Heroes have existed all throughout history, whether in real life or in a novel. On the spectrum of heroes, they can range from epic heroes such as Odysseus and Hercules, who overcome many obstacles and succeed in the end of their stories, to tragic heroes such as Oedipus and Hamlet, who are brought down by a conflict or by their own weakness. Harry Potter could be defined as a hero, for he had faced many, many obstacles throughout his life and spent it fighting against an opposing force. In the end, he sacrificed himself but still succeeded and changed the lives of others for the better. Now, replace “Harry Potter” with “Okonkwo”. Does that still apply to the scenario in the same way? In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo plays the role…
What characteristics describe heroes? How can one tell a hero apart from an ordinary person? My definition of a hero is a person who will achieve their goals, no matter how difficult their situations are. A hero also needs to be motivational, kind, courageous, and strong at heart. A hero will do everything possible to live up to their beliefs and do the moral thing. Now, a new question arises: Is Okonkwo, the main character in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, a hero? Some might say that he’s a hero – after all, he is a powerful, prosperous, and well-respected man. Nevertheless, I believe that Okonkwo is not a hero; he doesn’t show the characteristics of being kind nor motivational. He doesn’t try his best to do the moral thing, and…
During the week of peace, “He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo’s return. And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace. His first two wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it was the sacred week. But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess”(29-30). Okonkwo rampages during the week of peace and beats his wife painfully. He does not want to appear weak in front of the other men and so he beats his wives and acts impulsively. Due to his fear of being seen as weak, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna "Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak." (61). The way he kills Ikemefuna shows that reputation is more important than a child’s life. Okonkwo's actions depict how anxiety has overtaken him. Rather than coping with his fear, he allows it to dominate him and drive his actions. Okonkwo's apprehension permits him to acquire respect from the Igbo society, simply because it persuades him to show improvement over any other…
From the way Okonkwo is with his family and others in the community, he is a self-made, well-respected member of the village, but also a ruthless person. For instance, “Okonkwo’s prosperity was visible in his household. He had a large compound enclosed... He worshipped them with sacrifices of kola nut, food and palm-wine, and offered prayers to them on behalf of himself, his three wives and eight children.” (14) From this quote, it is easy to see that Okonkwo is self-made person, and that’s probably the reason why he is well-respected in the village. Whereas, his father is such a lazy person. It actually talks about how others treat his father: “Even as a little boy he had resented his father's failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala. That was how Okonkwo first came to know that agbala was not only another name for a woman, it could also mean a man who had taken no title.”(13) He is probably shamed by what his father had done, that’s why he tried so hard to be rich. Moreover, there are a lot of examples that show Okonkwo is quite a ruthless person, but one of the best quotes is, “He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo’s return. And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week Of Peace. ”(29) Okonkwo treats very strict to his family, he even beat his wife during the Week of Peace without…
This relates to Things Fall Apart, in Chapter 2 because you can see that Okonkwo pressures his son, Nwoye, to be just like him. Okonkwo then finds Nwoye, to be very lazy and starts to beat him to “man him up” and make him tough like a man should be. Nwoye then becomes more attached to Ikemefuna, who shows care and comfort and becomes very distant and shows no interest in his father Okonkwo anymore.…
He didn't go through with the week of peace and he uses violence for everything. Okonkwo “broke the peace and was punished”(Achebe 29) He didn't follow the week of peace and decided to “beat his youngest wife just because she didn't get home early enough to cook the afternoon meal” (Achebe 29). He was so enraged and focused on beating his wife, he had forgotten the law. He lacked respect and fear to the earth goddess, the God in charge of the week of peace. He also lacked morals towards his own family. His short temper is what makes him not be a hero and gives Okonkwo less of a chance to gain people's sympathy. Furthermore, Okonkwo not only abuses women but he also hits his own young son. For example, when Nwoye found out his brother was dead he “burst into tears, whereupon his father beat him.” (Achebe 57). Then when Nwoye started showing interest in Christianity he felt like he couldn't trust his own father so “he dared not to go too near the missionaries for fear of his own father.” (Achebe 149) since his father had almost choked him. Okonkwo uses physical and mental violence and he doesn't care who he uses it with. Nwoye can't have his own opinions or be himself without having his father look down on him and beat him. Okonkwo can't be a hero because he makes people be scared of being themselves and be scared of him…
A tragic hero is a archetype who fails to overcome or surpass his/her conflict. The book “Things Fall Apart” included a tragic hero. The book was written by the name of Chinua Achebe. The tragic hero in the book was Okonkwo, a warrior from a village called Umuofia. Chinua Achebe wrote the book with the purpose of showing how someone with high esteem can fall from greatness so dramatically because of that person’s actions. Okonkwo exhibited hubris, had a tragic flaw, and fell from a position of greatness. These were the things that showed that he was tragic hero.…
