Things Fall Apart

10 Pages 2434 Words

ower from his people of Umuofia. Okonkwo views his father as a failure because he never reached a level of importance within his tribe. Instead, his father led his life with tenderness. Okonkwo’s greatest fear is to resemble his father. Patrick Nnoromele agrees that Okonkwo has a profound need to conquer his father’s low status (2). Having no room for this sort of moderate life, Okonkwo begins to fear weakness and to seek power. Thus, Okonkwo’s fear of weakness becomes one of his greatest flaws as he eventually unleashes his need for power in destructive forms. It is this weakness of failure that causes his downfall.

Although Okonkwo’s weaknesses are inherent, it must be noticed that before his demise he was famed among his tribe. In the beginning of the novel, Achebe depicts his main character as a popular and prosperous man. Okonkwo is the most celebrated wrestler throughout Umuofia; and because of his war-like nature, he is treated with the up most respect (Begam 3). However, these rebel instincts cause many flaws in his character. During Chapter four, Okonkwo is in a rage of anger and beats his youngest wife during the Week of Peace. Consequently, he breaks the law of no violence during this supposedly serene time. It is because Okonkwo is dedicated to the fundamental beliefs of his culture that he follows the priest’s orders and makes an offering of repentance (Hoegberg 2).

Okonkwo remains true to the Umuofia’s sacred principles and customs throughout the novel. This particular character strength also contributes to his eventual death. Scholarly commentator Richard Begam sees “Okonkwo as a particular kind of tragic protagonist: the great warrior who carries with him the fate of his people” (3). The laws of Umuofia and the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves are always held in the highest regard. However, Okonkwo’s loyalties to the Oracle are carried to an extreme...