Ambiguous Diction In Things Fall Apart

In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart Okonkwo is the tragic hero due to his tragic

He is a solid leader His instructions his household with his dominant hand. He looks aggressive and Barbaric. Okonkwo appears ready to spring at people. His appearance is terrifying. He beats his wives and children when they get don’t listen to him He is a very static character because he does not change in the novel.

“To show affection was a sign of weakness” (Achebe 28). Some of his actions were out of his control but the murders he committed were his own choice and apparently his reputation and ego meant more to him than mercy and human decency. “People who want to feel better about themselves make decisions that meet their needs”. All of the decisions he made like beating his wife, killing Ikemefuna, the missionary and accidently Ezeudu’s son decided his fate, the way the tribe ended up was Okonkwo’s view of a tragedy. The village did not want to go to war with the missionaries that religiously destroyed their clan so Okonkwo became miserable with life. He could not believe that the villagers were okay with the new religion being forced upon them so he decided to take his fate into his own hands and take his own life so he does not have to face what tragedy is to him; his clan failing and falling into the enemy's arms. Okonkwo could not bear the burden of this mental and emotional pain his failing village caused

The protagonist, Okonkwo demonstrates his sympathetic character solely to himself, personally, and infrequently not in the eyes of others. During the plotting of Ilemefuna’s death, Okonkwo was hesitant to make the boy aware of his fate and also hesitant to take part in his death. “‘I cannot understand why you refused to come with us to kill that boy,’ he

Okonkwo’s violent behavior escalate to the point in which he attend to shoot his own wife just because she mumble some words in his back. This doesn’t mean he is a bad person. Later in the chapter is found that he is very fond of his daughter Ezinma, display feelings of love and affection but he consider those emotion as weakness to himself

            While Okonkwo, Nwoye, and Ikemefuna are feasting upon the locusts, a man named Ezeudu pays Okonkwo a visit. Achebe describes Ezeudu’s visit on page 50, writing, “He refused to join in the meal, and asked Okonkwo to have a word with him outside…When they were out of ear-shot, he said to Okonkwo: “That boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death…Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him.” Achebe implies that Ezeudu brings bad news by describing the caution Ezeudu takes to avoid being overheard and his decision to not partake in the meal.  Also, now Okonkwo is forced to decide what actions he is going to take and how far he should be involved in Ikemefuna’s death. Okonkwo’s fears result in his taking great effort in order to avoid appearing weak or feminine, yet the decision Okonkwo faces is whether or not he will allow his insecurities to take precedence over the advice that Ezeudu has given them. Achebe uses Okonkwo’s dilemma as a way to convey a sense of tension. The next day, Okonkwo tells Ikemefuna that he is returning to his own home. Achebe describes Ikemefuna’s reaction on page 51, writing, “He still missed his mother and his sister and would be very glad to see them. But somehow he knew he was not going to see

Achebe utilizes Okonkwo as morally ambiguous to illustrate an internal battle between good and evil through his brutal actions. Okonkwo beats on his second wife, Ekwefi, when she fails to tell him about leaving their hut; he even threatens to kill her with his gun. The reader can deduce Okonkwo feels justified in his actions because he always thought of the male race as superior and as a disciplinary force. The author chooses to make Okonkwo beat his wife because while Okonkwo was not motivated to abuse his wife by anger, he was motivated to show him as being the head of the household; the man running the show. This connects back to the theme because it was good Okonkwo was taking on the role of being the head, acceptable by his community and time period, yet his methods would be looked down upon by modern day

He believed that his father’s actions were feminine and therefore worked hard to become a warrior. Along with not wanting to appear feminine, Okonkwo does not think his actions through. When Ikemefuna was brought into Okonkwo’s family, he accepted him and the two became very close. But after three years Ikemefuna was sentenced to death and Okonkwo was sent out with him. As the man raised up his machete Ikemefuna run to Okonkwo, “My father, they have killed me!” as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak”(Achebe 61). In this split second Okonkwo lets his emotions and fears of appearing weak win and did not allow himself time to think. Achebe utilizes Okonkwo to display the principle of cause and effect. Okonkwo is very proactive and does things on a whim. By doing so he makes hasty decisions that will be regretted in the long run. Okonkwo’s suicide was caused by a hasty decision and the responses of the tribesman. “He heard voices asking: “Why did he do it?”(Achebe

The breakdown of Okonkwo’s relationship with his son is evident throughout this novel. The reason for this tumultuous relationship is, Okonkwo is too engrossed in maintaining his status quo, and his relationship was governed by his own beliefs, principles and his own “right way to do right things”. He treated his family very strictly as he believed that showing affection revealed a sign of social weakness; thus the disheartening lack of respect and love was a mal nourishing factor with in the family.

When Ikemefuna came to Umuofia, Okonkwo “became very fond of the boy- inwardly of course… He therefore treated Ikemefuna as he treated everybody else- with the heavy hand. But there was no doubt that he liked the boy” (24). This establishes that Okonkwo loves Ikemefuna but because he wants to look strong and demonstrate power he shows little to no emotion of love towards him. Correspondingly, when Ikemefuna is facing his death, he runs to Okonkwo asking for help. As this happens Okonkwo, acting on impulse, slays Ikemefuna with his machete. Okonkwo try’s to act like he does not have affection for Ikemefuna, but the reader sees the reality when, after Ikemefuna’s death, “Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days…He drank palm-wine from morning till night…[and] did not sleep at night” (55). In other words, Okonkwo is mourning over the loss of Ikemefuna and. Though this is the case a close reader might see that Okonkwo’s impulse of killing Ikemefuna was because he wanted to seem strong but the evidence shows the reality of his emotion. One might conclude that Okonkwo can be loving and compassionate, but because of his need to look masculine his relationship with Ikemefuna is

Okonkwo is a prideful man who does not like admitting when he is in the wrong, because he is like this he decided he would take his fate into his own hands. Okonkwo was so upset that he killed himself. He thought that by killing himself, he would control his own destiny instead of letting the Europeans control him. “I will never let a white cheeked man control my life.” (Achebe 96). This is ironic, because suicide in the Ibo tribe is known as sin, and is a cowardly way to die. Okonkwo's life ambition was to prove himself as a man and to show the clan and tribe members that he was nothing like his “lazy feminine father” (Achebe 18) but when he killed himself nothing that he did his whole life really mattered,

Not many people like change, especially when it comes to how you live your life. Okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged when western ideas were introduced. In the beginning of Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo was strict when needed and hated everybody who resembled his father. As time progressed, and the westerners came, he started to see start to become his father and that frightened him. It frightened him enough to disown his son, whom he had been trying to make a better man,not saying much when he and the others got captured when he would usually talk about how he was going to kill them, and lastly, he killed himself.

In the story, the portrayal of Okonkwo is initially positive. He was praised in his village because of his ability to be a warrior, farmer, and care provider. He was a natural leader for his people. His involvement in government affairs was a crucial part of the novel because he provided a physical link between the people of his village and the higher ruling power. This role can also be closely examined as the first instance of foreshadowing the subject of colonization in the story. Like the overarching influence a colonizer has on those they have colonized, Okonkwo has the same power over his people. With this great power and honor in his village came tremendous influence. He chose to use this power negatively in many instances, and often put down his

In the concluding moments of the novel, “Things Fall Apart”, by Chinua Achebe, the main protagonist woefully ends his life. In any genre of novel, deaths of characters can be used to help highlight the ideas of meaning that the author is trying to portray to the reader. In “Things Fall Apart”, Achebe uses the death of Okonkwo to reveal what overwhelming amounts of fear can do to someone.

Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man.