The Power Of Fear In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Fear is something that men and women everywhere are faced with; the fear of failure, the fear of weakness, and the fear of being alone. In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, fear controls not only the life of Okonkwo, but also the fallout of the clan. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe uses a fearful tone toward Okonkwo and his need for power by using imagery that suggests fear is the catalyst for destruction and failure. The life of Okonkwo is driven by the need to exceed, whether it the harvest of his yams, or how many wives he has. His greatest fear is ending up like his father, Unoka, who shamed Okonkwo by being very unsuccessful. Okonkwo states “When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt… Fortunately, among these people a man was not judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father. Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things” (8). This quote shows how at even a young age Okonkwo is humiliated by his father’s failures and lack of titles. He longs for a well-developed reputation, and always makes sure everyone knows his name and title. Okonkwo doesn’t want to die a shameful death or have his name be ruined.
First, his own son Nowye shames him by turning to the church and abandoning his family, then Okonkwo gets banished from his village, Umuofia, for seven years for the accidental death of a clansman. Everything he fears starts to become a reality. In the end, he is not only disgraced by his clan for showing a lack of bravery, but he has also shamed himself by not being with them in their time of need. Fear ends up destroying everything Okonkwo worked so hard to