A STUDY OF OKONKWO’S HATRED TO HIS FATHER IN
CHINUA
ACHEBE
THINGS FALL APART
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Sarjan Degree of
English Department Faculty of Humanities UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya
By
:
Ali Homsun
Reg. Number: A03211006
ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL
ABSTRACT
Homsun. Ali. 2015. A Study of Okonkwo’s Hatred to his Father in Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart. Thesis. English Department, Faculty of Letters and HumanitiesState Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Advisor: Wahju Kusumajanti M. Hum.
This study is basically the study of Okonkwo’s hatred to his father, the central character of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. By accomplishing a library research, this study applies qualitative method to describe the character’s hatred. Furthermore, in the analysis the writer mostly applies the literary theories of new criticism is to compare Okonkwo and his father character traits, and to criticize the significance of Okonkwo’s hatred that makes him become success man.
In this adulthood and young hood Okonkwo suffers many adversities. He is ashamed of his father’s weakness and misfortune. Unfortunately, his life in dominated by fear and hate. He hate of his father laziness and fear to become like his father. So he tries to become opposite of his father. He wants to become a rich, successful, strong and respectable man in his life. He tries to make his life better than before.
Therefore, to prove his manhood he acts manly in his life. He differs himself from his father with achievement in his very young age, becoming a great wrestler, bring honor to his clan, and being wealth farmer.
INTISARI
Homsun. Ali. 2015. A Study of Okonkwo’s hatred to his Father in Chinua
Achebe Things Fall Apart. Skripsi. Sastra Inggris. Bahasa dan Sastra, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Pembimbing: Wahju Kusumajanti M. Hum.
Penelitian ini adalah untuk meneliti kebencian Okonkwo kepada ayahnya, tokoh utama dalam novel Things Fall Apart. Penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian pustaka, Selanjutnya, dalam analisis penulis menggunakan teori sastra yaitu New Criticism. Fungsi teori new criticism adalah membandingkan sifat Okonkwo dan ayahnya dan untuk meneliti kebencian Okonkwo yang membawanya pada kesuksesan.
Pada masa kecil, okonkwo banyak mengalami kesengsaraan, dia merasa malu dengan kelemahan dan kegagalan ayahnya. Oleh karena itu, kehidupan Okonkwo di pengaruhi rasa takut dan benci. Dia benci terhadap kemalasan ayahnya dan takut menjadi seperti ayahnya. Maka dari itu dia mencoba untuk menjadi kebalikan dari ayahnya. Dia ingin menjadi kaya, sukses, kuat, dan bertanggung jawab. Dia mencoba membuat kehidupannya lebih baik dari sebelumnya.
Untuk membuktikan semua itu. Dia semangat dalam bekerja, dia menjadikan dirinya jauh berbeda dengan ayahnya, di usia yang sangat muda dia menjadi pegulat tangguh, mendapatkan penghargaan dari klannya, petani sukses serta mempunyai tiga istri.
CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION ... 44
WORK CITED ... 46
SYNOPSIS ... 49
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Literature is an imaginative work conveyed through language and
language style that unique, beautiful and contains teachings about life values. The readers of literary work in the form of novel, drama, poetry or short story and so on are aiming to enjoy, to appreciate, or even to evaluate the work. The reader will find out the interesting characters and characterizations contained in such works. The fictional characters are showing various character and behavior that concerned with psychological experiences or conflicts as experienced by humans in real life (Minderop 74)
Human beings are unique (Hude 1).Every human beings has a unique and distinctive characteristics, there are no man that exactly same with the other including their life experiences. We can have the same status, same sex, same religion but we must have different life experiences and different life problems.
In doing the interaction, they must have some feelings experience such as feeling of anger, annoyance, hatred, trouble, happy and so on. Because of human have some emotions. Each individual has his own emotion. There are many types of normal human emotion is felt in everyday life. Daniel Goleman, one of the people who was very interested in the study of emotion, he said that there are hundreds of emotions of human beings. Among those hundred kinds of emotions, he classifies them into eight kinds, namely anger, sadness, fear, pleasure, love, surprise, annoyance and embarrassment (Hude viii).
Emotion is an indication of psychology that has some effect on a perception, attitude, and action, and it appears in certain expression (Hude 18). There are two kinds of emotions: that are negative emotions and positive emotions. Which include negative emotions are anger, sadness, fear, annoyance and embarrassment. And the positive emotions are pleasure, and love. Emotion is not a bad thing because, as stated by Aristotle in The Nicomacean Ethics,
emotionality is not the problem, but rather to how we express and control all kinds of emotions and mastered with intelligence, even if trained properly it will
produce wisdom.
Every experience that involves the emotions, either in negative emotions or positive emotions is basically happens because there is a cause behind them, for example the emotions of hate, it happen because of there is disappointing
Things Fall Apart (1959) was written by Chinua Achebe, he is an African author. He is considered being the most influential African writer in his
generation, he believes that artistic and literary work must deal with the problem of society and he also believes that any good story and any good novel should have a message and a purpose (Chua 7). Chinua Achebe was born in Ogidi on November 16th 1930 and brought up in the personage of the Church Missionary society (Ommotoso 7).
Things Fall Apart is the first of Achebe’s four novels (Iyasere 28).
Achebe’s subsequent three novels, more or less related but not sequential, No
Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964) and Man of the People (1966).
Among of those Achebe’s works the writer of this thesis is interested to
analyze Things Fall Apart because they are interested in the struggle of Okonkwo to change his emotion become a motivation and his persistence to change the fate of life from a people who are not useful to be the number one in the village at that time. Okonkwo is the main character in this novel.
