Member-only story
In My Father’s Shadow
A short story of toxic traits
Whenever he saw a dead man’s mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in one’s lifetime
~ Unoka (Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe)
My interest in the deeper psychological attachments between children and parents was rekindled by re-reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe sometime in my 20s. I’d first read the book in my early teens but the character dynamics so expertly presented by the genius Achebe wasn’t as apparent back then.
The unforgettable protagonist — Okonkwo, is a tragic hero that spends his whole life trying not to become his father — Unoka, who was perceived as a weakling, a man of pleasure, and a low life. In return for Okonkwo’s brute strength - an antithesis of his father’s tainted legacy, he becomes the village wrestling champion, he attains great wealth and earns a seat at the table with the respected elders of his village.
Unfortunately, strains of the same character flaws that besmirched his father’s legacy showed up in Okonkwo too, albeit expressed differently. By choosing to be strong, Okonkwo became rigid, and like his father, when life forced him to bend he shattered.
