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Okonkwo's Downfall In Things Fall Apart

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The novel Things Fall Apart, by author Chinua Achebe, delves into the undeniably tragic life of a man by the name of Okonkwo. From the very beginning, Okonkwo was doomed. The fear of failure and looking weak ruled his entire existence. Possibly from the moment he was born, his downfall started. Okonkwo was raised in the presence of a drunken failure: his father, Unoka. The sight of watching Unoka fail over and over, and never becoming anything created the fear mentioned above. It became who Okonkwo was, which bled into the life of the family he had created. His fears were part of the reason he had such a rocky relationship with his son Nwoye. The boy simply didn’t meet Okonkwo’s standards, which were to be the best of the best; the manliest of all the men. Tribal status was the prize Okonkwo strived for all throughout his life, so he would not …show more content…

He needed to be more than what his father had been. He needed to have a life that would be remembered for years after. It was supposed to be upheld by his sons, who were also suppose to lead outstanding lives, but all hope for that was lost when Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna, losing Nwoye’s trust completely. Okonkwo was ruled by fear and the desire to be the best, something that began with his father, Unoka. Not to mention the die hard dedication he had for his culture which was ultimately sealed his fate. Okonkwo was a strong man with strong beliefs and a lingering fear that haunted every inch of his being. He wanted so badly to be more than the average man, and to live a life where nothing changed that when the White Men stepped in, the fear of losing it all pushed him over the edge. The idea of being in a world where no on shared his idas or worshipped his accomplishments, terrified him. Maybe it was avoidable, or maybe Okonkwo’s life was over the second fear closed its hands around his heart and mind. Either way, he never would’ve been truly

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