To secure his manliness, Okonkwo believes that he should beat members of his family (Nwoye, Ikemefuna, Ojiugo, and his wives) and that he should ridicule men who remind him of his father — even for slight annoyances. Although he may inwardly experience emotions of affection and regret, he cannot show these emotions to others, so he isolates himself through extreme actions.
Two more examples of traditional wisdom are used when talking about Okonkwo:
"Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble." This proverb means that a man whose success is a result of luck must not forget that he has faults. Okonkwo, however, had "cracked them himself," because he overcame poverty not through luck, but through hard work and determination.
"When a man says yes, his chi says yes also." This Igbo proberb implies that a man's actions affect his destiny as determined by his chi. Okonkwo's chi is considered "good," but he "[says] yes very strongly, so his chi [agrees]." In other words, Okonkwo's actions to overcome adversity seem justified, but because he is guided by his chi, his denial of kindness, gentleness, and affection for less successful men will prove self-destructive. (The chi itself is somewhat ambiguous. Review the discussion of chi in the Analysis for Chapter 3.)
The end of the chapter refers to Ikemefuna's favorite story about "the ant [who] holds his court in splendor and the sands dance forever." Watch for this story to reappear under tragic circumstances.
