Civilization is most often defined by its prevailing...

Civilization is most often defined by its prevailing culture. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, this connection is still apparent. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, displayed an appreciation of culture, as well as a deliberate incorporation of it into his life. While he didn’t treasure hard work or labor, Unoka was infatuated by his village’s music and stories, and was well known for his verbal prowess. In one respect, he held characteristics that were traditionally associated with femininity, but in another, he represented the Nguzo Saba principle of Kuumba, or creativity. Unoka was titleless, and in one word lazy, but he was still able to contribute to his people in ways he saw best fit. Unoka’s most visible characteristic was, perhaps, his†¦show more content†¦Because he could manipulate idioms and parables well, he was able to skirt around responsibility and save himself from being a complete write-off. While his son, who in turn developed i nto a subpar communicator, did not praise this talent, Unoka’s ability as a communicator spared him from paying his debts in a timely manner. An example would be his conversation with his neighbor, Okoye. Okoye had come to Unoka’s house to collect a couple hundred previously lent cowries, but Unoka simply told him â€Å"I shall pay you but not today. Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines of those who kneel under them. I shall pay my big debts first (Achebe 10).† This scene displayed Unoka’s verbal skills as well as his cunning. In Umofia, the use of proverbs in conversation is highly regarded, and here Unoka used that wisdom from his elders to fortify his argument, alongside blatantly stating his point. He effectively communicated and arrived at his ideal goal: getting Okoye to leave without so much as losing a single cowry. This efficiency in language was also a clue to his creativity; while he was skilled at combining words, his passion was music. Wherever Unoka went, his flute was not far behind. He even carried it with him to his resting place in the Evil Forest (Achebe 21). It is stated that Unoka’s happiest moments were â€Å"the two or three moons after the harvest where the village musicians brought down their instruments, hung above theShow MoreRelatedCommentary on Things Fall Aparts Okonkwo and Unoka1808 Words   |  8 PagesMy focus will be on the relationship between Unoka and Okonkwo. I chose that topic because i t is interesting to find out how father and son can differ in so many ways. Eventhough they are directly blood related, Unoka and Okonkwo have a very different characteristic. Unoka the father was a very lazy and wasteful man, while Okonkwo is everything Unoka was not. Many people have been asking the same question on this strange matter since they are more familiar with the saying ‘like father, like son’Read MoreCompare and contrast Okonkwo and Unoka (Things fall apart - Chinua Achebe)2116 Words   |  9 Pageshe will rebel and do everything opposite to his parents. For instance in this same novel, Okonkwo has showed no respect for his father, Unoka, who is a failure. Hence, he does his best to behave and act nothing like his father, which lead to the contrast between Okonkwo and Unoka in their characters. Firstly, let us consider their childhoods. We can see from Unokas memory: He would remember his own childhood, how he had often wandered around looking for a kite sailing leisurely, as soon as he foundRead MoreThings Fall Apart...Chapter One(1)788 Words   |  4 Pagesthe book called â€Å"Things Fall Apart,† there is a big misunderstanding between Unoka and his son Okonkwo. Their conflict is based on Unokas unprodictuve behavior. Okonkwo on the other hand is a very strong and hard working man. Okonkwo is ashamed to say that his father is the lazyest man on the village. Unoka sits all day and plays his flute while everybody else is out in the yam fields working their butts off. Even tough Unoka is a very lazy man, his son Okonkwo figures out a way to get a totally differentRead MoreCharacter Analysis Okonkwo862 Words   |  4 Pageswith Unoka to shape Okonkwo as an outwardly strong yet internally weak character and to clarify Okonkwo’s murder of Ikemefuna. Throughout the novel, Achebe describes Okonkwo’s thoughts about Unoka to portray Okonkwo as a strong, masculine character who is driven by a fear of weakness and failure. Okonkwo’s outwardly strong character is evident in Achebe’s discussion of Okonkwo’s passion in life. For example, Achebe says, â€Å"Okonkwo was ruled by one passion – to hate everything his father Unoka hadRead MoreThings fall apart1057 Words   |  5 Pagesa culture survives. The parent generation shapes the child generation’s views and beliefs. Unoka, Okonkwo and Nwoye are symbolic of three successive generations and therefore, each represents a part within a culture. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe draws on three generations to demonstrate the progress and change the culture undergoes. Unoka represents the beginning of Umuofia’s culture. Unoka is the beginning of a generation. The notion of him shapes the next two generations and carvesRead MoreSympathetic and Unsympathetic Characters in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe634 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a sympathetic character and unsympathetic character in regards to his family relationships with his adopted son, Ikemefuna, his daughter, Ezima, and his father, Unoka, as a result of he appears to genuinely care about his family; but, the pride within himself prevents his expression of such pride and concern openly. The protagonist, Okonkwo demonstrates his sympathetic character solely to himself, personally, and infrequentlyRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1041 Words   |  5 Pagesepitome of the culture’s idea of success in sharp contrast to his father, Unoka. Unoka plays a paramount role in the novel by juxtaposing Okonkwo’s character completely. He is â€Å"a loafer† and â€Å"poor and his wife and children rarely had enough to eat† (5). In addition he â€Å"piled up his debts† (5), and when he died he â€Å"had no title at all† (8) and did not give his son a â€Å"barn to inherit† (16). The exhibition of these characteristics of Unoka represents the notion of failure in the Nigerian society. In his deathRead MoreIs Okonkwo A Tragic Hero709 Words   |  3 Pagesby Chinua Achebe the main character Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero, he faces all his challenges with great Courage and Pride. But all of his challenges he brought upon himself because of his tragic flaw, which is his hatred for his father Unoka. Unoka was a lazy drunk with no titles, this hatred drove Okonkwo to become a very good man. He became one of the greatest me in his village, but at same flaw that built him up and made him great man will be the same flaw that makes everything fall apartRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1719 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluenced by his father Unoka. Unoka is a lazy man who did not portray the â€Å"manly† figure in which other father embodies. Unoka did not attain any title, nor did he own a yam barn like other men. Unoka is described as â€Å"a failure, he was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and never paid back. But Unoka was such a man that he always succeeded in borrowing more, and pilling up his debts† (Achebe 5). Not only is Unoka lazy and irresponsibleRead MoreThe European Imperial And Colonial Influence On Nig eria1293 Words   |  6 Pagescornerstones of the Nigerian society being criticized through this struggle. In Things Fall Apart, the book opens ten years after the death of Okonkwo’s father, Unoka. Unoka’s life Is before the British influence in Nigeria; however, his personality and maleness show the Igbo culture that showcases maleness as an important point of society. â€Å"Unoka, the grown-up, was a failure†; he was a debtor, who borrowed from everyone in his village (Achebe 5). He barely was able to feed his wife and children, which