A Tragic Hero

There is no doubt that Okonkwo is a tragic hero. His inability to swallow his pride and loose his power end up costing him all of his worldly possessions, and his life. But the question remains, why? What purpose does he have for killing the embodiment of the old society. Of course there are the obvious reasons. Such as, to make the story more interesting. Also because, just as I said, he represents the culture. But I believe it is more than that.

Throughout the book, in carrying out his duty to his tribe, people, and religion, we see him tear himself apart. This is most prominent when he deals the final blow to a young boy who he had sheltered for two years. With that boys last words being "Father, help me!" it is hard even for the reader to keep from tearing up. Additionally, when he beats his wife, we see a bit of the rage and instability shine through. Okonkwo represents something more. The self-war we see him engaged in throughout the book is a reflection on the culture of his time. It is an acknowledgement that the system had flaws. This actually makes a lot of sense. As a person, Chinua comes from a repressed cultural background, and a confused heritage. His culture was demonized for centuries. This just fuels his writer's desire for the truth more. But not just truth for himself. He wants the world to know the truth, to make judgements based on what is real. This is reflected in his work. In Things Fall Apart, he does not overly demonize the Europeans of old. To do so would be to doom others to the same fate he and his people have suffered. And as people who have suffered, they know how it is nearly impossible to deserve. And he does not represent his peoples past as perfect. Because it was not.