Things Fall Apart Character Analysis

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Things Fall Apart Embedded Assessment “A tragedy is that moment where the hero comes face to face with his true identity” -Aristotle. Identity is being who or what a person is. Throughout the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, the identity of Okonkwo is revealed, proving he is a tragic hero by fatal flaw. When Okonkwo came face to face with who he really was he could understand that he was not who he truly wanted to be. Over time he tried to achieve the unachievable, but could not succeed. Okonkwo is the main character in the novel Things Fall Apart, the novel takes place in the town of Umuofia, Umuofia was a town that “was feared by all its neighbors”(Achebe 10). This town supported those who were strong and fearless. It obtained…show more content…
His father was a failure simply based upon the fact that he could not support his family. He was poor, he could barely feed his family, and he was a loafer. Unoka was one you could not trust with money. His debts would pile up but since was “such a man”(Achebe 5). he would always succeed in gaining more money. Okonkwo is falling in his father's footsteps by becoming lazy. We notice this when “Okonkwo's gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced the boy’s heart.”(Achebe 124). This incident has caused Okonkwo to flee the clan. He had committed a crime against the earth goddess, his crime was the female kind, this meaning he could return to the clan after seven years. But Okonkwo had lost everything. “His life had…show more content…
“They came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling”(Achebe 207). This act is a sign of weakness. In his culture, the act of suicide is womanly. Okonkwo was not happy with the new world he had been introduced to. When the white men came in and forced his way of life on those of the Igbo culture, Okonkwo could not recognize who he was anymore. When Okonkwo had taken his life he thought his hard work would be buried with him. But he was not honorable anymore. “It is against our custom,” said one of the men. “ It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen. His body is evil, and only strangers may touch it. That is why we ask your people to bring him down, because you are strangers.”(Achebe 207), the act of suicide is an abomination in his community. An abomination is something that caused hatred or disgust. Or in other words Okonkwo has betrayed his village. Okonkwo was not sacrificing anything, despite the villages thoughts. Okonkwo has took his life because he could no longer accept who he has become. Unoka was known to be a failure. When Okonkwo had hung himself we had learned he was not strong enough to handle his new world. Okonkwo proves every sign of being his father by showing weakness, failure and
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