Throughout the novel, Okonkwo presents as a man whose life is ruled by one overriding passion: to become successful, powerful, rich, found a dynasty and become one of the lords of his clan. Okonkwo’s unflagging commitment is with
the certain reason.
hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of thus things was gentleness and another was idleness (Achebe 7).
Emphasis here is placed on Okonkwo’s ambition, especially on his inner struggle to control and suppress his fears of failure which arise in reaction to his father’s life and shameful death. Furthermore, character of Okonkwo is dominated
by hatred, the hatred of everything that his father love, like a slack, drink and pleasure-love.
Based on the above assumptions, the researcher is attracted to make a study on the Chinua Achebe novel that is Things Fall Apart. This study tries to analyze the characterization of the main characters, find out the factor that cause the character act so and how their characterization influences their lives.
1.2 Statement of problem
1. How is Okonkwo characterized in the novel?
2. How is Okonkwo’s father characterized in the novel? 3. What is the factor cause Okonkwo’s hatred?
4. How does this hatred influence Okonkwo’s life?
1.3 Objectives of the study
Basically, the objectives of the study are derived from the statement of the problems above. Through this study, the writer gains the following aims:
1. To depict Okonkwo’s character in the novel.
2. To depict Okonkwo’s father character in the novel.
4. To find out how this hatred influence Okonkwo’s life.
1.4 Scope and Limitation
In order to prevent non-relevant complications, the study will be limited to the Chinua Achebe’s novel. The novel under study is Things Fall Apart. In
order to avoid deviation and to make this research more direct, the analysis will focus on the characterization of the character, especially on the main character, his character and emotion as the novel progresses.
1.5 Significance of the study
This study will give benefits to the readers who seek to analyze literary works, especially novel. By reading this study, the readers will understand about character and emotions.
The thesis writer hopes the readers are able to learn about struggle and hard work. This is happened to the main character of the novel, Okonkwo. His character traits enable him to reach his ambitions and stay on top position in his clan. We can apply the struggle of Okonkwo to reach his ambition in our real life.
1.6 Method of Study
6.1 Data and Data Source
6.1.1 Main Data
The main data of this research is the novel entitled Things Fall Apart
written by Chinua Achebe, including all intrinsic elements in it which related to the subject matter.
6.1.2 Supporting Data
The supporting data of this research are taken from many historical books such as theoretical literatures, journals, internet, etc. which considered relevant with the subject matter.
6.2 Technique of Collecting Data
The collecting data is started by reading and observing the novel as the main data carefully and repeatedly to get in depth understanding toward the subject matter. The next step after getting the comprehension of the subject matter is to make a note of important points, which related to the problem that will be analyzed in this research. The supporting data are collected by selecting and making note of essential points relevant to the problem of the research. All of the data are gathered in line to classification and relevance toward the problem of the thesis.
6.3 Technique of Data Analysis
analysis rather than, for example, the counting of features, so that the references will take from books, endgame movie, and online resource (Wray’s and bloomer’s 97). In analyzing the data, the writer identifies and classifies the problem which deals much purpose of the study. Furthermore, the thesis uses literary approach in analyzing the novel. Some theories that apply in this thesis are theory of new criticism, theory of characterization and theory of emotional intelligence. Next to fix the data, the writer reduce it by cross checking with the theories under discuss and then the writer analyzes the data to resolve the problems and to find out a resolution toward Okonkwo’s hatred his father in Chinua Achebe Things Fall
Apart.
1.7 Definition of key term
Emotion: is an indication of psychology that has some effect on a perception, attitude, and action, and it appears in certain expression (Hude 18).
1.8 Thesis Organization
CHAPTER 2
LITERARY REVIEW
2.1Theoretical Framework
This chapter deals with the related literature and theories used by the thesis writer to support the analysis, furthermore another studies also will be used; such as the previous study that related to Things Fall Apart. Since the topic of this is a
study of the main character’s hatred of his father, the writer uses a theory of New
Criticism (character and characterization). The theory of new criticism is used to understand the text and uses the language that has an effect to the discussion. The theory of character is used to analyze the character traits of Okonkwo in order to
find out their relation to the cause of Okonkwo’s hatred his father. And the theory
of characterization is used to analyze the characterization of Okonkwo and his father in the novel.
2.1.1 New Criticism.
“The text itself” became the battle cry of the New Critical effort to focus
our attention on the literary work as the sole source of evidence for interpreting it. The life and times of the author and the spirit of the age in which he or she lived are certainly of interest to the literary historian, New Critics argued, but they do not provide the literary critic with information that can be used to analyze the text itself. In the first place, they pointed out, sure knowledge of the author’s intended meaning is usually unavailable.
For New Criticism, a literary work is a timeless, autonomous (self-sufficient) verbal object. Readers and readings may change, but the literary text stays the same. Its meaning is as objective as its physical existence on the page, for it is constructed of words placed in a specific relationship to one another— specific words placed in a specific order—and this one-of-a-kind relationship creates a complex of meaning that cannot be reproduced by any other combination of words (Tyson 139).
