Fame In Things Fall Apart

Everyone lives a different life, makes a different amount of money, handles business different, has a different perspective on life, everyone does everything differently. Not everybody is at the higher superior as you may think they are. Just because your name might mean more than the next does not mean you get treated differently than the next. Fame and Wealth comes with just that, fame being you get recognition for the things you do, and wealth not necessarily meaning in terms of money but being very “abundant” of something in my opinion. Holding the title of being “wealthy and having fame” does not mean you get treated differently. Fame does not play a part in how you get treated as a person. In Chinua Achebe's novel “Things Fall Apart”

In chapter 7, it quotes, “Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” During this time Okonkwo’s tribesmen were set out on hurting Ikemefuna but Okonkwo felt he was being looked upon as a weak person so he took the action of killing Ikemefuna after being told not to. The author, Achebe, shows characterization by showing what kind of person Okonkwo can be, which is disobedient, and heartless. Because of his actions he has now affected his actual son back home. This comes to show how others can be affected by your actions. Another point we can analyze from this is that he took action because he thought his peers would look at him as being “weak” which should not matter as long as you know your self worth. The author also wants us to understand that when you hold an abundant amount of authority you still have to understand your consequences despite if you like them or not and those repercussions may affect those around you to. In chapter 13, Okonkwo has to move himself and his family to another location after his tragedy of killing Ezeudu’s son. As quoted, “The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan. It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a classman and a man who committed it must flee from the clan.” The plot has now taken a turn which engages you more because, even

I feel he names this book “Things Fall Apart” because in the beginning everyone is so happy and joyful and then as it goes on deaths are happening from the least person that you’d expect it to happen. This comes to show not only does fame and wealth get you nowhere but you get punished exactly how others would, maybe even more. Also, another point we may draw from this is do not let your peers actions push you toward wanting to take the same actions. Think about how Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, that affected his actual son and his family. Achebe throws so many cutting edge points at you that you would least expect it and I think that the actions taken in this book makes you think about what will happen next, or “wow, I’d never expect him to do that.” Never let the fame and wealth get to your head, you must look past that and see yourself as others view