Published in 1958, Chinua AchebeÆs novel Things Fall Apart centers on a traditional Ibo village culture in Nigeria before and after the English came to Africa and changed a nationÆs way of living. Both the brutal destruction of the native culture and the inevitability of change are themes in the novel which focuses on the character of Okonkwo who is caught in the middle of the struggles wrought by change. This research paper will analyze the character of Okonkwo as a tragic hero.
In ancient Greek literature a tragic hero has a tragic flaw that brings about his downfall. The classic tragic hero is always a character of great importance to his state or culture, usually of noble birth. Such heroes are complex characters, neither all good or all bad. As expressed in AristotleÆs ôPoetics,ö the tragic fall of the hero is what drives the plot of tragedy, when a disastrous reversal of fortune, coupled with the heroÆs tragic flaw, causes his downfall. The tragic flaw is often in the form of a ruling passion such as hubris or excessive pride. Using this definition, Okonkwo is a tragic hero.
Okonkwo is a hero, but a flawed hero. Achebe shapes his character to be a sympathetic man who lives according to Ibo principles, but not perfectly; this makes for reader identification. African society is revealed through him, as is the impact of the white manÆs coming to Africa. AfricaÆs tragedy is epitomized in Okonkwo, who has several faults as well as many virtues but his biggest fault, his tragic flaw, is his unyielding nature.
Achebe describes OkonkwoÆs attributes from the very beginning of the novel, with the first paragraph informing the reader that ôOkonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievementsö (3). Okonkwo holds great power in his village as the embodiment of strength and achievement. Although admired, Okonkwo has his own inner turmoil. He ha...