The importance of the formal elements of a literary text is a product of the nature of literary language, which, for New Criticism, is very different from scientific language and from everyday language. Scientific language, and a good deal of everyday language, depends on denotation, the one-to-one correspondence
between words and the objects or ideas they represent. Scientific language doesn’t
draw attention to it, doesn’t try to be beautiful or emotionally evocative. Its job is
authority, protection, and responsibility.) In addition, literary language is
expressive: it communicates tone, attitude, and feeling. While everyday language is often connotative and expressive, too, in general it is not deliberately or
systematically so, for its chief purpose is practical. Everyday language wants to get things done. Literary language, however, organizes linguistic resources into a special arrangement, a complex unity, to create an aesthetic experience, a world of its own.Unlike scientific and everyday language, therefore, the form of literary language— the word choice and arrangement that create the aesthetic
experience— is inseparable from its content, its meaning. Put more simply, how a literary text means is inseparable from what it means. For the form and meaning of a literary work, at least of a great literary work, develop together, like a complex living organism whose parts cannot be separated from the whole. And
indeed, the work’s organic unity—the working together of all the parts to make an
inseparable whole—is the criterion by which New Critics judged the quality of a literary work. If a text has an organic unity, then all of its formal elements work together to establish its theme, or the meaning of the work as a whole. Through its organic unity, the text provides both the complexity that a literary work must have, if it is to adequately represent the complexity of human life, and the order that human beings, by nature, seek. For New Criticism, then, the explanation of literary meaning and the evaluation of literary greatness became one and the same
act, for when New Critics explained a text’s organic unity they were also
For New Criticism, the complexity of a text is created by the multiple and often conflicting meanings woven through it. And these meanings are a product primarily of four kinds of linguistic devices: paradox, irony, ambiguity, and tension. Briefly, paradox is a statement that seems self-contradictory but represents the actual way things are. For example, it is a biblical paradox that you must lose your life in order to gain it. On the surface, that phrase seems self-contradictory: how can you gain an object by losing it? However, the phrase means that by giving up one kind of life, the transitory life of the flesh, you gain another, more important kind of life: the eternal life of the soul. Many of life’s spiritual and psychological realities are paradoxical in nature, New Critics observed, and paradox is thus responsible for much of the complexity of human experience and of the literature that portrays it.
Irony, in its simple form, means a statement or event undermined by the context in which it occurs. New Criticism, however, primarily valued irony in a
broader sense of the term, to indicate a text’s inclusion of varying perspectives on
the same characters or events. Such a variety of possible viewpoints is considered a form of irony because the credibility of each viewpoint undermines to some extent the credibility of the others. The result is a complexity of meaning that mirrors the complexity of human experience and increases the text’s believability.
Thus the text’s own internal irony, or awareness of multiple viewpoints, protects it
Ambiguity occurs when a word, image, or event generates two or more different meanings. In scientific or everyday language, ambiguity is usually
considered a flaw because it’s equated with a lack of clarity and precision. In
literary language, however, ambiguity is considered a source of richness, depth,
and complexity that adds to the text’s value. Finally, the complexity Ambiguity
occurs when a word, image, or event generates two or more different meanings.
And the complexity of a literary text is created by its tension, which, broadly defined, means the linking together of opposites. In its simplest form, tension is created by the integration of the abstract and the concrete, of general ideas embodied in specific images. Tension is also created by the dynamic
interplay among the text’s opposing tendencies, that is, among its paradoxes,
ironies, and ambiguities. Ideally, the text’s opposing tendencies are held in
equilibrium by working together to make a stable and coherent meaning. Therefore, all of the multiple and conflicting meanings produced by the text’s paradoxes, ironies, ambiguities, and tensions must be resolved, or harmonized, by
their shared contribution to the theme. The text’s theme, or complete meaning, is
not the same thing as its topic. Rather, the theme is what the text does with its topic. Thus, the theme is an interpretation of human experience, and if the text is a great one, the theme serves as a commentary on human values, human nature, or the human condition. In other words, great literary works have themes of
for New Criticism, we can judge whether or not that theme is established by the
text’s formal elements in a way that produces an organic unity.
Close reading, the scrupulous examination of the complex relationship
between a text’s formal elements and its theme, is how the text’s organic unity
was established by the New Critic. Because of New Criticism’s belief that the
literary text can be understood primarily by understanding its form (which is why
you’ll sometimes hear it referred to as a type of formalism), a clear understanding
of the definitions of specific formal elements is important. In addition to the formal elements discussed above—the linguistic devices of paradox, irony, ambiguity, and tension— we should also take a moment to briefly define a few of the most frequently used kinds of figurative language: images, symbols,
metaphors, and similes (Tyson 141)
Formalist, sometime called new criticism (even though it has been
around a long time), involves the careful analysis of a literary text’s craft, ignoring
any historical issues, or any biographical information about an author, any philosophical issues, or event any of a text’s political or moral message, the formalist is simply interested in taking the text apart to see how it works as a piece of art. In literature, the focus of this detailed examination is to consider the way the components of language, a text’ formal elements gives form and meaning to the completed literary text (Gillespie 172).
for patterns that shape the work and connect its part to the whole, and searching of uses of language that contribute to the effect (Gillespie 172).
2.1.2 Character
Like the explanation above that the strategy of new criticism in doing analysis is careful scanning of the text. With a reading of the literary work we can get some benefit and lesson, one of the lesson that we will get are character because character is the element of the literary work. The first element that makes the story reliable and vivid is character. That is why peoples are always interested in discussing a character. It is because a character is human being. Everybody admits that a human is unique creature who has a very rich dimension to be discussed (Hude 01). Therefore, character becomes an interesting topic in literature.
Character in literature generally, and in fiction specifically, is an extended verbal representation of human being, the inner self that determines thought, speech and behavior. Through dialogue, action, and commentary, author capture some of the interactions of character and circumstance. In fiction, the action, interactions, speeches and observations are all arranged to give details the reader need for conclusion about character (Robert and Jacobs 134)
life. Therefore, a successful author recreates the actual life throughout that
particular character itself which is able to make the reader to see a presentation of real life (Roberts and Jacobs 135).
