Saturday, January 30, 2016
"Things Fall Apart" - Part 1
In Part One of Things Fall Apart, Achebe seems to have created Okonkwo as a tragic hero. He is one of the most titled men in his community, and is revered as one of the strongest men. However, he is quick to anger and violence, which often gets him in trouble with both the community and the gods. He was warned by Ezeudu, one of the oldest men in the village, not to take part in the sacrifice of Ikenfuna, but Okonkwo was the one who killed Ikenfuna in the woods. This action seemed to have marked Okonkwo in the eyes of the gods, with the nearly fatal illness of Ezinma, her later summoning by Agbala, and then his fatal mistake of accidentally killing Ezeudu's son at his funeral. This mistake (described as something that had never happened before) results from his flaw of insecurity covered by excessive pride/desire to demonstrate his strength/manliness (pride is the most common flaw in tragic heroes). Okonkwo's punishment comes in the form of exile for seven years in order to save the community from the god's wrath. The other men burn his compound, the symbol of his wealth and status that he built himself. It will be interesting to see if Okonkwo's story continues to follow the path of a tragic hero, or if Okonkwo will realize his flaw and try to change himself for the better to rebuild the life that has seemingly fallen apart.
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I think your examination of him as a tragic hero is interesting, though I'm not sure I would go that far. Prior to the accidental killing, I feel like there is little evidence to say he suffered much tragedy. Though it is true that Enzinma did get sick and was near death, the particular period that is highlighted in the book wasn't that long (true she was sickly on and off for a very long time, but she has still repeatedly returned to her healthy state). I'm also not sure what I think of Enzinma being taken to Agbala and if this reflects negatively on Okonkwo (I don't remember the reasoning for her being taken to the cave ever being discussed). I also thought tragic hero's typically had no family or their families were killed at the start of their adventures (I.e. Hercules), and at the very least their families didn't travel with them (Theseus' father remained in Athens). Okonkwo also doesn't seem as though he's gonna go on some uncertain adventure, as he and his family do have a destination in mind (his wife's home village). However, I will admit that I probably haven't studied these stories as widely as widely as you have and am likely to be missing something.
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