He was afraid of being thought weak. Because of Okonkwo’s pride, it led him to commit a crime which led to his downfall between the relationships he has with his son Nwoye.…
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.”…
A firm belief in his way of life forced Okonkwo into his success at the beginning of Things Fall Apart. As it is noted in chapters one to three, Okonkwo’s birth had left him much to be desired. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had (Achebe 16).” Indeed, with a father like Unoka, a “lazy and improvident” man, it is hard to imagine how Okonkwo left his circumstances when his father was one that “was poor” and left “his (Unoka’s) wife and children had barely enough to eat” (Achebe 04 & Achebe 05). Yet these experiences forced Okonkwo toughen up early in life. Okonkwo’s “whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness” (Achebe 13). After considering how Okonkwo’s spent his entire childhood under the shameful shadow of his father, it makes sense that “even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala” (Achebe 13).…
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as “A mythological or legendary figure of great strength or ability”, or “A man admired for his achievements and abilities”. Although he has his flaws, Okonkwo from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart fits this definition of a hero. As a true historical person, Okonkwo is not a mythological figure, but he does fit the criteria of a real hero. Okonkwo is a hero because he is brave, powerful, and self-motivated.…
He even strikes down a child that calls him father. “He heard Ikemefuna cry ‘My father, they have killed me!’ as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (61). The quote shows that Okonkwo thinks a reputation is even more important than the life of a child. This also shows that he thinks killing someone he loves would make him appear strong. Striving to have a reputation influences someone’s morality and sometimes it may hurt people. When Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye, overheard that Ikemefuna was to be “taken back to his village, [he] burst into tears, whereupon his father beat him heavily” (57). Okonkwo feels unsatisfied with Nwoye because he thinks he’s lazy and feminine. He corrects Nwoye with constant nagging and beating instead of teaching him what is right and what is wrong. Later on, it causes Nwoye wants to resist his father and join what Okonkwo dislikes. It’s understandable for Nwoye to abandon his old tribe and choose to become a Christian. Obsession on reputation sometimes leads people to the wrong track and it leads Okonkwo to face his own son’s…
This relates to Things Fall Apart because in chapter 2 you can see that Okonkwo pressures his son, Nwoye, to be just like him. Okonkwo find Nwoye to be lazy and not manly enough so he beats and nags at him constantly. Nwoye then becomes more attached to Ikemefuna who is shows care and comfort and becomes less attached to his father who is far more heavy-handed and intimidating.…
Okonkwo never understood the concept of going with the flow or adjusting to circumstances. It started in his childhood. His father, Unoka, “had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt” (Achebe 8). He was a poor farmer and a coward in war. The people of Umuofia called him an agbala, which means woman. Okonkwo was immensely ashamed by him, and his life was definitely affected because of him. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit,” (Achebe 16). In a perfect world, his father would have been a bloodthirsty warrior, with many wives and children, and a number of cowries. Okonkwo was narrow-minded, and this quality backfired in the form of shame and discontent. “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father,” (Achebe 2). Unoka never had the money to support his family, and this disgraced Okonkwo. Okonkwo was never able to understand his father and his different ways. Since Unoka was his father, he couldn’t say anything to him, but in his heart and mind, he meant nothing to Okonkwo.…
Both the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and its main character Okonkwo closely adhere to the definitions of a classic Greek tragedy and a typical tragic hero. First of all, Okonkwo is a tragic hero by the Greek definition. While Okonkwo wasn’t born to a nobleman or king (as the definition of a tragic hero states), he was a man of high status and respect in his community, as Obierika stated near the end of the book. “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia.” (Achebe 208). Second, the novel follows the format of a Greek tragedy by presenting Okonkwo as a mixed character. He was a mixed character in that he was neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly bad. His good side was shown in the novel at times, like when it was shown that he wanted Nwoye to be manly only because “He wanted him to be a prosperous man.” (53). However, at other times, he was very misguided and wrong, which led him to make large mistakes with very negative repercussions. One example would be when Okonkwo’s youngest wife, Ojiugo had forgotten to make his lunch. “And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the week of peace.” (29). This violent and misguided mistake shows the side of Okonkwo that we may not think of as the perfect hero, but this violent and angry side of him balances with the side that wants to see Nwoye succeed, which makes him a mixed character. The next component of both a tragic hero and the tragic hero’s story that Things Fall Apart adheres to is the tragic fall. Okonkwo’s tragic fall was killing Ikemefuna, his adopted son. This event was his tragic fall because it led to other events in his life such as killing the son of Ogbuefi Ezeudu (the reversal), and his eventual exile. Okonkwo’s friend Obierika even foreshadowed the significance and imminent downfall that would come of his killing of Ikemefuna when he told him that “What you have done…