According to Musfiroh, character is developed through three phases, namely, phase of knowledge, action and habit. The third phases are embedded in every people and it is realized in the form of behavior in every day. Knowledge is a phase that every people basically have an understanding or knowledge about something it is good or bad. Action is a form of knowledge from an understanding that he has. And the person's character is not enough just shown through the perception of their knowledge but also in realization in their daily life or habit. Habit is a tendency to behave in a certain way or doing something that particularly regular and repetitive in the long term (Wardoyo 80)
There are so many kinds of characterization such as static and dynamic
or developmental characterization. Static characterization usually overlaps “flat”
characterization presents a single trait, seen as the dominant or socially most obvious trait (Wellek and Warren 227). Usually the static character stays at the same from the beginning to the end. The static character drives major character to airport (Roberts and Jacobs 136). As in Things Fall Apart, Onuka, Okonkwo’s
father is the example of static character besides another. His appearance is to
reveal Okonkwo’s character traits to the readers. Onuka’s character is also
distinguishes Okonkwo’s character from him.
Meanwhile, “round” characterization is the same as dynamic requires
interest (Wellek and Warren 227). Round characters are complex and many sided, he is modified by the action. Through which he possess and one the objectives work in which he appears is to reveal the consequences of these actions upon him (Perrine 68). Based on the definition above, Okonkwo is considered as a round character who has many character traits such as ambitious, fearful, hotheaded, noisy and etc. his appearance also is to reveal the consequences of the actions upon him. There are so many kinds of characterization such as static and dynamic
or developmental characterization. Static characterization usually overlaps “flat”
characterization presents a single trait, seen as the dominant or socially most obvious trait (Wellek and Warren 227). Usually the static character stays at the same from the beginning to the end. The static character drives major character to airport (Roberts and Jacobs 136).
Meanwhile, “round” characterization is the same as dynamic requires
space and emphasize; is obviously useable characters focal for point of view, or interest (Wellek and Warren 227). Round characters are complex and many sided, he is modified by the action. Through which he possess and one the objectives work in which he appears is to reveal the consequences of these actions upon him (Perrine 68)..
2.1.3 Characterization
genuine inherent of a reader to whom and why it happen. So, one of the principle
functions of characterization is to encourage the reader’s empathy and sympathy
so that he will experience of the fictional world for himself (Dientrich and Sundell, 75).
Moreover, there are four fundamental methods in getting information about the characters. The first is through the character speeches and thought. Here, the author gives the reader an insight through what the character says, because whenever he gives his opinion, he is giving some clues about his character. The
second is through what the character does, it means by seeing the character’s
action, we can get information about the quality of their personality. The third is through what other characters think or say about him. The last is by evaluating what the author says about character, speaking as storyteller or observer (Roberts and Jacobs 138). Moreover, there are four fundamental methods in getting information about the characters. The first is through the character speeches and thought. Here, the author gives the reader an insight through what the character says, because whenever he gives his opinion, he is giving some clues about his character. The second is through what the character does, it means by seeing the character’s action, we can get information about the quality of their personality. The third is through what other characters think or say about him. The last is by evaluating what the author says about character, speaking as storyteller or observer (Roberts and Jacobs 138).
Later, the writer will use the theory above to find the factors that make
it gives influence upon him to his life. Besides, the writer will observe the truth about the theory of emotional intelligence.
2.2 Related Studies
Previously, Hartatik, an undergraduate student of IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya has also studied about Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe in her thesis
she basically discussed about Okonkwo’s tragic life. Through this thesis she tried
to find out the external factors that lead Okonkwo into tragic life and she also find out the internal factors that lead Okonkwo into tragic life. This thesis also tried to
know Okonkwo’s foreshadowing downfall.
Meanwhile, in doing analysis she applied the theories of characterization and survival techniques as a tool for doing analysis. Since the study is about human suffering, therefore, she also used the tragedy theory. Through the analysis, she concludes what happened to the main character, Okonkwo. His character traits enable him to reach his ambitions and stay on the top position in his clan then she also shows the factor causes the make the main character into tragic life.
Another research of Things Fall Apart is conducted by Christina
Wiebowo, the student from Petra’s University Surabaya. It is written in 2001
under the title A Study of the British Influence to the Igbo People and their Reaction.
and also finds out the ways used by the British to influence the Igbo people. The thesis writer uses theory of characterization and survival techniques as a tool for doing analysis. Since the study is about a culture of society, therefore, she also used the Sociological theory.
Through the analysis, she concludes that the ways used by the British are through the religious belief and practices, the social system and values, and also the government system.
The similarity with the previous study and this research is the subject matter which is analyzed. That is Things Fall Apart novel by Chinua Achebe. One of them and the writer have the same purpose. She is analyzed about the
characters which applied in the novel.
The difference between this research and previous research is in the object analysis. The previous study used comparison of the characters in the
different work, and she is discussed about the Okonkwo’s tragic life, but here the
writer analysis about the two character and the writer uses theory of
characterization and Emotional intelligence to know how the hatred influence the character. And the second previous study is very difference with this research, why the researcher include the study here is because the novel of Tings Fall Apart
CHAPTER 3
ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of data to answer the research problems. This research talks about the main character's characterization; describes the main character's Okonkwo and Unoka, his father of Okonkwo and reveal the factors that Okonkwo hatred his father, Unoka and the hatred that influence Okonkwo's life. The Data is narrated in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
3.1 Okonkwo and Unoka's character
3.1.1 Okonkwo
Okonkwo is one of the characters in Things Fall Apart who has made the story up. He is an actor who influences the whole story in the novel. He always exists from the beginning to the end of the story. Characters in fiction are divided in some types such as main character and peripheral character. Main character is a play that person who appears in all scenes in the whole of the story, he or she always be told from whole sides of his life, but peripheral character is a supporting character for the main character, they just exist when they have correlation with the main character ( Nurgiyantoro 176-177).
