Okonkwo and Tradition in Things Fall Apart
In the beginning of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is introduced as a strong, famous, and respectable character. He is well known for his wrestling achievements, his physical strength, his barns full of yams, and his two titles. The novel states "he was already one of the greatest men of his time" (Achebe 2087). This makes Okonkwo appear to be a very honorable character. He clings to the traditions of his tribe, as most humans do cling to tradition. He believes in the traditions so strongly that as those traditions are slowly destroyed, Okonkwo's life is destroyed along with them.
In contrast to Okonkwo's description, his father is described very negatively. It is clear that Okonkwo is nothing like his father and does not wish to be. This is why he has dedicated his life to being such a hard worker. "His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness" (Achebe 2089). The reason that Okonkwo is afraid of appearing weak is the influence of the tribe. It is not likely that he would have such strong fears if it were not for the influence of the standards of masculinity that the tribe has set. Osei-Nyame discusses the importance of male-centered traditions in his article "Representations of Gender and Tradition in Things Fall Apart." He suggests that "Okonkwo is obsessed with championing his masculinity" (3). This is a reason that Okonkwo tries so hard not to be anything like his father who was called "agbala," an Ibo word for laziness or "a man who had taken no title," which also referred to a woman. Okonkwo does not want his masculinity to be questioned.
A little farther into the novel, the reader discovers some of Okonkwo's less pleasing traits. It is revealed that his family lives in constant fear of him because of his "fiery temper." This is possibly his greatest character flaw. He beats his wives and children. He even explodes in rage causing him to do such things as shoot at one of his wives, or beat her severely during the Week of Peace when violence of any kind is unheard of. Another situation that may cause the reader to lose respect for Okonkwo is his insistence on taking part in the killing of Ikemefuna. Even after repeatedly being advised by the elders not to take part in it, he is still set on going. He is stubborn and does go. To make matters worse, it is Okonkwo who actually kills Ikemefuna, the boy who calls him "Father" (Achebe 2019). He kills the young boy because of fear. He does not want to look like any less of a man, but the irony is that his pride only seems to make him appear weaker.
Several writers argue that Okonkwo's failures are a result of his character weaknesses (Nnoromele 1). This is not necessarily so. Even though Okonkwo has these negative traits, toward the last half of the novel, the reader can begin to sympathize with him. For one thing, because he accidentally kills a member of the clan, he is exiled for seven years. This seems like a harsh punishment for something that was clearly accidental. Also, more loving traits are shown in him. The reader gets a sense of how much Okonkwo really cares and worries about his children. For example, he shows his love for his wife Ekwefi and his daughter Ezinma when he follows after them on the night Chielo takes Ezinma to the hills and caves in the middle of the night. Okonkwo follows them to ensure their safety and waits all night until he knows the his wife and daughter are safe (Achebe 2132).
Okonkwo also has a very strong sense of loyalty and pride in his clan, the traditions of the village, and his ancestors. It pains him to see members of his own clan, especially his own son, convert to Christianity and abandon their old ways to the ways of the white man. This is interesting because even Western readers who may believe in, or at least be accustomed to the teachings and values associated with Christianity, can still feel a sense of the loss Okonkwo feels. Achebe describes very well from Okonkwo's point of view many of the unpleasant aspects involved in "civilizing" the clan that many Westerners may never even think about. This helps Western readers understand some issues, such as the forcing of a religion upon a people who do not want to change, they may not know that much about due to a lack of open-mindedness. Okonkwo's sadness over the colonization of the tribe also ties back to masculine tradition. Okonkwo compares the members of the clan to women, which he associates with weakness.
"Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just a personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women" (Achebe 2162).
In the end, the reader can sympathize with Okonkwo. He kills a messenger because he believes the clan will rise up and fight with him. Instead, they only stand there. Everything in Okonkwo's life has fallen apart, as the title suggests. Everything he has worked for, lived for, and believed in is fading away. The writer Nnoromele describes Okonkwo's suicide as an act of heroism in the sense that "a hero would rather die than be captured and/or humiliated by the enemy" (9). Using that logic, Okonkwo's death shows the colonizers that although the tribe and its traditions were changing, Okonkwo would stand firm. After the suicide of Okonkwo, his best friend Obierika says, "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog" (Achebe 2172 ). This statement puts blame on the ways of the white man and states that the situation must have been extremely hopeless in order to provoke such a great man to take his life. Obierika's statement is also a final declaration of how honorable a man Okonkwo truly was.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Literature of the Western World Volume II.
Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Nnoromele, Patrick C. "The Plight of a Hero in Achebe's Things Fall Apart."
College Literature. 146 -156. Spring 2000
Osei-Nyame, Kwadwo. "Chinua Achebe Writing Culture: Representations of
Gender and Tradition in Things Fall Apart." Research in African Literature. 148 -164. Summer 1999.