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In the novel Things Fall Apart, why did Okonkwo feel masculine when he was drinking palm wine from the skull of someone he had killed?

Okonkwo is driven in everything he does to not be identified with his father. Okonkwo believes that his father's gentleness was really weakness, and his idleness was failure. From the time he was very young, a rage has boiled within him, and though it makes him harsh with his family, it has earned him a reputation as a fierce warrior. In battle, he has taken a number of trophies in the form of human skulls. To do so, in any case, but perhaps especially for Okonkwo, is an act of dominance. Not only has the person been overcome in battle, but now their corpse is desecrated, and the primary identifying feature (the head and face) is taken by their killer. It is truly a symbol of one person dominating another, even after death.


Okonkwo has kept these head-trophies as evidence of his prowess in battle, and on special occasions, he drinks wine from the first skull. We've already addressed the head-trophies as a form of dominance, but the act of drinking from the skull really lends depth to Okonkwo's attitude. It is an act of conspicuous consumption—drinking from the skull of a fallen enemy is a sign to others, and perhaps a reminder to himself, of what Okonkwo is capable of.


To Okonkwo, being manly is all about action and dominance, so drinking from a skull is a passive way of reminding others that he is a "real man."

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