A hero by definition, without regards to religion or race, is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. As new changes were being introduced in the Igbo community, so were new emotions within the tribe.
Okonkwo, because of these emotions, commits. In these stories, the heroes are extraordinary individuals, whose careers and destinies are not theirs alone, but are bound with the fortunes and destinies of their society.
They become heroes by accomplishing great things for themselves and their communities, winning much fame as a result. Okonkwo fits this pattern. The first paragraph. Who is the truer tragic hero, Antigone or Okonkwo, and why? Things Fall Apart the protagonist, Okonkwo is a broken man, caught in emotional paranoia.
Throughout the book he tends to see certain things from a cynical point of view, and ultimately is blinded by constant moral conflict. Acting on his reflexes, he find himself in many situations in which he believes something that the majority of the culture does not. He sees everything from an angle that is secluded from almost everyone, yet he does not seem to realize that. Okonkwo acts off of his raw emotion, which. Toiling in the fields, enduring droughts, exhibiting fearless on the battlefield, and fueled by a burning desire to succeed, Okonkwo becomes a hero in Umuofia.
Driven by the fear of being seen as weak and emasculated, Okonkwo exhibits hyper masculinity and rage. His greatest, overwhelming worry is that he will become like his father — lazy, unable to support his family, and cowardly. This means that Okonkwo attempts to work hard, provide for his family materially, be brave, and be masculine in every possible way. But he also tends toward emotions that are extreme, and his fear motivates him to take actions which are often unnecessary and ultimately destructive.
His fear of being feminine leads him to assist in the murder of Ikemefuna whom he loved, to beat his wives, be emotionally distant from his children, and to disown his oldest son. His three wives are there to serve him his food and raise his children. By seeing them as his subjects, Okonkwo can justify his brutal behavior against them. He can beat his wives without guilt. He can threaten Ekwefi with a gun when she talks back. Though he does have qualms about killing Ikemefuna, they are not qualms about whether or not he has the right to do it.
Okonkwo feels complete ownership over his family. There is, however, the problem of love and intimacy. Achebe describes him as "tall and huge" with "bushy eyebrows and [a] wide nose [that gives] him a very severe look.
Okonkwo is renowned as a wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams a "manly" crop. He has three wives and many children who live in huts on his compound. Throughout his life, he wages a never ending battle for status; his life is dominated by the fear of weakness and failure. He is quick to anger, especially when dealing with men who are weak, lazy debtors like his father.
However, Okonkwo overcompensates for his father's womanly weak ways, of which he is ashamed, because he does not tolerate idleness or gentleness. Even though he feels inward affection at times, he never portrays affection toward anyone. Instead, he isolates himself by exhibiting anger through violent, stubborn, irrational behavior. Okonkwo demands that his family work long hours despite their age or limited physical stamina, and he nags and beats his wives and son, Nwoye, who Okonkwo believes is womanly like his father, Unoka.
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