"Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did no inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit" (Achebe 16).
"Individuality is a threat to a harmonious society."
Unlike typical young men of his tribe, Okonkwo did not receive the luxuries that most young men inherited from their father as they grew up. Okonkwo had to gain these luxuries on his own through hard work and dedication. Because of his setbacks given to him by his father, Okonkwo faced many difficulties and struggles in life. These setbacks are possibly the reason behind his lack of emotion and his constant need to lay down an iron fist. Many people in our day and age have things handed over to them whether it be money, a new car, clothes, etc. But within our society you will sometimes come across a person who has earned their luxuries not from their parents, but through their own hard work, because they too, like Okonkwo lack a strong backbone (parents with money). People like these are essential to our society because they teach us that not everything can be handed over to you. Hard work is key to success and without this knowledge the rate of success among people within our society or society in general would be very low.
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