Final answer:
Okonkwo felt shame during his childhood because his father was referred to as an 'agbala' in the Igbo society, a term denoting a titleless man or a woman, which pushed him to seek success and titles to overcome this familial stigma.
Step-by-step explanation:
Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart feels a profound sense of shame during his childhood because his father is referred to as an 'agbala,' a term which is used to describe a woman or a man without titles. In Igbo society, prestige and recognition are closely associated with titles and achievements, something his father lacked due to his lack of success and titles. This leaves Okonkwo desperate to distance himself from his father's legacy and to build his own reputation on a foundation of strength, success, and title accumulation, unlike the perceived weakness and failure of his father.
Furthermore, in the Igbo culture, both men and women could achieve status and take titles, and women could even become 'male daughters' or 'female husbands' if they became powerful and wealthy. Okonkwo's father's inability to achieve any status not only reflected on him being regarded as an 'agbala' but also positioned Okonkwo at a lower status that he vehemently fought to overcome throughout his life.