The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger

"He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger." (Chapter 25)

This is the last sentence of the novel. The District  Commissioner has decided to write a book recording the acts of the Igbo people. This is the title he chooses and it shows how little he knows about the Igbo people. "Pacification" and "primitive" are supposed to make the Igbo people seem like helpless peasants who do not know how to live correctly. The Igbo people are not stupid, they are civilized in their own unique ways. Their beliefs differ from that of the white people, but it does not mean they are any less civilized.

The White Man

 “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (Chapter 20)

In this quote Obierika and Okonkwo are discussing the impact the colonists have had on the Igbo people. Mr. Brown and the rest of the evangelists have entered the village to try to bring their modern ways and Christian religious beliefs to the Nigerians. I personally think that it is great to go and preach the Gospel to those who have never heard it before, but there are thousands of people in America who have not heard the message of the Gospel. I think that Christians should spend more time in America first, then reach out to other nations. These Igbo people, for example. They do not want to change their ways. The Igbo people thought that they were perfectly fine before the white men came. I believe that missionaries should approach the people in love and acceptance and show them what they believe in. If the people don't like it and disagree, we then leave them alone.

Fear of Failure

"And indeed Okonkwo was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death." (Chapter 3)

Okonkwo did not have the start in life that the other children in the village had. He did not inherit a barn, title, or wife, because his father, Unoka, had nothing. Unoka was very poor and did not know how to take care of his family. Village people laughed at him because he was a loafer and he never paid his debts back. Unoka's failures had a tremendous impact on Okonkwo. Okonkwo became afraid that he would end up lazy and pathetic like his father, so he began to obsess over success. This fear of failure controlled Okonkwo's every action and thought; even towards his children. Okonkwo wanted his first son, Nwoye, to be as fierce and strong as himself.

Respect & Reputation

"... he was struck by Okonkwo’s brusqueness in dealing with less successful men. Only a week ago a man had contradicted him at a kindred meeting which they held to discuss the next ancestral feast. Without looking at the man Okonkwo had said. “This meeting is for men.” The man who had contradicted him had no titles. That was why he had called him a woman. Okonkwo knew how to kill a man’s spirit. (Chapter 4)

In the Igbo culture, men earn respect by their accomplishments such as; number of wives and children, yam crops raised, village fights won, and number of huts they own. It is easy to see why Okonkwo is respected. His hard work has earned material wealth for his family out of nothing. He has a large living compound, three wives, and many children. Okonkwo’s strong reputation and respect in the community has made him too prideful. His tragic flaw of arrogance and lack of pity for those less fortunate result in Okonkwo's downfall. I believe that pride is the root of any man's downfall. I think it is important to be thankful for what you have, and give to those in need. If I were well respected in the Igbo village, I would use my authority to help out the weaker and poor. This is what the wise would do.

Father & Son

"Okonkwo was a very strong man and rarely felt fatigue. But his wives and children were not as strong, and so they suffered. But they dared not complain openly. Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was then twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness. At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth."  (Chapter 2)

As the head of his household, Okonkwo is free to  drive his wives and children to serve him. Okonkwo is a very stern and rough man, and treats his children in a way that he thinks will make them stronger. Okonkwo hates laziness, thanks to his father, and this causes him to lash out on anyone who seems the slightest bit idle, including his own son, Nwoye. By abusing his young son, it seems that Okonkwo is turning father-hating into a new trend in his family. Okonkwo hated his own father for his laziness, and though he is trying to do right by his own son, he is in fact pushing him away. I think Chinua Achebe uses Okonkwo and Nwoye to symbolize the father and son relationship issues of today. A lot of teenage boys either do not have a father in their life or have a pathetic relationship with him; such as being abused and mistreated. Some boys have father figures who are too hard on them and want them to be perfect; this pressure can turn on the father, causing the son to hate him. Father-hating is an issue that can be stopped when the father and son just accept each other for who they are.

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