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Okonkwo The Power Hungry Warrior in Things Fall Apart

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Okonkwo, The Tragic Hero
The novel, Things Fall Apart, takes place in a Lower Nigerian village of Iguedo and Mbanta and is centered around a man by the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is introduced as the most renowned warrior of all tribes who brought great honor to his tribe by becoming the top wrestler of the villages. Throughout the book, Chinua Achebe expresses Okonkwo as a man whose obsession with power is what ultimately leads him to failing in attempts to obtain that power through his role as a farmer, the actions towards his family, and his actions towards the new civilization of the village. When introducing the protagonist, Achebe makes Okonkwo’s thirst for power and status very apparent not just through his
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He had hoped to be praised for his authority in his family, but instead was frowned upon and punished for his crime. Not only is this idea of a power hungry man seen of his role in his family, but also in his actions upon the return to his father land after being exiled for seven years for accidently killing his friend’s son.
The third example that shows Okonkwo and his obsession with power can be in his action when returning to his father land. Before returning to his father land, Okonkwo had big plans for how he would rise to power and even surpass the status he had before he was exiled. Unfortunately, when he returned he accomplished little to nothing. Instead, returns to a land that has been colonized by what he calls the “albinos”. In an act to try and assert dominance, Okonkwo, after being released from prison, tries to gather the village and rebel against the white men, which excites him. This can be shown in the book when the narrator said,” Okonkwo slept very little that night. The bitterness in his heart was now mixed with a kind of childlike excitement; before he had gone to bed he had brought down his war dress, which he had not touched since his return from exile.” (Achebe 70). This quote is a perfect example of Okonkwo’s obsession with power. Having had a little taste of power by getting ready to rebel, Okonkwo becomes very excited and could not sleep. Also, the
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