Okonkwo: a Life Story of a Tragic Hero

Esha Moore Honors English II- Hyatt May 23, 2012 Things F tout ensemble Apart Final literally Analysis Essay Okonkwo A Life Story of a tragic Hero What makes up a electric ray in todays society? Young children today imagine a hero with superpowers and a cape, but little do they know heroes come in homophiley a(prenominal) different forms. In his novel, Things Fall Apart, the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe illustrates the qualification of moderne hero. Even though Okonkwo does not act like a unbendable hero, he still has a nobleman structure, makes errors throughout life, and experiences a heavy(p) downfall.Elijah Wood formerly said There is nothing noble in macrocosm superior to your fellow men. True grandness lies in being superior to your former self. Growing up, the Umuofia folk did not consider Okonkwo noble because of his impecunious father, Unoka Unoka was, of course, a debtor, and he owed every neighbor some m singley, from a few cowries to quite substantial amou nt (Achebe 5). When Unoka died ten years ago he has taken no title at all and left Okonkwo in debt. Greatly ashamed of his father, he based many of his beliefs intimately how life should be lived by doing the exact opposite of his father.Okonkwos nobility all begins about twenty years ago, when his clan announces him the best wrestler. This all happened when Amalinze the Cat- s dismantle year champion- who fights Okonkwo however, Okonkwo throws the Cat and won the match. Mean speckle, a war was way out on in Mbaino, so in the nine villages of Umuofia, all the men must be present tomorrow morning. Umuofia needed a fresh man and a virgin He was a man of execution, a man of war (10). Okonkwo leaves for Mbaino knowing not to suspect upon his arrival. Okonkwo suffers various tragic flaw or mistakes that he truly regrets.Okonkwo starts out being his township hero however, his biggest flaw was having uncontrollable anger, which eventually leads to his violent behavior. Okonkwo viol ent behavior starts forrader the Week of Peace. He comes home expecting Ojiungo and dinner she usually prepares for him. Okonkwo realizes her lack of absence seizure he then starts freaking out because she went to her friends house to whirl her hair. Since she was not at the house, he came back to the hut and waits upon her arrival, which lead to Ojiungo beating.Ezeani, the priest of the earth goddess comes to the hut to discuss Okonkwos actions and how he could ruin the clan. time getting ready for The Feast of the New Yam, he makes another mistake by shooting at Ekwefi-his second wife- she mocks her husbands poor hunting ability, making a remark about guns that never shoot He press the trigger and there was a loud report accompanied by the wail of his wives and children (39). Okonkwo tends not to think and he acts impulsively and inconsiderately.Okonkwo tries instilling his face-to-face views on how to live as a man to Nwoye and according to Okonkwo, presentation emotions ar e signs of acting womanly. The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves pronounce Ikemefuna should be killed, and the oldest member of the clan informs Okonkwo of this. Okonkwo has an obsessive headache of anything that can be associated with the image of his weak, lazy and delicate father whom he always considered a failure. As an ambitious man who became a successful, respectable warrior of the clan, he wants to take part in the cleansing of the son however, the older clan member forbids him to do so.Forced to march in a procession, Ikemefuna stricken by one of the clan members, when he tries to try out Okonkwos protection, Okonkwo so as not appear weak performs Dazed with fear, Okonkwo draw his machete and cut him down (61). His irascible behavior leads to besmirching his reputation. Ikemefunas death generates a series of events, which lead to Okonkwos downfall. Okonkwos son, Nwoye and Ikemefuna have grown close like brothers and even Okonkwo has grown fond of Ikemefuna.While atte nding Ezeudus funeral another disaster befalls him Okonkwos gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced the boys heart (124). The death of Ezeudus son went against the Earth Goddess, so he was forced into exile for seven years to his mothers village. During the time of exile, pureness missionaries appeared on their bicycles. The Oracle warns the clan about death and destruction in the future. They solicit for land to build a church building and they are given the satanic Forest, with hope the cursed land will lead to their demise instead, their church flourishes and gains more and more converts each day.When Okonkwo finds out about Nwoyes conversion, he beats him so severely. Upset by his fathers action Nwoye runs away and never comes back he joins the missionaries as a teacher. He sees himself and his fathers crowding around their ancestral shrine waiting in nugatory for worship and sacrifice and finding nothing but ashes of bygone days, and his children the while praying to the white mans god. After seven years he returns to his village, hoping to regain his typeset of importance, but much has changed with the invasion.Resistance to the white men was agreed upon because of fear of killing their own clansman. While the meeting was taking place, a group of messengers from the white men arrive and orders them to stop In a flash Okonkwo draw his machete. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless. Okonkwos machete descended twice and the mans head lay beside his uniformed body (204). From this action, Okonkwo knows that his clan will not go to war. He has lost his respect and authority he once had from his family and his Umuofia clan.He then commits suicide by hanging himself. Okonkwo starts out being his town hero but later sees himself in situations he regrets. Okonkwos rigidness to accept causes his downfall because he became so obsessed with being everything his dad was not. This causes Okonkwos to no longer care whether things wer e wrong or right. Although Okonkwo demonstrations fear and anger actions much consideration should be taken to make certainly his personal flaws in society do not interfere with ones judgment.Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Anchor Books New York 1994.