This grass hut was known as an obi to the people of Umuofia. This is where Okonkwo lived, basically because he was the leader. The obi was considered to be one of the nicer places to live. Some people even thought that the obi was housing for the wealthy as well. The women would come from their housing to serve the man of the house, which was the husband. If they didnt come on time or didnt come at all, their would be a punishment, like a beating for instance. The man of the house hold did not like to wait and wanted to be treated like he was king.
This picture is what we think Oknokwo looked like. This resembles his personality and attitude. The look on his face is a serious look and represents a leader. The outfit resembles that he was from a clan or tribe and he was like a warrior because he has a shield and weapons. Okonkwo wants to be a strong leader and nothing like his father because his father was known as lazy and weak. Okonkwo was known to be famous when he was younger because he threw the cat in during the wrestling match, which was an honor to all kids. Once he became older he became the leader of the clan and was known as a stong and unified leader. He was the total opposite of his father but he has more trouble in his life then his father had. Okonkwo also has 3 wives and children. He has a son who is nothing like him, but more like his father and that makes him very disappointed. His daughter, he wishes she was his son instead because she is strong just like him. Okonkwo is considered physically destructive and emotionally destructive as well. Okonkwo may have a succeeding life, but also faces troubles in his path.
This picture of fire is symbolic mostly to Okonkwo more than the people of Umuofia. To Umuofia, it means warmth and food because the fire gives them heat and also helps cook. To Okonkwo it may mean that but it also means something else to him. To Okonkwo it means destruction. It also represents who he is because it can symbolize his anger that he has. Okonkwo figures out that the one thing with fire is that it destroys everything it sees. It turns what was life into ash, so that nothing is left. In the end, Okonkwo's actions are taken over by the fire and it destroys him.
The gun symbolizes destruction as well as the fire. In an earlier chapter of Things Fall Apart, there is a scene where one of his wives says he doesnt know how to hunt and that gets him angrier than he already is. He then picks up the gun and just pulls the trigger. Luckily she wasnt harmed. Also there is another scene where he is sent to kill Ikemefuna and he shot him. After he had killed the one kid that was making his son seem stronger and also the one kid who was considered family, he felt horrible and felt like a women because all he did was sit around the house and weap about it. After time passed he got back to normal. The gun still represents destruction because of what happened with it.
