Significance

What is the significance of Okonkwo's character? What does he represent or is symbolic of?

What is the purpose of Okonkwo's character within the text?

How does Okonkwo's character contribute to the big ideas?

Okonkwo's character reveals a lot about the society as a whole as he is not only the main character but he is symbolic of the culture. He represents their original cultural values. This can be seen by his almost perfection within the community for a certain amount of time before his beliefs were looked down upon and questioned by others. As other people’s opinions and beliefs are introduced people start to value Okonkwo's beliefs less. This is the same for the culture's beliefs. The people of the community highly value the culture's beliefs and they are not generally questioned but as colonialism introduces Christianity, people start to question the old ways and eventually abandon them. 

Okonkwo's influence on the tribe and his attitude towards certain issues shows the cultures values too, not only as a symbol. He is quick to anger and overreacts over a lot of simple issues that he faces. In the book, Okonkwo questions the twins that his culture says are unholy and should be abandoned in the forest. He doesn't ever openly disagree with this tradition but his internal thoughts occasionally question the practice. His control over the situation, no open contradictions and such, is contrasted by his severe beating of his second wife for a simple issue. He does this without thinking about the consequences or what is happening around him at the time; peace week. Looking at these situations, the magnitude of his reaction is dependent on the part of culture that the situation is facing. He knows not to question religion in his culture, showing the audience how much of an important role religion has in their society. The beating of Okonkwo's second wife over peace week also reveals to the audience what kind of society they live in. They regard women as objects and prioritize religion and tradition over the well-being of their people, only caring about women's rights when it is to their advantage (the killing of a women in their village by and outside is acted upon because it reinstates the strength of their tribe and position in their clans since they were able to demand payment for it.) Okonkwo's rash decisions provide exposition and insight into the inner workings of the tribes and society that they all abide by. 

Okonkwo contributes heavily to the ideas of the book that the author wants to communicate to the audience. Other than the societal values that were stated about the rights and objectification of women and the importance of religion in character and decisions, Achebe wants to communicate that colonialism has multiple perspectives to it. The rigidity of Okonkwo’s views on the situation are used to show the importance that the community has to its culture and beliefs. With the introduction of Christianity on their society, the importance of these needing to be preserved is raised. Okonkwo’s unwillingness to change his perspective and beliefs us also Achebe trying to communicate the importance of keeping his culture known. Making the main character of the book carry out these ideas subtly to the reader, gives these ideas of the preservation of culture more importance than having a minor character communicate them. Another perspective of colonialism that is being communicated through Okonkwo is the Christian’s perspective. The Christian’s are not only trying to conquer what is now Nigeria but they were trying to spread their beliefs. With a character with such high standing in his community opposing this so strongly, he is communicating the issues faced with the influence of one culture on the other. The struggles of trying share your perspective on someone that may not be open to it is shown. The Christians are giving the view of someone trying to communicate ideas with someone that is not interested. This perspective is necessary to communicate because the reader can relate to both sides. It was not the point to villainize the colonist, more to show context on the situation being faced to the people of Nigeria currently. The use of the reader relating to both sides makes the book and situation being faced both in the book and in current life, more in-depth and not one sided. There is not an argument about whether colonialism is bad or not, but a discussion about the adapting of culture and religion when other religions are imposing on them.

Any way that Okonkwo’s actions and thoughts are interpreted by the reader, there is immense importance in them in the understanding of central ideas within the book.