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]

with kings”(8). The need to make up for his father's weaknesses starts the incentive moment of the novel's it’s why others regard him as a hero.
Okonkwo’s hamartia being his constant fear of failure and his inability to adapt together bring about his downfall. It’s himself who brings about his demise. “when ever he thought of his father's weaknesses and failures, [they] troubled him, he expelled it by thinking about his own strength a success”(66). Even the thought of failure disturbs Okonkwo, his inability to handle weakness leads him to hurt his wives and children. During the week of peace Okonkwo’s third wife left without a word, when she returned Okonkwo “beat her very heavily”(29). Okonkwo not tolerating disrespect and the fear of showing weakness leads to him breaking Ibo culture and disturb the week of peace. During the killing of Ikemefuna Okonkwo's fear of killing his son leads to him “[withdrawing] to the rear”(61). The significant amount of Okonkwo’s inability to appear incapable appears when “dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut [Ikemefuna] down”(62). His downfall begins after Ikemefuna’s death as Okonkwo’s is constantly at odds with himself and his guilt, depicting Okonkwo's catastrophe. His guilt only overpowered by his anger of the village adapting as the British envelope Ibo culture. After Ikemefuna's death in order to abide by custom, Okonkwo during a funeral shoots his gun, and accidentally kills a child of Umuofia. This starts the climax as Okonkwo’s exiled to his mother's land. During his exile, Christian missionaries spread throughout the villages and convert what Okonkwo believes to be “weak” people. The arrival of the Christians, Okonkwo views as the eradication of the Ibo culture. In a last ditch effort to save his village Okonkwo prepares for war. during the meeting with the British messenger Okonkwo feels disrespected, and “[descends] his machete twice and the man’s head [laid] beside his uniformed body”(204). No one praises Okonkwo anymore, he’s no longer the village hero, peripeteia occurs as Okonkwo believes others would fight alongside him. Okonkwo thinks differently, he believes the village dooms itself for kneeling to the British. His inability to adapt like the rest leads to him murdering the messenger and resulting in Okonkwo committing the ultimate sin in Ibo culture. As “Okonkwo’s body [dangled]”(207), Obierika a respected clansman blames the British for making them bury Okonkwo “like a dog”(208).
The death of the once village hero signifies the end of the Ibo culture. Okonkwo's values embodies his culture, only being strong, fearless, and destructive. Achebe emphasizes a person's chi throughout the novel, when “[Someone] says yes, [their] chi says yes also”(27). As Okonkwo can not face his hamartia he destined his chi to failure. “A man can never go beyond his chi”(131). His chi’s downfall begins as Okonkwo’s fire raged on. Known as the “Roaring Fire” Okonkwo's questions himself “[how could fire] beget cold, impotent ash”(153)? This demonstrates the Anagnorisis that fire only brings destruction. The values of the village stayed alive in Okonkwo forcing them onto other by his strong chi and fire. As the British advance and convert more of the village Okonkwo is all that's left that never doubted his traditions. Obierika a respected man in the village, “remembered his wife’s twin children, whom he had thrown away. What crime had they committed”(125)? The fact a man such as Obierika questions his culture, many other must question them as well. With the question of the old way the lusis of the village traditions begins. Okonkwo’s the only man who never questions, doubts, only reluctantly follows, but always fulfils his duties. His death due to his inflexibility to adapt signifies the resolution of the novel being the end Ibo culture due to the forced colonization of the British.
In Things Fall Apart the British colonization depicts the cause of why Ibo culture disappears in Africa.

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

downfall.