“The Tragic Journey of Okonkwo: Fear, Pride, and the Collapse of Tradition in Things Fall Apart

In the novel Things Fall Apart, the character “Okonkwo❞ is a powerful leader of the Umofia clan. He is a prideful, ambitious, and ill-tempered man. Yet, he is a man primarily driven by fear, which shows throughout the novel. Much of his life is driven by a fear of change and losing his self worth, due to the actions of his father who died with great debts to their tribe. His father was a lazy man who was unable to support his family, and cowardly, much of which Okonkwo deems feminine. In chapter two there is a quote that reads, "Okonkwo was not afraid of war. He was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father he could stand the look of blood. In Umuofia's latest war he was the first to bring home a human head." Okonkwo's actions are the complete opposite of his father; he is quite masculine, hard working, brave, and able to provide for his family.

Although his fear is his greatest flaw. He tends to have extreme emotions within his fear that make him take actions that are often destructive. Early on in the novel you can see how ill- tempered Okonkwo can be, "He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists.". This quote from chapter one shows Okonkwo's emotional side and how frustrated he can get then causing him to act irrationally and destructive due to the fact he doesn't want to be seen as incapable or anything like his father would have been.

Okonkwo is the protagonist in the novel. The novel is primarily centered around his story. his rise to wealth and a position of respect, his fall into exile, his inability to prevent white men from destroying his culture, and his suicide. The novel describes Okonkwo's rise and fall in his clan Umofia, a culture that is bound by tradition and superstitious. Okonkwo also has his faults, and it is these faults that lead to his downfall. His ill-temper make him break the rules and eventually he is banned from his village for his outrageous behavior. His stubborn nature and impulsive attitude consequently bring him to his death by the end of the novel.

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He's not the greatest of role models due to his aggressive behavior, fearful behavior, and emotionally distancing himself from those he cares about. The narrator often uses the word "inwardly" to explain Okonkwo's emotions. Yet, he does have some admirable traits such as his work ethic, he supports his family, and takes responsibility for his negative and ruthless behaviors. Okonkwo is a tragic hero which would explain his tragic flaws. As a reader you see where Okonkwo's flaws come from i.e. his father, therefore in turn feeling a sense of sympathy for him when things begin to go down a slippery slope in his life. As a reader you also know at the very end of the book when the District Commissioner decides that Okonkwo is only worth one measly paragraph in a book, it then makes you somewhat defensive due to the fact he truly deserves a full book to explain the density and complexity of his story.

Throughout the novel Okonkwo doesn't initially change but he truly shows his true colors. His fear gets a hold of him and drags him to the bottom. All those years of trying to be nothing like his father, he ended up being comparable to him not because their characteristics were the same but because they both let their flaws and insecurities get the best of them and pull them down.

I really enjoyed the book. I had actually read it before in high school so it was nice to read over it again and gain more insight on what I had initially thought while reading it back then.

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