Throughout history, men and women of all races, creeds, and time periods have lived in fear of becoming something that they are inevitably fated to become. The laws of science and logic show us that genetics make us resemble and act like our parents before us, but the resistance of this truth brings upon a life of hardship and hatred inexplicable to those who have never felt that degree of hatred. Okonkwo is one of these unfortunate few who seethe with hatred for a man he hardly knew, but a man nonetheless who is his father. .
Unoka, Okonkwo's father, was lazy, gentle, and incredibly poor. And so growing up, Okonkwo decides that he will assume entirely opposite qualities from his father. Okonkwo, then, becomes violent, courageous, and very wealthy. When he begins to see his father's qualities within his own son, Nwoye, he begins to distress that is not indeed "like father, like son," but, "like grandfather, like grandson." You see, Okonkwo's ultimate goal is to be opposite his father. So he adopts all things seen as "manly" and refutes emotion and anything resembling "softness" such as music which his father enjoyed so much. Okonkwo is relieved when his son begins to become manlier under the influence of his newly adopted son named Ikemefuna. A disturbing prophecy is made about Ikemefuna, and so one of the village elders informs Okonkwo that Ikemefuna must be killed, but it must not be Okonkwo that performs the murder. After chasing the boy to an area where Okonkwo is, the murderers" presence encourages Okonkwo to appear more manly in there eyes by killing Ikemefuna himself, despite the prophecy. At the funeral, tension and evil build upon itself as Okonkwo shoots the village elder's son and is sentenced to exile for seven years. At the end of his exile, Okonkwo returns to find that missionaries of church have invaded his tribal area and converted many members of the tribe.
