Essay on the Downfall of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes...

The Downfall of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart nbsp; Chinua Achebes novel, Things Fall Apart, uses the changes in African tribal culture brought about by European colonization to illustrate the evolution of the character Okonkwo. As Okonkwo leads his life, his experiences, personality and thought are revealed to the reader. The obstacles he faces in life are made numerous as time progresses. Okonkwos most significant challenge originates within himself. He also encounters problems not only when in opposition to the white culture, but in his own culture, as he becomes frustrated with tribal ideals that conflict with his own. The last adversary he encounters is of the physical world, brought upon himself by his emotional and cultural†¦show more content†¦nbsp; Because Okonkwo funnels all his emotional energy into a single channel, he often expresses what he is feeling in outbursts of mindless rage and violence. Often these explosions are in the form of beatings. The first of these events takes place when Okonkwo beats one of his wives then nearly shoots her. Okonkwo blamed her for killing a banana tree, however the reality was that Okonkwo was merely impatient for the New Yam Festival to pass. He was always uncomfortable sitting around waiting for a feast...much happier working on his farm. (38) Okonkwo uses his farming as an outlet for his emotions, but when idleness comes in times near festivals, he has no work and appropriately seeks another outlet. While beatings are accepted by the African tribal culture, Okonkwos timing in one incident places him at odds with his village. During a week of peace preceding the planting season, Okonkwo severely beats one of his wives. With this act of violence, he has offended the gods and must make rep arations through sacrifices. Although the Ibo culture is partially a warrior based society, unnecessary violence is frowned upon by the clansmen. The prominence of violence in Okonkwos tendencies places him at odds with the more passive tribe members. He sees them as weak and pitiful while they see him as a hardworking, but fearful man. This difference leads Okonkwo to his last major conflict inShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart And Heart Of Darkness Analysis910 Words   |  4 PagesApproach to Compare Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart with Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness In everyday life, we are always comparing, even subconsciously with even knowing it. When we compare things, we look at what the similarities are in said items such as a popular brand or a generic one. Comparing things such as two literary works, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, and, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, both have a lot of similarities that we will look at. 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