A hero has no mandatory specifications; a hero can be a heroine for all we care. But a hero must provide assurance and comfort to those around him. Okonkwo does not portray this as he commands power through fear. A hero is empathetic and this includes particularly the powerless and needy. If an individual has the potential to help others but is unwilling to, this individual is meaningless to the surrounding community and cannot be looked up to as a hero. This may seem selfish but a hero becomes a hero only when he allows the burdens others impose to become his duty. In closing, Okonkwo is not a hero nor does he wish to be. Okonkwo does not see meaning in assisting the weak as he lives to mock their incapability. As long as he himself and his family are triumphant, nothing else matters.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Hero In Their Eyes
Even after a full two weeks of intense pondering during Spring Break, I still do not believe Okonkwo is a hero. Although physically Okonkwo has what it takes to be a hero, he does not have the emotional or mental capabilities to become one. True, Okonkwo has only himself to praise for building such strong foundations for his family with no father to count upon, but his accomplishments are personal and thus non-beneficial to society. A successful man and nothing more, Okonkwo relies on the judgements of others to determine his own success. Also valuing power above all else, Okonkwo is unsympathetic towards the common man and even looks down upon him. These are the traits that are relayed at the end of the novel when a reader fully analyses Okonkwo.
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I never thought about Okonkwo being a hero to himself and his own lifestyle, but not to his community. You must have really looked into the meaning behind the novel to see that he wanted the success for himself, and not to help his village. I also find it interesting how you believe Okonkwo never wanted to be hero. He wanted to obtain the highest titles of his clan, but this was mainly for his own pleasure.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your post, Douglas ! I really enjoyed your contrasting views !
YES EXACTLY! Okonkwo lacks the mental capabilities to become a hero, even though he could be one! I have a whole list of reasons why Okonkwo is mentally incapable. Firstly, Okonkwo`s actions are based on two criteria: how manly the action is, and what others will think of him. Okonkwo cannot be a hero if he is afraid of being considered weak and only does things that will make him seem strong. Secondly, Okonkwo is incapable of considering other people`s opinions and thoughts. Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna even though he was advised not to. But this leads me to the next point. As you mentioned, many people are afraid to point out that Okonkwo is wrong. This is due to his violent nature and short temper. So most of the time, Okonkwo has no other opinions to consider because no one wants to give him their opinion. Real heroes have the ability to communicate effectively with others. Lastly, Okonkwo gave up when things were not going his way. Okonkwo wanted his village to rebel violently against the Christian missionaries but no one else wanted to. So Okonkwo`s only response was to kill himself. A real hero does not give up but perseveres when faced with an obstacle. I believe that Okonkwo`s actions were childish in a way. Children only want things their way and sit down and cry when they do not get it. Okonkwo`s lack of tolerance and his willingness to give up confirms that he is not a hero, in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! I too believe that a hero must have capabilities whether it be emotional or mental. It's sad to realize after reading the novel, there is still no evidence of him showing any of that. Maybe that's just our opinions but maybe in their village, he is seen as a great hero because of his physical capabilites as well as his 'fear nothing' mentality.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post as I absorbed your awesome smartness as I am still currently trying to understand it Douglas (;