Okonkwo Tragic Flaw

Things Fall Apart is about the tragic flaw about Okonkwo and his Igbo traditions. Okonkwo wants to be known as a powerful man and not have any failures like his father. A tragic flaw is a secret weakness that brings out a downfall of the character or hero. The tragic flaw of Okonkwo is desiring to be masculine because he does not want to show weakness due to killing his adopted son, abusing his wife, and not being a coward like his father. Okonkwo is afraid of showing weakness to killing Ikemefuna. “My father, they have killed me!” (pg.27) Ikemefuna is yelling out to Okonkwo thinking that he will save him. As Ikemefuna screams for Okonkwo, Okonkwo runs toward him in fear and takes out his machete to kill him because he is afraid of being thought weak. Because okonkwo did not want to show weakness, he cuts down Ikemefuna to be masculine.
Okonkwo’s wife, Ojiugo goes out to her friend’s house to braid her hair. Okonkwo did not know that she was home and was wondering why it took so long for his wife to bring in his supper. He goes into the hut of his first wife’s, Nwoye’s mother and asks her “where is Ojiugo?”. (pg.16) He is trying find her because she is supposed to make dinner for him and the children. When Okonkwo finds out where Ojiugo is from Nwoye’s mother, he gets very angry and waits in Ojuigo’s hut till she returns. When she arrives home, he abuses her severely. By this, instead of being weak, he expresses his anger by being