Things Fall Apart Achebe Character Analysis Essay

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Chinua Achebe presents an archetypal patriarchal warrior with the character of Okonkwo in the novel Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo is described as being “well known,” his fame being based on quintessential masculine feats like winning wrestling tournaments and having many wives. A round character, rather than a dynamic one, Okonkwo also epitomizes the classical tragic hero whose hubris and stubbornness prevent him from changing or recognizing what he could do to better lead his people. Achebe uses traditional storytelling methods and a straightforward narrative style to elucidate the main elements of his protagonist. The reader therefore gleans information about Okonkwo primarily through the narrator’s direct descriptions of the protagonist’s actions, reactions, and words. Motivated by the desire to maintain power and to fulfill patriarchal roles and norms in his society, Okonkwo ends up committing egregious ethical wrongs in order to achieve his egotistical goals, and in the end of the story, things truly do fall apart for his people. Therefore, Okonkwo of Things Fall Apart is a round character whose hubris and egotism serve as a meaningful warning to readers about the pitfalls of patriarchal power.

Driven by a fear of becoming like his disgraced father, Okonkwo compensates by wielding power through force and violence. His physical stature helps Okonkwo to gain the respect he needs from his tribe members, who value physical strength as a sign of strong male leadership.

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Okonkwo is described as “tall and huge,” with a “severe look” that cause others to fear him (Achebe, 1958, p. 1). In fact, Okonkwo is also described using animalistic metaphors and analogies to underscore his primal nature, his tendency to react to situations with his limbic system as opposed to calmness, rationality, and human ethics. For example, the narrator describes him as “slippery as a fish in water,” and also as a fierce predator who would “pounce on people quite often,” (Achebe, 1958, p. 1). Thus, Okonkwo is defined by his physical power and his high status in the village of Umuofia more than he is by his mental or emotional maturity.

Violence is another core character trait for the protagonist of Achebe’s novel. Okonkwo uses violence to maintain control over multiple domains of his life, from his personal and family life to his status in the community. He “ruled his household with a heavy hand,” to the point where “his wives...lived in perpetual fear of his….....

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References

Achebe, C. (1958). Things Fall Apart. New York: Random House.

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