In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo feels
ashamed of his son Nwoye in Part I of the novel and betrayed by him in Parts II and
III.
In Part I, Okonkwo's greatest fear is that Nwoye will
become like his grandfather Uneka, a titleless and effeminate male
(agbala). Certainly, Nwoye seems more attracted to his mother and
the arts than he does the uber-male culture of yam farming, wrestling, and war.
Luckily, Ikemefuna comes along and becomes a surrogate brother to the boy, instilling
in him the virtues of manhood. However, after Nwoye realizes that Okonkwo is the one
who kills Ikemefuna, the boy disowns his father. Or does Okonkwo kill Ikemefuna to
spite his own son?
In Parts II and III, Okonkwo hates his
son for betraying the tribal culture in favor of the white colonial religion,
Christianity. Okonkwo refuses to engage the boy as to the reasons of his conversion; if
he had, he would realize that Nwoye has long been bothered by the tribe's practice of
killing twins and other foreigners (Ikemefuna) and outcasts. Regardless, Okonkwo's fear
is realized, as Nwoye becomes the titleless male whose conversion, among others, helps
to break apart his family and, over time, unravel the culture of the
Igbo.
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