Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

The Downfall of Okonkwo
People would normally think the main character of the book is a hero, but are they really? In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, he portrays that if people don’t accept life or anything else bad things may comes throughout time.
Okonkwo the mighty, that’s what most people think of him when the reader first open the book and read about him. When they read the exact words on how Okonkwo lays a heavy hand in his household their point of view would change. The narrator states, “Okonkwo...whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists,”(4). With a heavy hand around the house something could happen, like peace week, for example if he lays a hand on anyone he could get a penalty.
A simple penalty could affect someone even if it’s not that large of one. Okonkwo is going through a rough time at this point. He just killed a “family member” that he regretted through time. The book stated that Okonkwo felt like his old self again, but once again Okonkwo went back to his old self. The narrator shows Okonkwo’s feelings that are very small, it states,”Okonkwo was beginning to feel like his old self again. All that he required was something to occupy his mind. If he had killed Ikemefuna during the busy planting season or harvesting it would have not been so bad; his mind would have been centered on his work,”(69).

It was a village conference contemplating war, but Okonkwo knows they will not take his side and choose war. We all know Okonkwo is all about actions, so what does he do? He kills the messenger sent by the District Commissioner. Here is how he killed the innocent man, the narrator states, “Okonkwo’s machete descended twice and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body,”(204). He felt defeated, Okonkwo did not do anything more violent. Okonkwo hung himself up onto the tree behind his hut. He was defeated, hurt and betrayed by everyone he