Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay -- Things Fall

Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things F in all Apart Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a patch of with child(p) wealth, power and moderate--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others he was an obsessional and insecure military 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 Okonkwo. In Umuofia a man is judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father (1427). In Umuofia achievement was revered. Okonkwo became obsessed with the need to prove to everyone that he, unlike his father, was a man worthy of respect. Okonkwo worked hard and in time his prosperity showed in his family (1429). Okonkwo had a large compound, three wives (1429), two barns full of yams and two titles (1427). Okonkwo had fashion a wealthy and respectable man. Stil l he feared that all would hand apart if he were to allow any slight deviation, any call attention of weakness. Weakness could be a slight disobedience of a wife, as happened during the Week of calm. Ojiugo was not home in time to prepare Okonkwos repast and though it was unheard of to bawl out someone during the sacred week (1435), Okonkwo beat Ojiugo unmercifully. Likely, Okonkwo feared that others would view Ojiugos indifference to her responsibilities as a sign of Okonkwos inability to control his wife. Okonkwo was just as demanding upon his children and he wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man (1437). Okonkwo would become excessively angry if Nwoye made small mistakes while learning. When Nwoye and Ikemefuna were splitting yam... ...ch so that he chose evil and took his own life. Achebe, for the most part, does seem to follow the Western saying for tragedy and the tragic hero. Okonkwo, while not born into wealth or privilege, does become a wealthy and power ful man in Umuofia. Okonkwo is incomplete good nor thoroughly evil yet does possess a tragic flaw that leads to a series of tragic events. Okonkwo begins in poverty and rises to the aggrandisement of wealth and prestige among his people. He is so obsessed with control, control at all costs, that he begins to make tragic mistakes beating his wife during Peace Week, killing Ikemefuna, having to flee Umuofia, killing the messenger and then himself. This fits the criteria of disregard of augur law and trying to escape his fate, as outlined in the field guide. Works CitedAchebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York Ballantine, 1969.