Essay Okonkwo, Things Fall Apart - 1015 Words

An Essay on Things Fall Apart Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all. (Aristotle). Okonkwo is a perfect example of Aristotle’s quote in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Even though he is said to be the most powerful man in Umuofia, Okonkwo’s personal imperfections of fear, failure and uncontrollable anger do not allow him true eminence as a human being. Okonkwo is one of the most influential men in the Ibo tribe. In his tribe, he is both feared and honored. Which is evident by this quote, Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond... [He] had brought honor to his tribe by throwing Amalinze the Cat...(Achebe page:3) This suggests that†¦show more content†¦Okonkwos first and most prominent flaw is his fear of becoming a failure. It is greatly influenced by his father, but Okonkwo takes his fear to the extreme. Okonkwos father was a very lazy and carefree man. He had a reputation of being poor and his wife and children had just barely enough to eat... they swore never to lend him any more money because he never paid back. (Achebe Page: 5) In Umuofia, a father is supposed to teach the children right and wrong, and in this case, the lessons were not taught, but self-learned. Okonkwo had to rely on his own interpretations of what defined a good man and to him that was someone that was the exact opposite of his father. As a result of his own self-taught conclusions, Okonkwo feels that anything resembling his father or anything that his father enjoyed was weak and unnecessary. Because of his fear to be seen as weak, Okonkwo even strikes down a child that calls him father: (and as the machete came down] Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow... He heard Ikemefuna cry My father, they have killed me!... Okonkwo draws his machete and cuts him down, he does not want to be thought weak. (Achebe page:61) The fact that he kills the child shows that the way that he thinks is wrong, that reputation is more important than the life of a child. Although it is a shame to beShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart Okonkwo Analysis735 Words   |  3 Pageswas respected by everyone in the community. People were not judged on by their fathers success. Because of this Okonkwo works hard to gain status and made it his goal in life to not be like his father. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Okonk wos actions were due to extreme belief in his village`s saying that if you worked hard you would be greatly rewarded. When Okonkwo was a young boy he grew up with a lazy father which he despises â€Å"In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quiteRead MoreThings Fall Apart, Okonkwo Is A Tragic945 Words   |  4 PagesIn Chinua AchÐ µbÐ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s novÐ µl Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a tragic hÐ µro. AristotlÐ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s PoÐ µtics dÐ µfinÐ µs a Tragic HÐ µro as a bÐ µnÐ µvolÐ µnt man of high status who Ð µxhibits a tragic impÐ µrfÐ µction (â€Å"hamartia†) and Ð µxpÐ µriÐ µncÐ µs a dramatic rÐ µvÐ µrsal (â€Å"pÐ µripÐ µtÐ µia†), as wÐ µll as an Ð µxcruciating momÐ µnt of appÐ µrcÐ µption (â€Å"anagnorisis†). Okonkwo is a bÐ µllwÐ µthÐ µr and hardworking mÐ µmbÐ µr of thÐ µ Igbo community of Umuofia whosÐ µ tragic impÐ µrfÐ µction is his grÐ µat fright of his doom and failurÐ µ. Okonkwo’s fall from gracÐ µ in thÐ µ IgboRead MoreSimilarities Between Okonkwo And Things Fall Apart1242 Words   |  5 Pagesking Macbeth atte mpts to ward off any threat to his reign and succession by all means. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, the main character, equally does anything and everything to prove his valor. Though set in 11th century Scotland and 19th century Nigeria respectively, and portrayed through the main characters of Macbeth and Okonkwo, the authors of both Macbeth and Things Fall Apart each demonstrate an extensive yet subtle examination regarding the notion of how exorbitant amounts ofRead MoreOkonkwo as a Tragic Hero-Things Fall Apart1198 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ OKONKWO AS A: TRAGIC HERO Aristotle once said â€Å"A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his downfall.† The protagonist of the book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo demonstrates characteristics of being an Aristotelian tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a Tragic Hero is one who exhibits a tragic flaw that causes a reversal of fortune to him in his own error of judgment. Okonkwo is a leader and a hardworking member of the Igbo tribe of the village of Umofia whoseRead MoreAn Analysis Of Okonkwo s Things Fall Apart 1259 Words   |  6 PagesIn Things Fall Apart the novel, Okonkwo was determined to be nothing like his father Unoka, this â€Å"strict adherence to masculine standards, (which causes the destruction of his family, creates dissent in his tribe, and leads him to his death) supports the value of the feminine in Igbo culture.† â€Å"Though it may seem that women are seen as the weaker sex in Ibgo society,† (E., Skwiot personal c omment, August 23, 2016) The novel is set at the end of the twentieth century. It describes in detail aboutRead More Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart  Ã‚  Ã‚   Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man. Okonkwos father, Unoka, was a failure, a loafer, and People laughed at him (1426). This would bring great shame to any man as it did for OkonkwoRead MoreOkonkwo The Power Hungry Warrior in Things Fall Apart1323 Words   |  6 Pages Okonkwo, The Tragic Hero The novel, Things Fall Apart, takes place in a Lower Nigerian village of Iguedo and Mbanta and is centered around a man by the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is introduced as the most renowned warrior of all tribes who brought great honor to his tribe by becoming the top wrestler of the villages. Throughout the book, Chinua Achebe expresses Okonkwo as a man whose obsession with power is what ultimately leads him to failing in attempts to obtain that power throughRead MoreEssay on The Values and Beliefs of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart629 Words   |  3 PagesThe Values and Beliefs of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart is a novel, which is directly focused on the tribes and the local life of the native people. The protagonist in this novel is a proud strict and tough man with the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo was born in the mid-nineteenth century, in the Igbo village of Umuofia, (which we now know as southeastern Nigeria). Okonkwos life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. His father was a man Read MoreMasculinity in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Okonkwo Essay1833 Words   |  8 PagesThings Fall Apart: Okonkwo’s Masculinity The Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a straight to the point story, embedded with interesting elements that capture readers’ attention. In my view, when I read the story, I found many interesting things about the theme of the book. But The Masculinity Okonkwo was what captures my attention. The story opens up to a Traditional Igbo lifestyle, a theme which is highly stylized from its ritual to the actions performed for certain ceremonies. Most of the actionRead MoreThings Fall Apart: Okonkwo Character Analysis Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel Things Fall Apart, strength and pride are very important aspects of the main character, Okonkwo, however, these traits may sound like excellent traits to possess but because of the way he was raised, Okonkwo harbours many of his emotions under an outer shell of violence, strength and pride. His traits can be shown by looking at where he has come from in his life, for example, Okonkwo has acquired a large amount of wealth in his life because of his hard work and dedication which he also