Okonkwo Downfall Analysis

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The Downfall of Okonkwo In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo’s tragic downfall is illustrated alongside the downfall of his clan. Okonkwo was, the protagonist, was borne with a father that was a pathetic, selfish man. His whole life was controlled by the fear of becoming what his father once was, and this showed who he truly was. Throughout the story, Okonkwo, who was once a great man, undergoes a dramatic change. He falls from the top of the clan to the bottom, having to deal with many conflicts along the way, the toughest being his own fears. Okonkwo’s collapse ends with his suicide. Okonkwo’s fear of becoming his father was paralleled by his fear of appearing weak to the members of his clan. Okonkwo’s downfall occurs …show more content…

He lived his life trying to hide his insecurities by taking it out on others, and this lead to a tragic end for Okonkwo. In an attempt to prevent his own image from being tarnished, Okonkwo, on multiple occasions, makes rash decisions that only make matters worse for him. An example of this is when he killed the innocent Christian messenger. This was a very selfish thing to do, and this was the final straw for Okonkwo. Directly after this, he was found dead, hanging from a tree. At the time, Okonkwo did not realize that what he did was so wrong, when in actuality, it affected not only him, but the rest of the clan as well. This is just one example of Okonkwo’s poor decision making, and it just so happens to be the one that ultimately results in his death. His death itself was a poor decision, considering the fact that he took the coward’s way out. This is a very weak way to die, and weakness is the very thing he had lived to hate. It is even considered far worse than weak in the Ibo culture: “It is an abomination for a man to take his own life” (Achebe 178). Achebe did a very good job of using irony in Okonkwo’s death, considering the fact that it was very similar to his father’s death, since both of them died a very shameful death in the Evil Forest. Okonkwo, who despised his father and lived life fearing that he would one day end up like him, died in the most tragic and shameful death …show more content…

Throughout the story, Achebe highlights the internal weaknesses that Okonkwo has, which includes his own fear of weakness. These flaws, along with the conflicts around Okonkwo, all contribute to his tragic death. The biggest factor in this downfall is his exile. He was away from the clan for 7 years, and during those long years, his fatherland went through drastic changes, with the arrival of the Christians and the church. Although Okonkwo believed that he would be able to restore his image after the banishment was over, the reader knew that this was unequivocally impossible. With the missionaries in the village, there was clearly going to be a major conflict between the two. The Christians came into Umuofia, and tried to force the Ibo into a completely contradictory religion. Okonkwo had to deal with this, along with his naturally aggressive personality, which led to the murder of an innocent messenger. Ironically, Okonkwo died in a very similar way to his father, which was the exact thing he dreaded. Okonkwo’s destruction can be traced back to his own insecurities and

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