In classifying characters, he divides characters as static and developing character. The static character is the same sort of person at the end of the story as he was at the beginning. Meanwhile, the developing (or is often called as
Okonkwo is the main Character of the novel. He has some character that opposite in the story such us he is a cruel man, a diligent man and hard working.
Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand (Achebe 7)
It pleases me to see a young man like you these days when our youth has gone so soft. Many young man have come to me to ask for yams but I have refused I knew they just dump them in the earth and leave them to be cooked by weeds (Achebe 14)
And also he is called as dynamic character because he is an antagonist and also protagonist character. Protagonist is not in a good quality (Perrine 67). It is clearly visible that Okonkwo in dynamic character who has many characters in the story.
The thesis writer thinks that Okonkwo’s character traits seem to be the factor that takes Okonkwo to hatred his own father. Hence the writer tries to find
out Okonkwo’s character traits.
3.1.1.1 Strong
Okonkwo’s first character is strong, he is called a strong character
"With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life roommates had many young mans. Neither he inherited a barn nor a title, nor even a young wife. But in spite of Reviews these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father's life time to lay the foundation of prosperous futures. It was slow and painful. But the threw himself into it like one Possessed. And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father's contemptible and shameful death (Achebe 11) ".
The quotation above shows that Okonkwo is poor man who does not have a barn or title legacy from his father. But from this condition, he begins to start his life better than before. his laid the foundation of a bright future to improve his life and away from his father's life that make he feel embarrassment because he does not have any dubbed in his life, he does not get respect in his death because he does not have a grave. Therefore Okonkwo called as a strong character.
Moreover, Okonkwo called as a strong character because he not a man gives up so easily. He got a sad harvest. The failure was caused by bad weather (heavy rain) that wasted away the seeds of yams and made many farmers in his
village is weep, “ That year the harvest was sad, like many farmers wept as they
dug up miserable and rotting yams (Achebe 16). But, Okonkwo is not type of man that easy to surrender. Thus though one man try to end his life by hang to the tree,
“one man tied his cloth to a tree branch and hanged himself (Achebe 16), but
Okonkwo did not despair with this condition. He knew that such accident would not break a fierce fighter like him. Yet, after undergoing the failure, Okonkwo is
still optimistic even used to say, “since I survive that year…. I shall survive
Okonkwo comes to think that he will get what he wants if he fights and struggles for it. When he faces the terrible first and second harvest, he takes his failure positively and keeps trying until he succeeds.
3.1.1.2 Being Persistence and hard work
Okonkwo’s persistence in reaching his ambition is supported by his
motto, “Okonkwo never did things by halves” (Achebe 122). The writer sees that
if Okonkwo wants to something he will do until finished or achieved. His motto appears as the key of his success because obstacles will not make him surrender or despair.
Okonkwo's father is a man who does not has a yam. So, it make Okonkwo working by sharecropping system, although it is a very slow to get success and need a long time to have his own barn, but it not make Okonkwo give up, he must be persistence and hard working to accept his ambition because there is no other way to get success except that way, even though he just get a third of the crop, but he is patient and hard work on doing it.
"Share-cropping was a very slow way of building up a barn one's own. After all the toil one only got a third of the harvest. But for a young man Whose father had no yams, there was no other way (Achebe 14)
“Like all good farmers, Okonkwo begun to sow with the first rains.
He had four hundred seeds sown when the rains dried up and the head Returned. He watched the sky all day for signing the rain clouds and lay awake all night. In the morning he went back to his farm and saw the Withering tendrils. He had tried to protect them from the Smoldering earth by making rings of thick sisal leaves around them but by the end of the day the sisal rings were burned dry and gray. He changes them every day and prayed that the rain might fall in the night (Achebe 15).
Okonkwo always protect his farm every day for the sake of to have good harvest. Because he is a diligent man he wake up in the morning he go to his farm to see his yam.
3.1.1.3 Responsible
Besides it, he is also has a responsibility to protect his family, at a very young age he already had to support his mother and two sisters and his father. With very little income he remains responsible for both his sister and his mother even though at the time his father is still life, but he is unreliable because his
father is a lazy and irresponsible, “he had to support his mother and two sister….
Supporting his mother also meant supporting his father” (Achebe 14).
prayers to them on behalf of himself, his three wives and eight
children (Achebe 8)”
For that matter, beside he is hard working man Okonkwo is also an obedient man. So, he work at the same time he diligent to pray and doing his obligation of his religion.
In this way, Okonkwo has indirectly completed his personality by what
Hurlock calls as “the component of the self-concept, these components include
the perceptual, conceptual and the attitudinal (Hurlock 22). The perceptual involves the image of person based on the appearance of his body and of the impression he makes on others. Here, Okonkwo has shown his great image
among others. He produces much fame and makes him sitting among “king and
elders” (Achebe 28). Thus, anione agrees that Okonkwo deserves his success,
including as the greatest wrestler in all the land (Achebe 27). Somehow, his appearance of his body gives him the distinction in the eyes of others; ha has tall and hug body, bushy eyebrows and wide nose that give great impression on others (Achebe 3-4).
The conceptual component, futher, is indicated by hi distinctive
characteristics toward his backgrounds and origins. Okonkwo’s shamefulness
towards his father’s life determines him to be totally dissimilar with his father.
