s value is also illustrated through both the laziness of Unoka and the industriousness of Okonkwo. Okonkwo remembered his father as "lazy and improvident and...quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow" (Achebe 4). Unoka never earned any titles because of his laziness. He did not save money or put any money he earned into building a life for his family, but instead spent it on wine, entertainment, and leisure activities. The community looked down upon Unoka because he was a failure as an adult and a loafer who relied on money borrowed from others to feed his wives and children. Thus, because Unoka did not appreciate the merit of hard work that is key to advancement in the Igbo social hierarchy, he remained at the bottom of society during his lifetime and earned no titles.
             Okonkwo was accordingly ashamed of his father because of his indolence. He "had no patience with unsuccessful men" and "had no patience with his father" (Achebe 4). Okonkwo's dedication to hard work is evident in his wealth and rapid ascension of the social ladder at a young age. Although he was still young, "he was alread
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