tory is still told in Umofia unto this day" (Archebe, p. 16). Here, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves decides that Ikemefuna, the foster child of Okonkwo, must be killed. This divine pronouncement must be obeyed by Okonkwo even though he has become ôvery fond of the boyö (Achebe, p. 30). The dialectic between humanistic values and the harsh imposition of the gods serves as a framework through which one may understand the different characters in the novel and identify different forces within the Ibo community.
Okonkwo is an unforgiving character who holds great power in Umuofia. He is the embodiment of strength and is presented as an opposite image of his peace-loving father Unoka. Achebe writes:
Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His
wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual
fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little
children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a
cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear,
the fear of failure and weakness . . . It was the fear
of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his
father. Even as a little boy he had resented his
father's failure and weakness . . . And so Okonkwo was
ruled by one passion û to hate everything that his
father Unoka had loved. One of those things was
gentleness and another was idleness (Achebe, p. 16-
Thus, Okonkwo is driven by a desire to restore his family name. His primary goals are to rule his household to prove his strength, power and ability. Furthermore, he exhibits no humanitarian feelings as seen when Achebe writes that ôhe never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength
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