Okonkwo Flaws

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Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, depicts what it was like to live in remote African villages before colonialism. The protagonist in Achebe’s novel, Okonkwo, is larger than life, but like most strong characters, he has flaws, which cause his downfall. Okonkwo is a vicious character, who intimidates many people in his village because of his violent nature. He also has a difficult time adapting to change. Okonkwo becomes obstinate when his son, Nwoye, betrays him, and increasingly violent and irrational when missionaries take over his village, Umuofia. Achebe’s focus on Okonkwo’s flaws, his reliance on violence to solve his problems as well as his inability to adapt to change, shows how they cost him everything over the course of the novel,…show more content…
Okonkwo exhibits his violent behavior when he beats Ojiugo, his third wife, during the sacred Week of Peace. Okonkwo becomes so angry with Ojiugo that he ignores all the rules and he “beat her very heavily” (29). His short temper becomes evident when he cannot stop beating his wife during a sacred time. Everyone in the village, including Okonkwo, knows he will be punished; Okonkwo has to pay a fine of “one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries” (31). He knows the whole time that he will be punished, but he “was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess” (30). This inability to control his emotions is a weakness for Okonkwo because when violence takes over for him, he cannot stop regardless of the consequences for his behavior. Other, more rational characters, might notice that their behavior causes them to be punished and will change accordingly. However, Okonkwo is so committed to his way of being a leader, that he believes he will be admitting weakness to behave any other way. In addition to using violence as a solution to problems, Okonkwo also becomes violent when he is unable to adapt to change. Since he is a very absolute character, seeing only right or wrong, black or white, violence or peace, Okonkwo becomes angry and confused when he cannot resolve a…show more content…
His reluctance to change is displayed when Nwoye converts to Christianity, and also when the missionaries transform Umuofia into a totally different place. When Nwoye decides to follow the missionaries, Okonkwo turns away from him stating, “he is no longer my son” (172). Okonkwo cannot accept the fact that Nwoye has changed and become a Christian, so rather than attempt to change and restore their relationship, he simply disowns him. Okonkwo’s black and white way of looking at the world causes him to destroy their entire relationship. Besides failing to adapt to Nwoye’s conversion, Okonkwo also fails to adapt to the changes that occur in Umuofia when the missionaries arrive. When Okonkwo notices all the changes made to Umuofia during his exile, he is “ deeply grieved” (183). He is distraught over the transformation of his hometown. He hates everything that has been done and refuses to give up and accept the fact that Umuofia is different. He attempts to gather men to discourage the missionaries, saying, “We must fight these men and drive them from the land” (176). The missionaries will not leave, and Okonkwo will not accept that fact, believing, as he always does, that there can be a solution through violence and dominance. Okonkwo feels that the missionaries are changing his village and culture, and he believes that they have no
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