He was afraid that he would resemble his father, Unoka. His greatest passion was to hate everything his father loved.
Okonkwo also strongly feared appearing weak. This led him to make poor decisions later in the book.
And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion - to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness.
He was afraid that he would resemble his father, Unoka. His greatest passion was to hate everything his father loved. Okonkwo also strongly feared appearing weak. This led him to make poor decisions later in the book.
Okonkwo's greatest fear is to become a man like his father, a lazy drunkard with loads of debt, in disrepute with the rest of the village, but still able to charm people enough to lend him money. In order to counter this, he attempts to be the hardest working, manliest, and most respected man in his village. He obeys all of the village's leaders.
his fear of being like his father
Uchendu calls Okonkwo a child to highlight his lack of understanding and immaturity in handling his emotions and decisions. Uchendu believes that Okonkwo is acting out of fear and stubbornness, rather than wisdom and rationality. By calling him a child, Uchendu emphasizes Okonkwo's need for growth and introspection.
Nwoye initially felt fear and intimidation in response to Okonkwo's confrontations. However, as time passed, Nwoye began to distance himself from his father's harshness and eventually disassociated himself from Okonkwo and his beliefs.
"[Unoka] was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat." "But [Okonkwo's] whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. . . . It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. . . ." "Unoka loved . . . the first kites that returned with the dry season, and the children who sang songs of welcome to them." "If any money came [Unoka's] way . . . he immediately bought gourds of palm-wine, called round his neighbors and made merry." "Okonkwo is a strong, disciplined man but he cannot enjoy simple things in life." "And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion - to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved."
Hes afraid of women (his actually gay)
Okonkwo likely shivered because the last time Ezeudu visited him, he predicted that Okonkwo would have a severe loss, which was later confirmed when Okonkwo's gun exploded, accidentally killing Ezeudu's son. This memory would have triggered fear and anxiety in Okonkwo, as it reminded him of his impending misfortune.
the fear of society
alice coach mans greatest fear is hoping not to die
Okonkwo thought his father Unoka was a shameful man because he was lazy, effeminate, a large debtor, drunkard, and a poor farmer. His father held no titles and was thus called an agbala. Unoka was also not a warrior, preferring instead to play the flute. He was not well respected in any of the villages. Because of this, Okonkwo was ashamed of his father, and did not wish to become like him. He did his best to flee from the shadow of his father.