okonkwo-a tragic hero
The novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe introduces an interesting character named Okonkwo. Okonkwo lived a life full of contradiction. His main goal in life was to never give up until he was successful and achieved everything he wanted, but then he ended up committing suicide in the end. Okonkwo can be thought of as a tragic hero. He has quality characteristics about him that everyone admires, such as his bravery, strength, and his desire to succeed. His fear of becoming like his father gave him this desire to succeed, and consistently motivated him to progress through life. However, he was always held back by his tragic flaw, being his inability to accept change. Okonkwo's motivation to succeed was driven by fear. When his father, Unoka, died, he left Okonkwo with nothing. Unoka was thought of as a coward, and Okonkwo also feared that he would be thought of the same way. So in turn, having a failure as a father was just the thing Okonkwo needed to become successful in his own life. Achebe says, "He was possessed by the fear of his father's contemptible life and shameful death" (18; ch. 3) Okonkwo's success was based on his material acquisition and growth, and his power. When Okonkwo was still just a b
He feels very sorry for this, but cannot show his true emotions. On the surface it would seem that Okonkwo was driven by success, however, it can also be seen that Okonkwo was driven by fear, fear of becoming like his father, and in that absolute fear he made it happen. The pot fell and broke in the sand. Okonkwo's fatal flaw was his inability to accept change. He was afraid of being thought weak. When speaking of Egonwanne, the town crier, Okonkwo states "The greatest obstacle in Umuofia is that coward, Egonwanne. He was too caught up in proving himself to others, to really look at what he needed for himself. 7) In Okonkwo's mind, he must not be seen by the other villagers as weak. When everyone else was too afraid to go to war with the white men, Okonkwo was not. He is the one who hung himself, not the society. His physical strength was valued as an element of his success. This is shown when the Oracle of the Hill deems that Ikemefuma must die, but not by Okonkwo's hand, since he calls him father. This offers the reader a clear picture of the type of man Okonkwo was, very driven and determined to succeed. His anger almost causes him to kill his second wife with a gun.
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