Okonkwo sees his father's gentleness as a feminine trait. He works hard to be as masculine as possible in order to be the opposite of his father and to overcome the shame his father brought to his family. Okonkwo deals with this struggle throughout the book, hiding the intense fear of weakness behind a masculine facade (Nnoromele 149). To appear masculine, he is often violent. In his desire to be judged by his own worth and not that of his effeminate father, Okonkwo participates in the murder of a boy he considers his son, even though his friends and other respected members of the tribe do so. advise him against it. (Hoegberg 71). Even after Ikamefuna's murder, Okonkwo hides his feelings of sadness because emotions are feminine for him. He goes so far as to ask himself “when did you become a shivering old woman” (Achebe 65), while he is inwardly grieving. The dramatic irony of Okonkwo's secret fears will open the reader's eyes to the importance of gender identity to him. This theme is also presented in Okonkwo's children. He views his eldest son, Nwoye, as feminine because he does not like to work as hard as his father (Stratton 29). When Nwoye finally joins the Christian church, Okonkwo sees him as even more feminine. On the other hand, that of Okonkwo