Why does okonkwo kill himself

Instead, he isolates himself by exhibiting anger through violent, stubborn, irrational behavior. Okonkwo demands that his family work long hours despite their age or limited physical stamina, and he nags and beats his wives and son, Nwoye, who Okonkwo believes is womanly like his father, Unoka.

Expert Answers Hover for more information. Although he denigrates his emotional attachment to Ikemefuna, he seeks comfort in his affectionate friendship with Obierika.

Ezinma is likewise a source of great comfort to him. Killing a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, so Okonkwo must atone by taking his family into exile for seven years.

Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a village elder, informs Okonkwo that the Oracle has decreed that Ikemefuna must be killed but that Okonkwo should not be the one to kill him, since Ikemefuna regards Okonkwo as a father. The final ceremony that Amikwu has to join the swearing ceremony between his new wife and his father staff 4. No one applauds his action, and Okonkwo sees that he alone wishes to go to war with the Europeans. Caught between his rage that the nine villages would succumb to European rule and the futility of fighting the Europeans alone, Okonkwo retreats to his compound and hangs himself.

With this act, Okonkwo lives up to his role as a tragic hero whose struggles with society ultimately lead to death. Okonkwo dies an outcast, banished from the very society he fought to protect. He beats her for her negligence, shamefully breaking the peace of the sacred week in a transgression known as nso-ani. The priest demands that Okonkwo sacrifice a nanny goat and a hen and pay a fine of one length of cloth and one hundred cowries shells used as currency.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Essay Why did Okonkwo kill himself? Ben Davis April 30, Why did Okonkwo kill himself?

Why does Okonkwo hate his father? What did Okonkwo hate? What kind of father is Okonkwo? Why does uchendu call Okonkwo a child? What does Okonkwo think of his father? Why is Okonkwo not a hero? He has thought it over and decided on a course of action to which he will stick no matter what the village decides as a whole. He takes out his war dress and assesses his smoked raffia skirt, tall feather headgear, and shield as in adequate condition.

He remembers his former glories in battle and ponders that the nature of man has changed. The first speaker laments the damage that the white man and his church have done to the clan and bewails the desecration of the gods and ancestral spirits. In the middle of the speech, five court messengers approach the crowd. Their leader orders the meeting to end. A tumult rises in the crowd, but not the kind for which Okonkwo hopes: the villagers allow the messengers to escape and bring the meeting to a conclusion.

Someone even asks why Okonkwo killed the messenger. Understanding that his clan will not go to war, Okonkwo wipes his machete free of blood and departs. He had already chosen the title of the book. See Important Quotations Explained. He asks for Okonkwo, and the men tell him that Okonkwo is not at home. The commissioner asks a second time, and Obierika repeats his initial answer.