A comment on Okonkwo’s suicide in TFA
Things Fall Apart is by far considered a classic model of tragedy, it can be compared to other tragedies such as Macbeth and Hamlet, due to the main character in the story; Okonkwo, who happends to be the tragic hero, which is by definition someone who lives a downfall or a tragic, not only because he is evil or a bad person, but as well because of a quality in him that brings him to his fate; fear, love, or even pride. This essay will discuss the analysis of Okonkwo’s character, and the reasons behind his downfall. Okonkwo is the protagonist in Chinua Achebe’s TFA, in his thirties he is the leader of Igbo community of Umuofia, the writer describes him as “Tall and huge man with bushy eyebrows and a wide nose that gives him a very severe look, when Okonkwo walks he feels his feet barely touch the ground, like he walks on springs”. He is known as a wrestler, warrior and a successful farmer as well and a hard worker, therefore he is intolerable towards idleness. Okonkwo is well known for his temper and lack of patience, quick to anger and arrogant sometimes as he refuses to listen to what others believe as a correction of his actions. Okonkwo as described in the novel is in constant fear to be anything like his father, he hated everything that reminded it of Unoka, and he is in a never ending battle against failure, weakness and fear. This made him commit mistakes and get into trouble, as he once offended the Igbo community, got exiled for killing a kid by mistake for seven years, and he deliberately killed Ikemefuna following the Oracle’s orders and refusing the advice of letting someone else do it, some say he did it for he wanted to hold no grudge against that person, some say it’s another try of him to prove he is not weak nor afraid. Another important incident related to the British coloniser that brought Christianity to their community, Okonkwo could not tolerate this, and considered it harming the Igbo community, and again he made a mistake, a hasty one, Okonkwo killed a messenger of the British office. Therefore, his people lost faith in him, and he felt he no longer has the support of his clansmen. Okonkwo was found hanged a while after that, what a shameful end just like his father’s.
Okonkwo’s story was a representation of his society, culture, and traditions. The Change that the coloniser brought under the name of civilization and education was not accepted to him, he tried fiercely to protect his community, however he failed, and by that the whole Ibo society failed, and met a very sad fate eventually.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Throughout the novel, Things Fall Apart, many characters played an important role. But the most prominent role played was by Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a completely self made individual that against all odds, rose to the challenge of life. No matter what life threw at him, he always met that challenge with brute force and determination. However, never did Okonkwo imagine that his downfall would be because of his own tragic flaw. Okonkwo's violent and rash nature made him difficult to work with and gave people the wrong image of who he was. He was so distracted by trying to be anyone other than his father that he lost himself along the way.…
- 258 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
One of the characteristics that is common amongst tragic heroes is how valued and respected they are. In the village of Umoufia, Okonkwo is one of the most respected men who has gained his fame and respect from his own personal achievements. The narrator introduces this fact in the beginning of the book, stating: “Okonkwo…
- 579 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Okonkwo owes his great success to his unrelenting warrior character, but when his culture begins to fade away and he does not change, it is also his downfall. From the beginning of the story, Okonkwo bases his entire personality…
- 687 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was extremely lazy and sickly, while Okonkwo was constantly active and seen with respect throughout the tribe. Unoka had one wife and no title, which showed his lowly importance in the tribe. Unoka was weak and couldn’t support his family, which causes Okonkwo to start working at a young age, so he could take care his family. “Unoka, the grown-up, was a failure. He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat.” Okonkwo lived in constant fear of failure. Okonkwo didn’t like showing emotions, unless it was anger. He ruled his household with a heavy hand and with constant threats to his many wives. “His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.…
- 156 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Okonkwo, one of the most powerful men in Umuofia, is feared and honored. For example, "Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond… He had brought honor to his tribe by throwing Amalinze the Cat"(3). In the Igbo culture, power and fame is established by fighting and wrestling. Okonkwo does not want anyone to think that he is weak and as a result he turns into the most famous and dreaded…
- 688 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Okonkwo was born the son of a white master and African mistress the son of a priestess the son of a rich man the son of a failure 5. In his youth, Okwonko gained fame in a boxing match, where he beat a boxer called the Fox in a wrestling match, where he beat a wrestler called the Cat in the Festival of the New Yam, when he played the flute in a clan meeting, where he argued eloquently for peace 6. Okonkwo's father was named Ikemefuna Obierika Unoka Nwoye 7. Okonkwo has two wives four wives one wife three wives 8. Okonkwo is driven to extreme behaviors in part because he is the chief of his clan he was abused as a child he is terrified of failure he is a fanatical Christian 9.…
- 3934 Words
- 21 Pages
Good Essays -
Okonkwo is a well-respected man and warrior of Umuofia who rose from poverty and descended to destitution. As a boy Okonkwo was able to work hard and gain status, at his height he was progressively disgraced by a series of his own actions and banished from the tribe for several years. After returning Okonkwo gained some traction in his village but was imprisoned and died disgracefully through suicide. The most harmful event in his personal tragedy is the accidental murder of a clansman which led to his exile.…
