Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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Recommended: Discuss Okonkwo's character in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart as a tragic hero

Our qualities and virtues contributes to the way we are, and the way we act. Certain personalities can lead to great success and power, other qualities lead to a life of sorrow and misery. Even our virtues can lead us to downfalls.The award winning book, Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe introduces us to the story of Okonkwo, a man with many virtues which leads to downfalls. He is a victim of his masculinity, his success, and his passion. Okonkwo is a very masculine man. Masculine men are strong, independent, competitive, aggressive,and confident. On many occasions, Okonkwo can be described as such. “ As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat... It was this man that Okonkwo threw …show more content…

He came from an unsuccessful father and does anything his power to not to be like him. By doing so, he accepts enough money to provide his many wives’ kids and build many compounds. Okonkwo sells the most yams and has almost all the titles in the clan. “Okonkwo was clearly cut out for great things. He was still young but he had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife. To crown it all he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars. And so although Okonkwo was still young, he was already one of the greatest men of his time.” (8) At the end, his success led him to be taken prisoner and beaten. “It happened so quickly that the six men did not see it coming. There was only a brief scuffle, too brief even to allow the drawing of a sheathed machete. The six men were handcuffed and led into the guardroom.... I have decided that you will pay a fine of two hundred bags of cowries. You will be released as soon as you agree to this and undertake to collect that fine from your people.”(194) His incarceration fueled his anger and caused him to behead the messenger of the christians. His success placed him in situations that leads him to a

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