A commonly used rhetorical device, irony is a needed part of any writing. Irony is a method of humorous or subtly sarcastic expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense. Irony takes several forms, such as dramatic or situational. In the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, all these forms of irony are used numerous times throughout the retelling of the epic saga of Umuofia's fate and the struggle of its tragic hero, Okonkwo. The whole tale is one of many hidden subtleties; from the seemingly harmless implementation of the new Christian religion in to Ibo culture, to the foreshadowed conversion of Nwoye, to the unseen role of women in society, the story's words are almost exactly opposite of its true meaning and value that it plays in the Ibo culture. The emergence of irony's several forms in the story exposes that below the surface, there lies a hidden deeper meaning.
             Irony in the story can first be seen in the fulfillment of the Christian religion's plans on establishing itself deep within the cultures of the Ibo and also of many other African tribes, especially in the case of Okonkwo and his son Nwoye. Throughout their lives, Okonkwo has always regretted having Nwoye and Nwoye has always had a great feeling of hate towards his father. He has great respect, but does not take pleasure in the ways that his father tries to show his strength. Okonkwo believes that the only way to live his life is to be strong. Many are opposed to his ways and contradict his reactions.
             "...it is a reflection of Okonkwo's failure to seek balance between the manly virtues and the womanly virtues as understood in Umuofia, that each of the disasters that afflicts him can be seen as a crime against the earth...this is Okonkwo's tragic flaw: he is a man who lives in a culture that requires a balance between 'masculine' and 'femi...