His demeanor and presence in his household alone reflect his true personality as a tragic hero.
Although born in poverty and in debt, Okonkwo has built himself into a powerful man and lord in Umuofia. However his greatest flaw leads to his eventual demise. After reaching the height of his power, the breakdown of Okonkwo's life begins when he strikes the finishing blow to Ikemefuna, fearing to look weak in front of others. This fear stems from his deep hatred and animosity towards his father, who had left him in debt and without any property. Fearing to end as a 'failure' like his father, Okonkwo does his best to feel masculine and portray a strong and powerful man. His own belief of such is very different from that of the people around him, eventually leading him to alienate himself from his clan and his family. Constantly using violence without reason or any rational thinking, Okonkwo's temper is his greatest downfall. Leading to his exile, his murder of the 'white' messengers and his suicide, Okonkwo lacks calm judgement and reasoning to allow him to process his actions.
This tragic flaw leads to his downfall and is the very epitome of many reader's hatred and dislike towards him. Since he is totally oblivious to his flaw, he considers his actions to be just and that others are just weak and effeminate, leading to absolutely no change in his character and personality.
3 comments:
I totally agree with you Agassi. Okonkwo perfectly fits the mold of the tragic hero. His hate for his father is the epicentre of his rise and fall.
Its interesting that in a book written to defy the inaccurate portrayal of Africans, that the main character, as you pointed out, resembles an Anglo-Saxon hero. I found this surprising because I thought the author would try to distance Africans from Europeans and not model the protagonist on their values.
Perhaps he is trying to show that Europeans are the true "barbarians." What do you think?
I think that Okonkwo is successful because he worked very hard to build a farm and become a powerful man in his village, as you mentioned. I also agree with the fact that Okonkwo`s fear of becoming like his father was the cause of his rise and fall. But I think that Okonkwo is not a hero because he did not listen to the advice of his elder and he killed Ikemefuna anyway. A hero should be able to consider the advice of others. Yes, Okonkwo is someone who could be seen as inspirational in the way that he was so successful in such a short time however I think a hero is more than a just a powerful person. A hero should do something courageous and against all odds. A hero would be someone who makes a change for the better and impresses the reader and the other characters. In my point of view, Okonkwo was just another angry, rich, violent man in Umuofia.
Your idea of Okonkwo being an Anglo-Saxon hero is interesting. But he is still not a hero in my point of view.
My post was similar to yours as well! I agree with you when you say that his greatest flaw leads to his eventual demise. It's sad to read this disappointing ending, yet at the same time, it really gives us the reality of Okonkwo's personality. Who knew any violent, rich, and arrogant man could be so respected.
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