Things Fall Apart Analysis

A detailed Summary of Things Fall Apart Analysis

In "Things Fall Apart," by Chinua Achebe the protagonist Okonkwo, represents the classical tragic hero who must undergo many sacrifices in order to atone for his sinful actions. Okonkwo fits this title for he has many of the same aspects of a tragic hero. Although there are many characteristics, which define him as a tragic hero, the outcome actually reflects his personae as being more of a sacrificial scapegoat.

Okonkwo has a very distinct sense of hubris - overbearing pride or presumption - which is conveyed through his "manly actions." These manly actions and his inability to adapt with the coming of the white man is his hamartia, the character flaw which embodies his image of tragic hero that in turn leads to his downfall. As presented by Aristotle, and by Achebe, one of these flaws is Okonkwo's quickness to anger - usually from his family's disobedience. This infatuation with obedience and hard work is a direct ramification of Okonkwo's childhood and his animosity towards his father. Unoka, his father, was lazy, improvident, and could not plan for the future. Thus when his father dies deeply in a drunken debt, and leaves no inheritance for Okonkwo, Okonkwo knows that he must work himself to the fullest to

As can be expected, Okonkwo's inner incompetence eventually got the best of him. Okonkwo's fear of weakness continued to compel him to take action in areas that required thought before action. This can be seen in his final attempt to flee weakness - his suicide. Okonkwo was not happy with his return to his native land. The return was not one of a warrior and his clan had undergone many changes that caused Okonkwo to see the clan as "soft like women" (Ch. 21, Page 129). Okonkwo's lack of control over his fears and anger came into play again when he retaliated against the court messenger and brought upon himself consequences that he could not bare - public arrest by the white man, another sign of weakness. Instead of facing the consequences of his outburst, Okonkwo ends his own life - a life that had been riddled with inner shortcomings too hard for him to bear. Being like a constantly inflating balloon, Okonkwo eventually is overblown with instability and inability to cope and live up to his own standards. He felt nobody could sympathize with him and in turn he felt bad for himself and couldn't take it anymore. Sadly, this resulted in tragedy. Tragedy is an effective way to tell the story of the Ibo people because it allows readers to experience the situation in the story through serious struggles that can be learned

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Approximate Word count = 892
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Things Fall Apart Analysis

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