Okonkwo's Chi In Things Fall Apart

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Okonkwo is an interesting character that experiences many changes throughout the novel. He is a self made member of the Umuofia community unlike his father. His father’s cowardliness and laziness never provided for him or the rest of his family. Growing up, he developed a fear of becoming like his father and that is why it became his influence and purpose in life is to live successfully. This is one of the reasons he reaches troubling times along with his Chi. The concept of Chi plays a big role in his destiny and it was can be interpreted two ways after reading the book. It is possible that Chi may have caused his difficulties, but I believe that he caused them himself because of his strong-willed nature.
The concept of Chi is discussed at a couple points throughout the novel. Chi is described as an individual’s personal God. The good or bad Chi can be determined by the individual’s good fortune or because of lack of it. Along the lines of this interpretation, one can explain Okonkwo’s tragic fate as the result of a problematic Chi. This becomes a repeating thought that occurs to Okonkwo …show more content…

This is when it seemed that Okonkwo was at his best. He is a very cultural person that was living a good life early in the book. This causes him to feel that his Chi is supporting his ambition & destiny. "When a man says yes, his Chi says yes also" (Chapter 4). Many people attributed Chi to his achievements, but he thought otherwise. He believed that it was a result of his own hard work. Another example early in the book is "That was not luck. At most one could say that his Chi or personal god was good." (Pg. 27) This shows that when Okonkwo was young, he won the title of greatest wrestler in all the land, and that the others didn't attribute that to his personal strength or hard work, but to his Chi. His moments of “glory” only lasted for a short time until his decline in

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