Stereotypes In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Adichie an impactful writer who advocates for the elimination of stereotypes good and bad as they lead to a single story. Adichie believes that when people are “[shown] as one thing, as one thing only, over and over again that is what they become”. Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart incorporates stereotypes into his book to demonstrate the effect of a single story good or bad. In order to demonstrate this in Things Fall Apart, Achebe draws on the similarities between Greek tragedy and the British colonization of Africa by depicting his unlikely protagonist, Okonkwo, as a tragic hero who must face his hamartia and eventually his downfall. Achebe describes Okonkwo at the beginning of the book to demonstrate Okonkwo as a prideful and respected man. Okonkwo’s described as a“wealthy farmer [who] had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife”(8). “[Having] no patience for unsuccessful man”(4), Okonkwo would pounce on individuals, as he cannot control his anger. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father having been a coward left his son and family nothing. Okonkwo worked his way up, “it was slow and painful, but he threw himself into it like one possessed, and indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death”(18). Okonkwo’s description depicts an individual, whose hardworking, prideful, and ferocious. Others in the village believe him as worthy of “[eating]

Okonkwo’s implemented by Achebe to depict the effect of the British colonization, as he represents the Ibo ancient traditions. Okonkwo may be a hero, but like many other heroes his hamartia prevents him from achieving greatness. The British is compared to Okonkwo as they are not able to adapt to different cultures and tolerate them, but only desire to force them into their “civilized” society. Both Okonkwo and the British inability to adapt bring about their