Often, the same result can be achieved through different methods. This is the case with Okonkwo from Things Fall Apart and Nathan from The Poisonwood Bible. These two leader/father figures share many traits: drive, individualism, a need for control and dominance. They also share a hatred of women. These traits can be traced to different experiences and circumstances, but shame links them together.
Okonkwo's incredible drive stems from the shame he feels because of his father. Growing up under man that his society considered weak, breaking free from that familial association and proving himself strong and worthy is probably the largest motivator for Okonkwo. It drives his individualism as well. Okonkwo's need to impress his society is partly responsible for his misogyny as well. He lives in a culture where a man is expected to have complete control over his wives, and if he does not he is deemed weak. It's possible that Okonkwo's drive to be seen as strong contributes to his horrid treatment of his wives. In the end, it all comes back to shame of his father and fear of being weak.
Nathan Price has quite a bit of shame as well. His, however, is not familial. He feels shame that his comrades were killed in a battle that he should have been in. He funnels this frustration into his religion. Nathan's hatred of women likely stems partially from the Bible and American culture. There may be an association of feminine attributes with weakness as well, however, and this could fuel that hatred as well. Fear of weakness is ever present in Nathan's life, and this seems to manifest in his belief that God is constantly judging. Nathan is truly a God-fearing man.
In my opinion, the similarities in the overall personalities of Nathan and Okonkwo are numerous. They both treat the women around them terribly, and they justify their actions through external mediums. They're both incredibly motivated through negative emotions and seek control. Though the impetuses behind their actions are somewhat different, the results are essentially the same.
I like this post a lot! It's organized well. Your introduction dives right into the comparing and contrasting. I like the very detailed background you give for both why they hate women and how it shaped them to become who they are. I think Nathan needs a little more for why he thinks of women as weak. But overall a great post!
ReplyDeleteI like how you included both personal and cultural/societal influences in the development of the two characters. The idea that shame brings the aggressive actions as a coping mechanism is an interesting application to these characters. I wish you had gone into more detail or given some examples from the novels of the similarities between the two characters to strengthen the comparison part of your post. I like the organization and consistency of your post. Well done!
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