Okonkwo, the protagonist, was a very successful man. The Coat of Arms I made symbolizes his life in summary; the colors, symbols, and objects all stand for his goals, personality, and lifestyle.
To begin, the red in the background symbolizes Okonkwo’s desire to serve the clan of Umuofia. When the majority of his clan converted to the new religion, he decided it was time to stand up for his clan. Okonkwo didn’t give in to the new religion that Mr. Brown brought and he believed that the new religion brought catastrophe to the clan and tried his best to demolish it but instead, resulted in his own death since he could not bear to watch what would happen to his clan.
On the shield, there is a black square in the upper left corner which symbolizes Okonkwo’s honor. “And so although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time. Age was respected among his people but achievement was revered.” Okonkwo was an accomplished man and he was honored because of his courage, strength, and wealth. However, the color black symbolizes his tragic death. Although he was successful, he committed suicide which is considered “an abomination for a man to take his own life.” The black square in the upper left corner summarizes his life best showing that although he lived an honored and respected life, he died in such a way where his body was untouchable by his clansmen. In the middle, there is an arm to represent Okonkwo’s hardworking and industrious personality. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, lived a meaningless life which resulted in Okonkwo starting his life with nothing: no wife, no barn, and no title. “But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous life.” From the very beginning, Okonkwo had his life planned out and decided that he did not want to follow his father’s footsteps. He became a prosperous farmer, a famous wrestler, a strong warrior and received three wives, …show more content…
In Umuofia and other villages, he was known as “the greatest wrestler and warrior alive.” He defeated Amalinze the Cat, showed capability in two wars, and was always prepared to fight.
The third symbol, the horse, represents Okonkwo’s dignity. “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” Even though Okonkwo enjoyed Ikemefuma’s presence, his pride overcame him and he didn’t want to show his fondness of Ikemefuma because showing “affection was a sign of weakness (and) the only thing worth demonstrating was (his) strength.” His dignity was more important than his feelings for Ikemefuma and he did the same to his son, Nwoye when he converted.
The last symbol, a ram, symbolizes Okonkwo’s leadership and authority in his family. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand.” Unlike his father, Unoka, he took authority in his family and made sure his children grew up to be strong and successful like him. Although Nwoye did not follow his father’s path, Okonkwo did attempt to raise him to be a strong man by telling him war stories, having him prepare yams at a young age, and scolding him when he cried or when he became lazy. Beatings and scolding were Okonkwo’s way of ruling his family and he didn’t care whether it was a sacred week or
To begin, the red in the background symbolizes Okonkwo’s desire to serve the clan of Umuofia. When the majority of his clan converted to the new religion, he decided it was time to stand up for his clan. Okonkwo didn’t give in to the new religion that Mr. Brown brought and he believed that the new religion brought catastrophe to the clan and tried his best to demolish it but instead, resulted in his own death since he could not bear to watch what would happen to his clan.
On the shield, there is a black square in the upper left corner which symbolizes Okonkwo’s honor. “And so although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time. Age was respected among his people but achievement was revered.” Okonkwo was an accomplished man and he was honored because of his courage, strength, and wealth. However, the color black symbolizes his tragic death. Although he was successful, he committed suicide which is considered “an abomination for a man to take his own life.” The black square in the upper left corner summarizes his life best showing that although he lived an honored and respected life, he died in such a way where his body was untouchable by his clansmen. In the middle, there is an arm to represent Okonkwo’s hardworking and industrious personality. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, lived a meaningless life which resulted in Okonkwo starting his life with nothing: no wife, no barn, and no title. “But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous life.” From the very beginning, Okonkwo had his life planned out and decided that he did not want to follow his father’s footsteps. He became a prosperous farmer, a famous wrestler, a strong warrior and received three wives, …show more content…
In Umuofia and other villages, he was known as “the greatest wrestler and warrior alive.” He defeated Amalinze the Cat, showed capability in two wars, and was always prepared to fight.
The third symbol, the horse, represents Okonkwo’s dignity. “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” Even though Okonkwo enjoyed Ikemefuma’s presence, his pride overcame him and he didn’t want to show his fondness of Ikemefuma because showing “affection was a sign of weakness (and) the only thing worth demonstrating was (his) strength.” His dignity was more important than his feelings for Ikemefuma and he did the same to his son, Nwoye when he converted.
The last symbol, a ram, symbolizes Okonkwo’s leadership and authority in his family. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand.” Unlike his father, Unoka, he took authority in his family and made sure his children grew up to be strong and successful like him. Although Nwoye did not follow his father’s path, Okonkwo did attempt to raise him to be a strong man by telling him war stories, having him prepare yams at a young age, and scolding him when he cried or when he became lazy. Beatings and scolding were Okonkwo’s way of ruling his family and he didn’t care whether it was a sacred week or