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If one considers the bigger picture, it is most accurate to say Achebe is ambivalent, or has mixed feelings about the traditions of the Ibo people.

There are examples of an admiring tone:

When Achebe describes Okonkwo and his family, the details he mentions stress the order and stability of their way of life. He stresses his “prosperity,” and the order it has created in his “a large compound enclosed by a thick wall of red earth.” Achebe describes the way Okonkwo’s obi “stood immediately behind the only gate in the red walls” and then describes the position of his wives’ huts, which are arranged around his. The description evokes a sense of order with Okonkwo as the head of the household. Okonkwo’s dominance over his wives and the family’s stability represent the stability and order of the community as a whole. Achebe suggests the positive side of this order, especially considering the fact that, by the end of the book, it will be gone.

There are examples of a critical tone:

The clan respects those who abide by its religious laws, one of which is that “those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.” The author reveals what he thinks of this particular law when he says “But it was not really true that Okonkwo’s palm-kernels had been cracked for him by a benevolent spirit. He had cracked them himself… If ever a man deserved his success, that man was Okonkwo.” Achebe contradicts the clan’s thinking by suggesting a man is capable of shaping his own destiny, that he is not at the mercy of the gods. His commentary indicates he is familiar with the ways of the clan, but has enough distance from it to be critical of it.

There are also examples of an objective or detached tone:

When Achebe writes about the cases of misogyny among the Ibo people, he does not insert he opinion. Take the following case, where Okonkwo gets mad at one of his wives for questioning him: "Do what you are told, woman," Okonkwo thundered, and stammered. "When did you become one of the ndichie of Umuofia?" And so Nwoye's mother took Ikemefuna to her hut and asked no more questions.” He reports on the submission of the women in the clan without commentary, suggesting detachment and objectivity. However, we ought to take into consideration that Achebe includes several examples of misogyny in the book. By bringing it up, he is suggesting it is important. Although he doesn’t directly comment on whether he agrees or disagrees with the way women are treated, the fact that Okonkwo is eventually brought to his knees suggests that in a sense he does pay for his attitudes and beliefs.

Questions

1. How is Okonkwo punished in Parts Two and Three of the novel? Does he get in trouble because of a lack of humility a lack of respect for tradition? Does he get in trouble because of a lack of respect for women? Explain.