Okonkwo s Suicide A Coward s Way Out - 1612 Words

Okonkwo’s Suicide: A Coward’s Way Out Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, ends with the discovery that Okonkwo has committed suicide. In a culture where Suicide is considered a great evil, what would bring Okonkwo to end his life in such an undignified manner? One explanation is that despite his warrior appearance, Okonkwo he man was nothing more than a coward. Evidence within the novel suggests that Okonkwo was not the warrior he was made out to be. He suffers from cowardice, and throughout the novel tries to overcome this flaw. His decision to commit suicide is a result of his cowardice and lead to the demise of his culture. Okonkwo is introduced to the reader as this mighty warrior and high achiever. The first two lines of the novel state â€Å"Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements,† (Achebe 3). Okonkwo is ambitious and his might is further displayed when he â€Å"throw s the cat,† Amalinze, the mightiest warrior in the land. The Igbo culture encourages the earning of Titles, which determine one’s place within the society. According to Vernantius Ndukaihe, the author of the novel Achievement as Value in the Igbo/African Identity: The Ethics, â€Å"...title-holding encourages individualism and gives power and authority to the holder,† This article explains that earning a title in the Igbo society granted the bearer great respect from the community (Ndukaihe). Okonkwo’s motivation to earn titles didShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1702 Words   |  7 Pagesfollows the life of a Nigerian man, Okonkwo. Okonkwo lives in a group of nine villages. The villages are ruled by a counsel of elders. Okonkwo is one of the respected leaders of his village. He is also a wrestling champion. Both his wrestling and his leadership role are driven by his shame about his father, who left a lot of debts unpaid when he died, an d who Okonkwo viewed as too feminine. When a man from a neighboring village kills one of the women from Okonkwo s village, a peace settlement requiresRead MoreOkonkwo As A Tragic Hero1526 Words   |  7 PagesApart, the main character, Okonkwo, serves as a tragic hero. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is a great character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his or her’s own downfall. By the end of the novel, Okonkwo’s downfall can be seen when he ends up taking his own life. On one hand, some may argue that Okonkwo was merely a victim of fate. On the other hand, others may also argue that Okonkwo was responsible for his own downfall. I believe that Okonkwo, like all tragic heroesRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1448 Words   |  6 PagesBased on the precolonial era of Nigeria, Chinua Achebe s fictional story Things Fall Apart, shares the story of the Igbo culture through the lens of Okonkwo, a hard-nosed tribesman living in the fictional village of Umuofia. Okonkwo is a m an who epitomizes masculinity and inner strength, the core values of the Ibgo culture, and shows no mercy when faced with struggle. Although Okonkwo is faced with numerous conflicts, such as the killing of the young boy whom he raised as a son (Ikemefuna) and theRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Things Fall Apart And Antigone 1446 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle s definition of tragedy. The book Things Fall Apart, has a main character named Okonkwo who fulfills Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. In the book, Okonkwo is born into a family that is not known for doing anything to set themselves apart in the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe, consisting of 9 connected villages. In fact, when he grows up he makes a promise to himself that he wants to be the complete opposite of his father who died leaving many village debts unsettled. When Okonkwo grewRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1341 Words   |  6 PagesEuropean hold, the citizens decide on peace rather than combat. Okonkwo’s suicide in fear of weakness demonstrates how womanly nature may prove necessary for change. Isolation causes emotional and physical damage. Though opposite in nature, both father and son contribute to a common, pessimistic theme of alienation throughout the work. Because Okonkwo feels that he cannot exist in a clan that not longer fights its enemies, he suicides. Nwoye, a contrarily sensitive being, joins the Catholic Church to escapeRead More Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe963 Words   |  4 Pagesare a lot of characteristics that are considered male and female. In the story, which is about a man named Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a Nigerian man , who is a yam farmer, and for no reason wants to be labeled as anything other than manly. See in the Igbo society everything is gendered to male or female even the crops. The yam is consider the king of the crops, so it is no wonder why Okonkwo is a yam farmer. In this book it tells a story about a man who falls to his own destruction, all because heRead MoreThings Fall Apart And Purple Hibiscus Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesChinua Achebe and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, examine the intricate lives of characters and their family dynamics. Okonkwo, from Achebe’s novel, is a powerful man from the village of Umuofia, and Beatrice, from Adichie’s novel, is a submissive and abused wife. Despite Okonkwo and Beatrice both killing a family member, Okonkwo commits this act out of cowardice and fear of being viewed as weak, whereas Beatrice poisons Eugene as an act of self-defense and empowerment, contrastingRead MoreThings Fall Apart : Summer Reading2607 Words   |  11 PagesThings Fall Apart:Summer Reading 1. How would you describe Okonkwo’s life and background as portrayed in the beginning of the novel? What role did his father play in this? Okonkwo is a hard working man, who can support his three wives and all his children, due to the fact that his main goal in life is to not like his father, who was unsuccessful in life and was in a lot of debt. He strives to hate everything his dad enjoyed and makes this point by despising the flute which his father wasRead MoreAs Social Beings, The Innate, Evolutionary Instinct Of1842 Words   |  8 Pagesthat stage of the war (Browning 165),† were presented with the choice to either conform to Hitler’s ideal of a racially pure Germany accomplished by the systematic killing of Jews and other undesirables or to publicly put down their guns and â€Å"step out (Browning 57).† If the men were to make the choice to not engage in the atrocious act of killing, Browning describes that there was a stigma of cowardice. For example, when one of the men declined to take part in what would be later known as the JozefowRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart2050 Words   |  9 Pagesdescribes a man who was affected by Christianity which not only destroyed him but also his family and his tribe. Okonkwo is the main character who faces the demise of his world when the missionaries came in and took over his world. Okonkwo is a very independent, impatient African leader and is affected by Christianity, impacting the way he is accepted back into Umofia or the way he lives. Achebe s description of life in the village after colonization, helps to create a setting that condemns colonization