Is It Common for Powerful Leaders to Own Blemished Characters?

Leadership.

Is it common for powerful leaders to own blemished characters? This is a very interesting question with an even more interesting answer. In most cases no but in this, yes it is. Okonkwo is a perfect example of this. In the book Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo has some flawed characters such as him being rude, aggressive, intimidating, prideful, and cocky. These are all apart of Okonkwo’s character, unfortunately they are flaws. These flaws are what makes Okonkwo the strong character he is. Okonkwo is this way to make his family stronger.

Okonkwo is the way he is because he cares. He does not want to be the same type of man his dad was. He desires to line an honest example for his family. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was a lazy man. Unoka was in so much debt and he owed a lot of people a lot of things. Unoka was disgraced among the village people. Okonkwo wanted a different life. He wanted to teach his children to be independent at a young age. Okonkwo wanted his kids to have a better life than him.

Okonkwo is a successful, well-respected member of the Umuofia clan. Even though Okonkwo is powerful and strong, most of his worry lies within. Okonkwo’s biggest fear is being like his father. Much the way Okonkwo reacts has to do with his desire to be different than Unoka. This means that Okonkwo tries to work hard, give for his family, be brave, and be the man he needs to be. As a result, Okonkwo’s becomes known in many ways – he becomes terribly flush, holds a high-ranked position within the community, has three wives, and is known for his skill as a wrestler and warrior.

Okonkwo’s fear of being like his father is what sets him on edge. His worry of being feminine leads him to beat his wives, be emotionally distant from his kids, and to disown his oldest son. This affects his community because now the Umuofia clan relies on Okonkwo to do most of the tough work. Okonkwo spent a great deal of time building up his reputation. Okonkwo planned to keep the reputation even if it meant beating his third wife during the Week of Peace in Chapter 4.

Okonkwo also beats his second wife in Chapter 5 (p.34). Okonkwo was acknowledged throughout the nine villages and even on the far side. His fame is rested on solid personal achievements. At the age