Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart, Achebe foreshadows the rise and fall of his protagonist. Okonkwo’s name is an indication of the character’s greatest traits as well as being indicative of his tragic flaw. According to the author, Okonkwo not only refers to a male born on a specific day but also translates as stubborn male pride. This pride lies at the root of the character’s strengths and simultaneously is the source of his weaknesses.

Okonkwo’s pride is evident in many positive attributes; he is strong, hard working, and has obtained family status considered successful by Igbo standards. First, the author describes Okonkwo’s physical characteristics using terms desirable in a male in stark contrast to the more effeminate terms used to describe Unoka, his father. The character’s masculinity is further emphasized when he is able to defeat Amalinze, a great wrestler who had previously been undefeated for seven years. Word of this victory quickly spread to the surrounding villages magnifying Okonkwo’s sense of self-worth.

The desire to be respected by fellow tribe members brings out the hard-working aspect of Okonkwo’s pridefulness. Forced to borrow seedlings to begin his first crops, Okonkwo’s reputation as being a fervent worker is rewarded in that he receives more yams than requested. He tends his fields diligently and is considered successful by the number of barns needed to store his crops.

In the Igbo tribe, a man’s success is also measured by the size of his family. This is another area in which Okonkwo finds a great amount of self-regard. He has acquired three wives, one of which, Ekwefi, was once considered one of the most beautiful women in the village. For the Igbo, family is of the utmost importance; so once...

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...he character subsequently takes his life.

This act brings about everything Okonkwo had tried so hard to avoid. His father had died a shameful death; Unoka held no titles and was indebted to many. Now Okonkwo had eventually died the same; suicide rendered his body unclean. As a result, Okonkwo had to be buried by strangers. His death was just as humiliating as his father’s.

In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses one human emotion to display the strengths and weaknesses of his protagonist. Okonkwo is a very proud man. He yearns to be thought of as successful according to the standards of his tribe. This same emotion causes the character to act in ways that the Igbo consider incongruous. This stubborn male pride is the primary force at work in Okonkwo; it allows him to prevail and yet is equally responsible for the character’s demise.