Ibo Culture Once Again

In what ways does Okonkwo embody the values and principles of Ibo culture? What are the strengths of his character?

In Ibo culture strength and hard work are extremely important. Without these characteristics, according to the Ibo people, one cannot succeed in life or live a respectable life. It is crucial to rise to a certain level of power in order to be a person of high reverence.

One way of demonstrating ones courage and vitality is through wrestling. Okonkwo proves this needed tenacity when he beats Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match. This competition represents one’s willingness to stand up for his people and to bring honor to his tribe. Not only does Okonkwo succeed in taking out the long-time champion, he demonstrates the importance of displays of power in Ibo culture. There is no doubt that Okonkwo is a fierce tribesman, but sometimes his desire to always appear to be strong to those around him leads him to act rashly and in the end causes him to crack. The pressure to be seen at the strong one all the time was too much for him to handle and it ultimately lead to his tragic suicide.

Okonkwo does not only embody the value of strength in Ibo culture but also the value of hard work. Okonkwo was not born into a prestigious family and as Achebe points out, “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, nor even a young wife” (18). Okonkwo’s father was a lazy man who rather play the flute than do the typical labor in the fields. Doing something other than fieldwork was not normally acceptable for men in Ibo culture and because his father was more interested in his flute and languages than doing “real” work, he was looked down upon in the village. Okonkwo, unlike his father, did do the acceptable work despite the fact that it was not easy or even rewarding at first. He had nothing to begin with so he borrowed yams from other laborers to get his harvest going. After much persistent hard work, Okonkwo was able to pay back those who had helped him, even giving them more than they had given him in the beginning. Okonkwo even built his own hut or obi. He worked hard every day and it paid off in the end. He was able to achieve his goals of living a life with respect to the principles of Ibo culture and of being a respectable man unlike his father, who died a shameful death and left many of his debts unpaid.

Okonkwo’s hard work was definitely one of his strongest characteristics and it is a characteristic that plays an important role in Ibo culture, but it is the social traditions that are an even larger aspect of Ibo culture. In Ibo culture it is important to always come bearing gifts particularly when the person has come to ask or request something and before the request can be made, the group must openly share the gifts and enjoy them. Okonkwo does this when he went to see Nwakibie, a wealthy man with a surplus of pretty much everything, to ask for seed-yams to start his own farm. Rather than just asking him for the seed-yams right away, Okonkwo takes out the palm wine, the kola nut, and the alligator pepper he brought with him to share with Nwakibie. He also gives him a rooster in exchange for the seeds. With these items at hand Okonkwo says to the clansman, “As our people say, a man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness” (19). In this proverb, Okonkwo expresses the simple Ibo value of respecting those who help others and that if you do respect these great men you are essentially creating your own greatness. Okonkwo does a great job embodying many of the Ibo’s values and principles and the characteristics he has that follow the essence of these values are in fact his strongest characteristics.
(687)