his shame by becoming as different as possible from his father. For Okonkwo, this means adhering rigidly to Igbo notions of masculinity,

Okonkwo, unlike his father, works very hard, bringing wives, children, and honor to himself. He is a brave fighter, who never shows fear or flinches from violence. He rules his household strictly, beats his wives, expects his sons to conform to his own notions of masculinity and becomes a respected village elder.

Sadly, however, he does violence to himself and others because of his deep fear of shame. For example, rather than look weak in front of other men, he kills his beloved foster son, Ikemefuna. This causes him inner pain, but saving face is all important to him. He is deeply grieved by Western incursions into his village, such as the arrival of the church his son joins, and he is unable to adjust to Western ways or in any way think outside of the patriarchal boundaries of his culture (not that Western culture is any better in this regard). In the end, he does violence to himself through suicide, preferring maintaining his sense of honor to staying alive.

Okonkwo's life is a direct result of his past experience as a child and adolescent. When Okonkwo was young, he feared becoming like his inept father, Unoka, who was effeminate and title-less. Okonkwo desperately tried to distance himself from his father by behaving hostile, callous, and resolute. While Okonkwo's fear of being viewed as weak like Unoka led to early success, his rigid, intolerant personality contributed to his demise. Okonkwo ends up disturbing the Week of Peace by beating his wife, plays a significant role in Ikemefuna's death, and accidentally kills a young man during a warrior's funeral. Okonkwo is exiled for seven years after the accidental murder, and he loses his titles.

When Okonkwo returns to his homeland of Umuofia, he cannot accept the new culture, which has transformed as a result of European influence. Christianity, trading outposts, and schools have significantly transformed Umuofia and Okonkwo feels that his tribe is losing their traditional ways of life. Okonkwo's intolerance and hostility motivate him to decapitate a court messenger. Rather than be arrested and embarrassed by the white men, Okonkwo decides to hang himself from a tree on his compound.

Overall, Okonkwo's callous, aggressive personality is directly related to his past experiences with Unoka and his rigid, intolerant beliefs influence his hostile reaction to Umuofia's changing culture.