Steven Liu
May 28, 2012
Journal Entry – How does Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart considered as a tragic hero?
Okonkwo was an honorable clan leader in Umuofia. Since his early childhood, Okonkwo’s embarrassment about his lazy, squandering, and effeminate father, Unoka, was the major thing in his life that driven him to succeed. By embracing these ideals of his father’s, he did whatever he could to not to become someone like his father. Okonkwo’s hard work and valor in war have earned him great position in his clan and financial success which he attains to support three wives and his children.
Although Okonkwo had successfully became an individual that is completely different from his father, but after the white man had invaded and live among the Africans, Okonkwo seems to be unable to function within this changing society. As a result, his personality and behavior of violence had brought him great deal of troubles and sorrow upon himself.
Because of his embracement of his father, Okonkwo had become a manliness, anger, and violence individual. Although he was honored in his clan, and was wealthy enough to take care of his entire family, but having these personality and behaviors within the changing of the society eventually brought him to his own destruction, which led him of becoming a tragic hero.
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