My Thoughts on Things Fall Apart

     In Things Fall Apart I find it interesting Okonkwo has no affection towards his father.  As we know Okonkwo fears to become the man his father was, however I believe Okonkwo is mostly afraid of what society will think of him.  It blows my mind to believe society can push someone so far till they hate and do not want to be associated with the people that are close to them.  We also see this when Okonkwo chooses his reputation of being strong over his “adopted” son Ikemefuna.  He loved Ikemefuna more than his own son, so for him to brutally murder him shows the values of the people in the tribe. Also, Okonkwo was seen as a strong man, however if you really think about it Okonkwo is still a boy.  This is because fear is what motivators and pushes him to be the man he is.  That leads me to think about persent day, and how words and actions can seriously affect people.  Especially, at this time of our lives rumors and gossip spread like wildfires, which can make people make stupid  decisions .  We can take this as a lesson from the book to not be afraid of others opinions, and not push someone to their limit by “teasing” them.