Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible both have strong father figures that often misunderstand the world around them. Nathaniel and Okonkwo want what is best for those around them, and both think what they see as right are the only correct views. While Okonkwo will take matters into his own hands physically, Nathan will often fail to understand why someone is not doing what he tells them to do. Okonkwo will kill when he feels threatened; for example, he killed Ikemefuna in cold blood to prove his worth, and killed the guard to protect what he thought was the right way of the tribe. In contrast, Nathan will stand by, watching, wondering why things did not go as he planned. With the baptisms, when no one would tell him what was holding everyone back, Nathaniel became frustrated with everyone, as he could only see that no one was cooperating. This infuriated him, but he did not act physically violent to the general population; instead, he internalized his anger and struck out within his own family. This shows a difference in character between Nathan and Okonkwo: one is brash and unassuming, while the other iswilling to keep a facade at the expense of his family. Both men are deeply troubled in populations that try to understand their misguided good intentions.
Like Okonkwo, Nathan feels that "womanly" actions and thoughts are shallow and incorrect. The two agree that feminine deeds should be reprimanded and discounted. However, Nathan takes this distaste a step further, punishing his wife and children routinely to drive home how wrong they are just for being alive and acting of their own accord. Being slow, overemotional, or simply disagreeing with his point of view evokes Nathaniel's wrath, which he inflicts without remorse or thought to their mental or physical wellbeing. Possibly as a result of previous trauma, Nathan feels that it is his duty to teach his family that they are innately wrong and will need to repent forever for what they were born as. If Leah were a boy, her affections would probably not have gone unnoticed or ignored by Nathan. Rather, he would probably rejoice in the enormity of her devotion. Alas, he writes her off as a foolish girl who should not be given any thought, which drives her away. This aversion may also stem from his cowardice during his service in Vietnam. Some other men most likely called this move something a lowly woman would do, and he took this joking insult to heart. Forever and ever, he would punish his women, whether physically or with The Verse, for simply being born the way that they were. This failure of character on his part, not seeing the value in femininity, greatly diminishes his relationships with those closest to him. His strong feelings against all things womanly stem from his own insecurities, causing him to not appreciate all the beauty and power around him.
You raised a lot of very good points here about both Nathan and Okonkwo's characters. To make these points stronger, though, a bit more of the "so what?" factor might be needed: you make a lot of good points, but why are they crucial to the story as a whole? Some more textual evidence might help with this, too. In any case, this is already a strong analysis; good job!
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