РефератыИностранный языкA A Fallen Hero Essay Research Paper The

A Fallen Hero Essay Research Paper The

A Fallen Hero Essay, Research Paper


The tragic hero demonstrates great dedication and sacrifice; as well as


standing as a symbol of goodness and justice. His acts of courage and


strength are however no match for his tragic flaw, which eventually lead to


his downfall. In Chinua Achebe?s novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo the


main character of the story plays the role of a tragic hero. Okonkwo?s


greatest fear of becoming a failure like his father, Unoka, is the fuel of his


success as well as the cause of his tragic downfall.


Okonkwo?s resentment towards his father motivates his great rise to


prosperity. For example, Okonkwo is so ashamed of his father as a young


boy that when he grows older, ?[He] [is] ruled by one passion- to hate


everything that his father, Unoka has loved. One of those things [is]


gentleness and the other [is] idleness? (pg. 13). Okonkwo detests Unoka for


allowing his weaknesses rule his life. He is so shamed of having such an


unavailing and indolent man as a father, that he vows to never become like


him. He is so driven by this determination to distance himself from any


possible similarities between him and his father, that he immediately strives


to be his extreme opposite. As a result, where Unoka lacks Okonkwo


thrives. In addition, when Okonkwo first begins to establish a life of his


own, ? …He [does] not have the start in which many young men [have]


[received from their fathers]. But inspire of these disadvantages…he


[begins]…to lay the foundations of a prosperous future, possessed by the fear


of his father?s contemptible life and shamed death? (pg. 18). Okonkwo


begins his difficult climb to success with nothing but the hope of a better


life than the one his father shows. He disciplines himself to be a hard


worker, never once showing any signs of failure. Furthermore, through


many years of struggle he becomes, ?…A wealthy [man]. To crown it all he


[has] taken two titles and although [he] [is] still young, he is already one of


the greatest men of his time? (pg. 8). Okonkwo strives to be the best in


order to escape the chance of repeating his father?s ignominious life and


eventually earns the revere of the clan. Okonkwo?s determination to rise


above his fathers less than reputable status eventually leads him to the


success he was in search for.


Okonkwo?s efforts to uphold his masculine decorum as a man of great


strength and little weaknesses result in hardship. For example, when


Okonkwo is upset with his youngest wife for being irresponsible,?…he beats


her heavily [and] in his anger he has forgotten the week of peace? (pg. 29).


Okonkwo is a very demanding person who believes that using physical


action is the only way a real man keeps order in his house hold. He is


easily enraged and because of his stubborn determination to lead a life free


of weakness, he is impossible to control. In Okonko?s fury to immediately


keep his wife in line, he absent-mindedly breaks the sacred honoring to the


gods and as a result receives punishment as well. In addition, when


Okonkwo discovered that Nwoye was among the men whom were


converting to Christianity, ?[He] seized a heavy stick that lay on the dwarf


wall and hit [Nwoye] two or three savage blows. [When Okonkwo finally]


left hold of [him] Nwoye…walked away and never returned? (pg., 152).


Okonkwo?s rigidity ultimately destroys his relationship with his son.


Instead of encour

aging Nwoye against accepting the guidance of the


Christian leaders, Okonkwo pushes him further and further into his


newfound faith. Nwoye eagerly adopts his new way of life as means of


escape from his father?s dominance. Furthermore, when Ikemefuna ran


towards Okonkwo for protection as the men from the clan were attempting


to kill him, ? Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down [because] he


was afraid of being thought weak? (pg. 61). Although Okonkwo never


outwardly displays his great affection for Ikemufuna, he undoubtedly feels


and treats him as if he is his son. Okonkwo admires Ikemefuna?s


willingness to work and ability to learn quickly, but despite his fondness for


him, Okonkwo finds it impossible to withdraw in assisting Ikemefuna?s


murder. He refuses to be thought of as a ?woman? by allowing his


emotions interfere with his responsibility to the clan. In Okonkwo?s strive


to prove his strength he distances himself from the ones he love.


Okonkwo?s overwhelming frustration in his himself as well as in his


clan lead him to his final days. For example, when Okonkwo joins the


gathering to hear Egonwanne speak out against the plan to fight the


missionaries, he tells Obeirika, ? I do not care what he does to you. I despise


all who listen to him. I shall fight alone…? (pg. 201). Okonkwo is


painfully disappointed in his clan for their feeble attempts to defeat the


white men without the obvious solution of using warfare. He is frustrated


with their ?womanly? decisions and refuses to give up with out a fight,


even though he will be single-handedly battling against a cause most believe


he has already lost. In addition, when Okonkwo kills the white man?s


messenger out of great rage, ? He knew Umufoia would not go to war. He


knew because they let the other messengers escape…[and] he had heard


voices asking: ?Why did he do it??? ( pg. 205). Okonkwo feels helpless and


alone in his now withering mission to uproot the missionaries from


Umuofia. He is confounded of how such a strongly unified and culturally


enriched clan could fall apart at the slightest persuasion of another culture.


He feels he lives among strangers who no longer see him as the highly


respected man he once was but as a crazed man blinded by his belief that


violence is the only answer to their problems. Furthermore, when the


Commissioner came to take Okonkwo away, he was already to late, ?


Okonkwo?s body was dangling [from the tree]…? (pg. 207). Okonkwo


commits suicide out of anguish of losing his lonely battle against the


missionaries. He is convinced that his life long struggle to avoid his father?s


likeness was all for nothing. Seeing his people slowly abandon their way of


life to adopt that of the ?white man?s? is a proof to him that he has failed in


his mission to do away with these deceiving foreigners.


There are many things that drive people to do well in life, but success


has always come with a heavy price tag. The burning force that may push


you to the top can very often be the same force that leaves you plunging to


the ground. To be able to use a negative aspect of your life as your


motivation in your search for success is a difficult thing to do. Many people


who are capable of doing so often become so engulfed with achieving their


goals out of a powerful fear of reliving that negative time in their life.


Ironically in many cases this fear is what eventually destroys them.

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