Fathers Influence and Failed Dreams: A Comparative Analysis of Things Fall Apart and Death of a Salesman

Abstract

Comparison Essay: Things Fall Apart and Death of a Salesman The relationship between a father and son can often be described as an experience full of pain and liberation. Fathers perceive that children ought to grow up like them despite their negative paternal influence, creating controversy on being successful and living a good life. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are historical fiction that depicts their paternal influence's complexity. Okonkwo and Willy have negative perceptions of success. Okonkwo believed success is characterized by violence and masculinity, and Willy thinks of a well-liked businessman as being successful. Okonkwo has a very strained relationship with his father, Unoka, and ended up adopting opposite ideals. There is intense friction between Willy Loman and his son Biff. Biff is a traitor of his father’s expectations, and Willy believes that his son has let him down on the verge of achieving the American dream. Unoka was a failure and a debtor while Willy was a salesman, and both their sons had no interest in their father's envision for them. Nwoye Okonkwo’s son depicts Unoka’s character leading to Okonkwo disowning him. Within the play Death of a Salesman and the novel Things Fall Apart, the Authors utilize characterization to illustrate the failures within a father-son relationship. Every father has that ideal expectation of his children, especially his sons. They believe that their behavior and successes reflect their identity, reputation, and wellbeing. Unoka was not such a good father as he was regarded as a debtor, lazy, coward, and a failure in the Igbo community. Okonkwo had no barn to inherit from his lazy father, and he was always ashamed to be associated with him. He believed being successful is battling for the community and working hard. He strived to overshadow his father’s bad reputation. Unoka feared wars and could not stand blood. Okonkwo established a significant title in the Igbo culture by beating Amalinze, the unbeaten cat, for seven years in a wrestling contest. Okonkwo expected his son Nwoye to follow in his footsteps as a hardworking man, but he failed as his Nwoye took Unoka’s lousy character, which made him disown him. Willy pushes his son to pursue the American dream. He believes he is a perfect example of the American dream. Willy was always opposed to his father’s idea of becoming a salesman. Willy did not pay attention to his son Happy and continuously ignored him. He always treated him second-best, pushing Happy to have a desire to please him. He did not lay any expectations on him and continually laid his eyes on his favorite son Biff. Both authors show fathers' expectations and desire to emulate them in their path of success. Willy, Unoka, and Okonkwo were all fathers, and their character and expectations influenced their sons’ lives.  Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, was twelve years old but was already causing his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness. At any rate, that was how it looked to his father, and he sought to correct him by constant nagging and beating. And so Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth (Achebe 13-14). Okonkwo’s relationship with Unoka affected the way he treated his son Nwoye. Okonkwo could see too much Unoka in him and disowned him as his son. By abusing and disowning his son, Okonkwo established a new trend in his family father son detest in his family. Unoka’s character influenced how Okonkwo raised his son. Unoka’s bad reputation played a role in stirring Okonkwo out of cowardice,...