Strength, toughness, powerful, might, driven are all words one would use to describe Okonkwo in Achebe's Things Fall Apart, but these words can also be used to describe other character in the story.
Throughout Things Fall Apart the main focus of the story was Okonkwo, a man with a tremendous amount of power. By allowing Okonkwo to over power Things Fall Apart the narrator enables readers to take their attention off other characters that also have great weight on the story. These characters display more an indirect power than direct power that Okonkwo demonstrates throughout the story. Through their strengths each characters cedes power to Okonkwo in Achebe's Things Fall Apart.
As a child Okonkwo grew up with a male figure who shows him what a man is not to be. Unoka, Okonkwo's father was a man that only thought of today and never of tomorrow. He was an indolent and very heedless. He spent his life borrowing from people of the village and never repaying them back. "When Unoka Died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. Any wonder then that his son Okonkwo was ashamed of his father"(8). Okonkwo grows up being very ashamed of his father, and spends his entire life trying to not be like be. Cause the readers to think that Unoka has little effect on Okonkwo. When in reality he has an enormous effect on Okonkwo. "Fortunately, among theses people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father."(8). Unoka weaknesses give Okonkwo the drive to become a successful man of the village.
Because of his of his father's misfortunes, Okonkwo is force to make it all by himself. "He neither inherited a barn nor a title, nor even a young wife."(18). While still a young man Okonkwo wins several wrestling matches and becomes know as the greatest wrestler in the entire nine villages.
All over villages of Umuofia to Mbanino a man who has more...