TFAJournal+Michael



4/4/2010 I responded to Claire's question:

Q: What is it about Ezinma that leads Okonkwo to reveal his other facet – the caring father?
A: The narrator mentioned that Okonkwo always wished Ezinma was a son. Ezinma was a girl, however she had all the traits that Okonkwo wanted his children to have. Nwoye, the son, does not have traits such as courage or being industrious or smartness. This is why even though Ezinma is a girl and she will not get much opportunity in the society to shine, he wants to save her for anything, thus showing and making Okonkwo's caring traits and making him "the caring father".

**Respond to Michael’s Question** “is Okonkwo actually a nice person? If so, what made him to act so cold all the time?” Okonkwo is a actually a nice person and his love toward his child, Ezinma is revealed in chapter 9. He went into the bush to get materials for medicine and he makes a medicine with Ekwefi. If he wasn’t a nice person, then he wouldn’t care about Ezinma even though she is his daughter. He had to act so cold all the time because if he reveals his emotions beside anger, then he is being weak like a woman. To be a strong and tough man, he had to hide his emotions but after Ikemefuna died, Okonkwo started to express his emotions.