Fortunately, in Umoufia, “a man was judged according to his worth and not
according to the worth of his father” (Achebe 8). Thus, because of his
Okonkwo perform attitudinal component through his feeling about himself, including his beliefs and commitments toward his philosophy of life. Significantly, the Igbo people have a belief that when a man says yes, his Chi (chi
is significant cultural concept and belief, meaning one’s personal deity; also one’s
destiny or fate) says yes also. Okonkwo feels that he has said yes very strongly to his Chi, so his Chi agrees (Achebe 24). And so he is optimistic about his future
prospect. It relates with his ambition to be “one of the lords of the clan” (Achebe
24). Here, his enthusiasm towards life is based on his “will to power”. Hence, it is
true if his leaving remains so much impressions and tears for the people he leaves. As Oberika does ()Achebe 208). He praises and gives an honour to
Okonkwo as “one of the greatest men in Umofia”.
It is clearly visible that Okonkwo has more superiority than his father.
He can transform nurturing aspect completely: such as from “great poverty and
misfortune” to be “one of the lord and elders in his clan”, from “ not inheriting a
barn” (Achebe 18) to be the owner of “two barns full of yams” (Achebe 8); from
“not having title” to become “having two title” (Achebe 8); and even from “not
getting a young wife (Achebe 18) to be “a man who has three wives” (Achebe
14).
3.1.2 Unoka
In this story the characterization of Unoka is the opposite from Okonkwo. Unoka is peripheral or supporting character, he appears just in the beginning of the novel. And he is also called as static character because he
appears just as a lazy character “people laughed at him because he was a loafer
(Achebe 2)”
Occasionally even virtually non-existent characters may important but this scenario is rather exceptional (Dinurriyah 115). An example like Unoka, Whose names even appears in the story but actually he was died ten years ago.
"Unoka, for that his father's name, had died ten years ago (Achebe 1)"
Obviously, from the point above in directing our attention to Unoka that he is non-existent character such as in the early story tell that Unoka was died ten years ago.
Unoka is Okonkwo's father; in this story the character of Unoka is the opposite from Okonkwo as his son in his family. Unoka is characterized as a man who just resigned to the circumstances of his life. He does not want to strive and to change his life for the better life than before. He just complain and ask for instructions to the god of the caves and mountains, the god is called as Agbala
“Unoka has gone to consult Agbala” (Achebe 10). Every year, he said sadly
(Achebe 11). He come to his god with a heavy heart and asks for her why he always has a bad harvest every year. But, he does not diligent to protect and to take care his farm.
Unoka is very different from his son, Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a diligent
child but Unoka becomes the opposite of his son, he is a loafer “people laugh at
him because he was loafer” (Achebe 2), whose day-to-day just get drunk without
regard to his wife and children who nearly die because not eating enough “he was
poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat” (Achebe 2).
From the explanation above, it is very clearly that Unoka is a lazy man. his family does not have enough food to eat because he is lazy to work.
3.1.2.2 Imprudent
Unoka is a improvident man, “in this day he was lazy and improvident
and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow” ()Achebe 1). When, he gets
some money and it seldom did. He immediately buy palm-wine and invite the neighbors and having a party.
3.1.2.3 Debtor
Unoka is also a debtor” he owes every neighbour some money, from a
few cowries to quite substantial amounts” (Achebe 1). Another bad characteristic
of Unoka is owed, and he does not paid back but he is a man that always success in borrowing and pilling up his dept.
3.1.2.4 He is not responsible
From the statement above, he makes his family starvation because he is lazy and his hobby is playing music, he play a music until he forget to his family. He is very clever use of flute and the moments that make him happiest is two or three months after the harvest, because at the time the villagers music players bring their tool of music, he will play music with them with a face full of
happiness and peace. Sometimes another village asked Unoka’s music group to
play music in their village, Unoka and his friends will come to the residence of the person who invite them and stay in there for three or four days, playing music
and having a party “sometime another village ask Unoka’s band and their dancing
egwugwu to come and stay with them and teach them their tunes. They would go
to such hosts for as long as three or four markets, making music and feasting”
(Achebe 2).
3.2 The factors cause Okonkwo's Hate to Unoka
3.2.1 His Father Weakness
Expecting to have strong father is a factor that leads Okonkwo into hatred his father. Since the reality is different from his expectation, Unoka,
Okonkwo’s father, is weak person. He cannot stand on his own two feet in his
day to day life; Unoka was, of course, a debtor and he owned every neighbour some money, from a few cowries to quite substantial amounts (Achebe 1). Unoka has never taken any title in his life as another man in his clan. Hence he is called as Agbala, man or women that have no title, Agbala is also considered as
is considered as an osu (outcast) of the Igbo people. Okonkwo hate his father because:
3.2.2 His Father Laziness
Another factor that leads Okonkwo into hatred his father is Unoka’s
laziness. Unoka in his lifetime is known as a lazy man in his clan. When his neighbours go out with their axe to cut down virgin forest, he sows his yams on exhausted farms that no labor. When the people of the clan go to their field to work, he just stay at home and he come to his god with a heavy heart and asks for her why he always has a bad harvest every year. But, he does not diligent to protect his farm “they cross seven rivers to make their farms; you stay at home and offer sacrifice to reluctant soil. Go home and work like a man (Achebe 11). Because of his laziness, Unoka, the grow up, was failure, He was poor and his wife and children had no barely enough to eat (Achebe 2). People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and they swore never to land him any more money because he never paid beck, but Unoka was such a man that he always success in borrowing more (Achebe 2).