- 856 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart Okonkwo was flawed like every full blood human to walk the earth. He wasn’t perfect but he had an overall character of good. He was known through Umuofia as a hard worker and good provider. From the outside it may not look like Okonkwo cares for his family but deep down he really does. Okonkwo was a good man because he could provide for his family. He came from nothing, his father was worthless but he still achieved and “had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife”(8). He was a good man with a great work ethic and wasn’t scared to stick by his words:“I am not afraid to work”(21). He worked hard at everything he did. Deep down Okonkwo cared for his family. Okonkwo let Ikemefuna…
- 237 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
He was masculine, hardworking, reputable, and wealthy. He didn't want to be like his father, a failure. Okonkwo believed his father was a failure because the man was very lazy, disgraceful, and poor. Over the years in his village it was said by the elders, “...if a child washed his hands...and so he ate with the kings.” This quote indirectly characterizes Okonkwo, displaying how he knew what he had to do if he wanted to be a great hero, furthermore developing his character as a young man. Towards the end of the novel one can imagine Okonkwo as a tragic hero because, like other tragic heroes, he has one major flaw. His main flaw develops from his fear of being like father, whom he dispised. He as well can't display his emotions because he doesn't want to look weak or sissyish, and when he does show any emotion, it is an uncontrollable rage. As a result of his flaws, Okonkwo has suffered countless tragedies, which ultimately leads to his ironic death. Okonkwo's tragedy was due to many things that happened in Umuofia, but the main reason was the arrival of the white missionaries, “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” (chpt. 20). Okonkwo says this, due to his…
- 778 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Rather than being crushed by his father’s legacy, Okonkwo followed a single “passion - to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved” (Achebe 13). Thus, Okonkwo gained the desire and mindset to maintain the rendition of an ideal successful Igbo man. Even though “It was slow and painful…he threw himself into it like one possessed.” (Achebe 18). Through the motivation of…
- 831 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In doing this, he disrespects everything that his father, Unoka, believed in and stood for before he passed away. Unoka was cowardly, idle, gentle, lazy, always borrowing money and never repaying it back and a skilled flute player who was interested in music. In light of this, “Okonkwo consciously adopts opposite ideals and becomes productive, wealthy, thrifty, brave, violent, and adamantly opposed to music and anything else that he perceives to be ‘soft’, such as conversation and emotion” (SparkNotes ,web). Okonkwo becomes a well known person around the villages because of being a great warrior who was feared by many. He is one that possesses great strength and courage, especially as a warrior. He is described “as a young man of eighteen who had brought honour to his village by throwing the Amalinze the Cat,” who was a great warrior and was undefeated for seven years from Umofia to Mbaino. (Achebe 1.) Okonkwo has three wives and several children. He had the capacity to decide for others in the village and achieved a sense of authority in the village, even though it was only temporary. He was determined and resolute with regards his eminent willpower and was determined to not be like his lazy father. However, just as Okonkwo’s father was at odds with the values of his community, so too does Okonkwo find himself unable to adapt to the colonial transformation of his…
- 1533 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
First, one of Okonkwo’s major weak points was his family. He tried not to let it show, but he cared deeply for his family. For example, when Ikemefuna was introduced into Okonkwo’s life, Okonkwo immediately grew a stronger bond with Ikemefuna than he had with his real children. After raising Ikemefuna for three years, Okonkwo was told Ikemefuna must be killed. Not only did he agree to it but he took part in the brutal murder. On page 61, Achebe writes, “Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” Although he loved Ikemefuna like his own son, he killed Ikemefuna to avoid being thought of as weak by his fellow clansmen. Another example of Okonkwo’s weakness when it came to his family was when he followed Ekwefi, Enzima and Chielo to the shrine. He wanted to ensure his daughter and wife’s safety. On page 112, Achebe says, “He allowed what he regarded as a reasonable and manly interval to pass and then gone with his machete to the shrine.”…
- 709 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In another part of the story, Okonkwo is banished from his fatherland. This incident is the first where he is punished greatly for his actions. It marks a turning point in Okonkwo’s downfall, and therefore the downfall of the traditional culture that he stands for. His hopes and aspirations are almost forgotten while he is away from Umuofia, and he desperately tries to regain his status when he returns. During this period of time, Okonkwo also discovers that his son has converted to his enemy’s ways and beliefs. He abandons his son, and doesn’t want to be his father any longer. This shows that his relationships with family and…
- 458 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Okonkwo’s unwillingness to submit passively to the established order and values takes him down. He has triggered an idea in his mind about how he wants to be and the way he wants his wives and mainly his children to be like him or better than him (Ezinma). Another example is greatly reflected in this quote which says “As he looked into log fire he recalled the name. He was a flaming fire.” (Achebe 153) Achebe used the fire to symbolize how he had an enormous enthusiasm in the beginning of the book, but towards the end of the book the fire literally burned his fervent along with the tribe’s culture.…
- 563 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
After reading the novel, Things Fall Apart, you would probably wonder why Okonkwo is such a ruthless person? What drives the character? Iyanla Vanzant once said, “ parents are teachers, guides, leaders, protectors, and providers for their children.” We all know that parents greatly affect their children’s behavior. This is also true of Okonkwo, the way he acts is truly affected by his father. Okonkwo’s characteristic is totally opposite from those of his father, Unoka.…
- 944 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays