm wine .
Lastly, he ruled his house with a heavy hand. He beat up his
wife and children for doing wrong things. He also had no patience
with lazy menthe also never had patience with his father.A week a
man had contradicted Okonkwo at a kindered meeting which they
held to discuss the next ancestral feast .Without looking at the man
Okonkwo had said: This meeting is for men.
In conclusion, I think perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was
not a cruel man. He is a man who wants his wives and children to be
good and perfect like him. Although, he does not look before he
leaps afterwards he thinks about it and used to repent about it. He
did not want to show emotions outside because if he ever did he
would be called effeminate.