Furthermore, Okonkwo is afraid of being considered as weak person like his father, Unoka. He fears of the kind of failure and weakness that has by his
father. This failure is appear as a result of Unoka’s weakness and laziness. He
…but his whole life is dominated by fear, the fear of failure and
weakness, it was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest and of the
forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw. Okonkwo’s
was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. Even ea a little boy he had resented his
father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered
how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was Agbala. That how Okonkwo first came to know that agbala was not only another name for a women, it could also mean a man who had taken no title. And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion
– to hate everything that his father Unoka had love. One of those things was gentles and another was idleness (Achebe 8)
Obviously, from the point above in directing my attention to Okonkwo’s hatred he is hate of all of father bad characteristics. From the point about we know that Okonkwo just hate to the father characteristic not to the people.
…supporting his mother also supporting his father (Achebe 14).
From that matter we know that Okonkwo dose not hate his father but he hate his father characteristic.
3.2.3 His father Death shamefully
(Achebe 11). He has neither inherited a barn, title, nor young wife. On the contrary, Okonkwo is shamed of the failure and weakness of his father. He also feels shamed of his father disgracefully death.
He was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and
shameful death (Achebe 11).
From the citation, it is clear that Okonkwo extremely feels shamed for his father death. So he does not want to have a death like his father.
3.3 The Hatred that motivate Okonkwo's life
“With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life
which many young men had. He neither inherited a barn nor a title, or even a young wife. But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future. It was slow and painful. But he threw himself into it like one possessed (Achebe 11)”
From his father’s inability to plan ahead, Okonkwo grows up in an
impoverished condition with so much suffering and humiliation at a very young age. Having father who fails in his life triggers him to determine his own way in order to get success in his life and to be different man and to have different future
from his father. Furthermore, Okonkwo’s hatred to his father triggers him to act
extremely manly. He thinks that acting manly all the time will take him away from weakness and failure. This shows that Okonkwo disregards the feminine values.
prestige, which is significance in distinguishing manhood time. Absolutely, all of
Okonkwo’s achievements are triggered by his father’s existence, Unoka, whom is
recognized for his weakness and his failure. Significantly, Hurlock confirms that family member, including a figure of father, are the most significant people who
directly influence in shaping child’s personality (Hurlock 542). So the lack of
responsibility in one of family members will destroy the stability of child’s self -concept.
Since childhood, Okonkwo had already undergone humiliation about his father. He still remembers when his playmate had told him that his father was Agbala. It really suffers Okonkwo because it is not only another name for a woman but can also mean a man who had taken no title (Achebe 8). Still, when he was young, he had to live and stand by himself. He should also fend his mother and two sisters from his meager harvest. In other words, in his early age,
Okonkwo had to support his family in order to go away from starvation. And, this
also meant that “Okonkwo was also fending for his father’s house” (Achebe 14).
So, it is no wonder if everything deals with weakness and failure will remain Okonkwo of his father. It can be perceived firstly on how Okonkwo’s
attitude towards successful men; “he had no patience with unsuccessful men. He
had no patience with his father” (Achebe 1). Even, Okonkwo becomes a sensitive
man to hear any words that his father loves, including “gentleness and idleness” (Achebe 8)
For Okonkwo, his father’ failure and weakness or the hatred to his father
Hurlock say that the elder child or adolescent who discovers how people feel about him from the way they treat him and from what they say about him will
highly motivate and improve himself (Hurlock 5). Int this case, his father’s failure
causes him to achieve one overriding passion; to become successful, powerful, and reach man in his clan. Thus, he works his whole life to win the respect of his
people. Really, Okonkwo has become “he was talking about Okonkwo who had
risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of the clan” (Achebe 17). He breaks traditional belief “he is a chip of the old block” which discourage the individual from trying to improve his personality (Hurlock 1). In the meantime, his father weakness triggers him to act extremely manly. For he thinks that showing masculinity will take him away from weakness. This can
be seen from how Okonkwo rules his family. For Okonkwo, “Show affection is a
sign of weakness” (Achebe 18). Thus, his family members are afraid of him. As a
result, his wives, especially the youngest, and his children live in a fear. Clearly, the way Okonkwo rules his family can be described in the following except:
“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 (Achebe 7).
Somehow his first son, Nwoye, cannot escape from his anger. He often gets constant nagging and beating as a correction fo his fault. So, it makes Nwoye
develops into “sad-faced youth” (Achebe 8). Once again, that also means his
prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his woman and his children (and
especially his women) he was not a really man” (Achebe 36).
How deep Okonkwo’s hatred towards his father makes him to try
obliterating his existence from his mind. So that, whenever he thinks his father weakness, and his father failure he will directly turn his mind to his own prestige:
“But he had long learned how to lay the ghost. Whenever the thought of his father’s weakness and failure troubled him he
expelled it by thinking about his own strength and success. And
so he did now. His mind went to his latest show of manliness”
(Achebe 46).
Obviously, Okonkwo’s motivation towards that success is to obliterate the
symbol of weakness and failure in his family that inherited by his father. Being successful and become different person of his father are his ambition in his life.
Things Fall Apart Tells about a hero that is extraordinary individual. Likewise, Okonkwo Become a hero by accomplishing great things for himself and his community. As a result, Okonkwo wins much fame. Hence, Okonkwo's lifetime starts from his achievements. He embodies a hero by fitting his personal success. He begins "well-known throughout the nine villages and even beyond (1)" after defeating Amalinze the paint. It is proved by the first page of Things Fall Apar:
“his fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young
town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights (Achebe 1)
As the hero of the story, Okonkwo signifies his commencement or initial lifetime by exhibiting the qualities of manhood in his clan. In his commencement, Okonkwo undergoes such a test. Also He distinguishes his manhood by scattering some prides. Besides, succeeding his wrestling match with Amalinze the paint, he drives his manhood toward tribal success. Such as in Umuofia's latest war, "he was the first to bring home a human's head" (Achebe 5), the which then brought him to get the recognition by taking "two titles" (Achebe 4) in his village. Furthermore, he is a wealthy farmer. It is indicate by exiting "two full of yams"
(4) and "his three wives" (4) and his large compound. Therefore, it is not
exaggeration if his fame grows greater and greater "during this time Okonkwo’s fame and grownlike a bush fire in the harmattan" (1).
