Things Fall Apart A Tragedy

A detailed Summary of Things Fall Apart A Tragedy

Outline for essay over Things Fall Apart

Thesis: Achebe defines Things Falls Apart as a tragedy through Okonkwo, who is a tragic hero, and by the pity and fear aroused in the reader.

A. Author's last name and Book title

B. Aristotle's definition of tragedy

C. Function of a tragedy, according to Aristotle

A. Okonkwo is high-ranking -- part of the egwugwus (87-94)

B. Okonkwo is dignified - Wrestled and won "The Cat" (3)

C. Courageous - went many times into battle and "earned his first head" (54)

3. Wisdom gained - realized he must adapt, but cannot--so he hangs himself

A. The people do not like Okonkwo for his treatment of less successful men (26).

C. Okonkwo beats Nwoye, due to his attraction to the Christian faith.(148-153)

A. When Okonkwo learns that Ikemefuna must die, the reader fears that he will die, and how he will end up dying. (87)

B. When the priestess says that Agbala wishes to speak to Enzima, we wonder (also due to Ekwefi's fear)

C. Fear is aroused when the conflict develops bet

ween Okonkwo and Nwoye over the argument of Nwoye's desire to be a Christian

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1959.

In conclusion, Achebe has thoroughly revealed Things Falls Apart as a tragedy with his tragic hero, Okonkwo, and by the pity and fear aroused in the reader; therefore, Achebe successfully and accurately fulfills Aristotle's definition of a tragedy.

Elements of Literature: Fourth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehert, 1993. 796.

Achebe aroused pity, one of things Aristotle says must be in a tragedy, in his readers through the events he placed in his book. In the very beginning chapter four, an "old man" who "bore no ill will" toward Okonkwo, and "respected" him for his good fortune was "struck" by the "brusqueness" Okonkwo had when dealing with "less successful men" (26). In the previous week, an unsuccessful man had "contradicted" him at a "kindred" meeting, held to discuss important matters (27). "Without looking" at whoever this man was, Okonkwo called out to him: "This meeting is for men" because the man "had no titles" (26), reveling Okonkwo's harsh behavior. Okonkwo "knew how to kill a man's spirit", which was, perhaps, foreshadowing of how he killed Ikemefuna (61). This was another deeply pitying event, on behalf of not only Ikemefuna, because he dies, of course, but also on behalf of Okonkwo, whose pride causes him to kill his own son arousing pity for the man. Further inflicting pity is the fact that not only did Okonkwo commit the act of killing his adopted son, but also that it was done because Okonkwo has so much prideful fear of looking week. Near the middle of chapter seventeen Okonkwo learns that Nwoye, his son, is

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Approximate Word count = 1144
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels