Question

How does Okonkwo perceive his first son, Nwoye, at the age of twelve, and what actions does Okonkwo take to address what he sees as Nwoye's incipient laziness, leading to the description of Nwoye developing into a sad-faced youth?

Answer 1

Okonkwo sees his son Nwoye as lazy and unmanly at age twelve and responds with strictness, leading Nwoye to become sad-faced due to conflict between his own personality and his father's ideals.

Step-by-step explanation:

Okonkwo, the protagonist of Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, perceives his first son, Nwoye, as displaying tendencies of laziness and a lack of manliness. By the age of twelve, Nwoye begins to exhibit a demeanor that Okonkwo finds worrisome, prompting a response from Okonkwo that is rooted in his fear of Nwoye inheriting the 'perceived weakness' of his own father. Okonkwo's solution to address these issues involves strictness and attempts to instill in Nwoye the values he believes a man should uphold. This results in Nwoye developing into a sad-faced youth, as he is caught between the traditional ideals of his father and his own emerging personality.