All These achievements, basically, show that Okonkwo has both strong character and he has emotional intelligence. Such as in the early chapters, Okonkwo is famous for his strong and even monstrous energy, which directly reveal his great character.
Before he became a successful man, rich and has several degrees in his life, he was a poor man who did not have anything but he has a father that he hated and hatred him that made Okonkwo become a success man. It became a guideline in his life and always has conviction that laziness will only lead one to weakness and kept away from success.
The people who succeed often have fairly modest ideas—but are good at motivating themselves and influencing others. When average people feel angry, they lash out. Or when they feel unhappy, they stop working. But emotionally intelligent people understand their own moods and how to motivate themselves despite feeling angry or unhappy. And when they need to influence others, they can cajole and persuade others to help them out. Managing your own emotions and those of others plays a huge part in who succeeds. Anyone can become more successful by paying attention to the skills of emotional intelligence (young viii).
Emotional intelligence involves a combination of competencies which allow a person to be aware of, to understand, and to be in control of their emotions, to recognize and understand the emotions of others, and to use this knowledge to foster their success and the success of others (Moller 9). In a single
sentence it doesn’t really help us to understand why emotional intelligence is
useful. Breaking it down further gives us three domains of expertise (Young 3):
3.4.1 Self-awareness
In Goleman’s competencies, self-awareness is the building block of all the
emotions he knows and realizes with the emotion of hatred, he hate with all his bad traits of his father such as lazy, drunks and irresponsible, the emotion of fear, the fear of himself, he fear to resemble of his father he is fear of failure and afraid to be weak like his father, not respected and does not have any title in his life. And his feel of shame because he has a father like that. It is made clear in the narrator's direct presentation of him:
“… 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” (Achebe 7).
“… and so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion – to hate
everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things
was gentleness and another was idleness” (Achebe 8).
It is clearly that Okonkwo’s emotion can be categorized as hate and fear
emotion.
3.4.2 Self-direction
It refers to the act of taking responsibility for our emotions. When we take responsibility for the way we feel, it give us a tool for making decisions that are most supportive four our mental emotional health. That in turn helps us be successful in motivating ourselves to achieve our goals (Sean 35). It is the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to
only leads us to the lack and far away from successful. Thus, he became a diligent man and work hard.
“During the planting season Okonkwo worked daily on his
farms from cock-crow until the chickens went to roost (Achebe 8)
After Okonkwo knows about his emotions, that is hatred to his father weakness and laziness. Furthermore, he changes his ambition to become a strong man and a diligent man.
3.4.3 Interpersonal Savvy
Interpersonal savvy is ability to identify and manage emotional states in
other people. In today’sworld, people don’t have to do something just because
you tell them to. Even if you are the boss, they can choose to do it more slowly or to put less energy into it. So interpersonal savvy is the skill of finding out what makes other people tick so that you can influence and persuade them (Young 4)
It is proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find common ground and build report. Means that Okonkwo's ability to establish relationships very well with others until he get the trust from Nwakiebie because he well-known as a person who is very diligent in planting so that he will lend yams to him:
“Nwakibie cleared his throat. It pleases me to see a young
man like you these days when our youth has gone so soft (Achebe 14)
father potatoes and barns. Okonkwo is a diligent, diligent and hard work so that he becomes a success in farming; he has two large barns of the result of his hard work, has three wives and got two degrees from his village.
“Okonkwo’s prosperity was visible in his household. He had a
large compound enclosed by a thick wall of red earth. His own hut, or obi, stood immediately behind the only gate in the red walls. Each of his three wives had her own hut, which together formed a half moon behind the obi. The barn was built against one end of the red walls, and long stacks of yam stood out prosperously in it.at the opposite end of the compound was a shed for the goats, and each wives built a small attachment to her hut for the hens. Near the barn was a small house, the medicine house or shrine where Okonkwo kept wooden symbol of his personal god of his ancestral spirits. He worshipped them with sacrifices of cola nut, food and palm-wine, and offered prayers to them on behalf of himself, his
three wives and eight children.(Achebe 8)”
CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
Human’s life always goes differently. As a result, human being undergoes
certain steps in his life. In other words, human being develops and changes during his lifetime. Somehow, life does not always give happiness to human being; sometime sadness and happiness come in turn to human being depend on their effort to get happiness in their life. Likewise sadness comes to Okonkwo’s life
that makes him try to throw the sadness from his life. Literary as the imitative of real life also applies a sad story to its character equal with real life. To signify Okonkwo’s hatred his father, the theory of literature that is used are: theory of
new characterization and theory of emotional intelligence.
Okonkwo suffers many adversities in his adulthood and young manhood. Having father like Unoka, who is known in his clan as a weak man and a lazy man, moreover bad fortune followed Unoka until to his tragically death, he do not give any pride to his family. Therefore, Okonkwo feels shame to his father failure and make him hatred all of the bed character of his father that make him into failure. Okonkwo determines to become a man who is totally different from his father. In the meantime, Okonkwo’s personality develops hand in hand with his
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