Okwonkwo Character Analysis

Okwonkwo, the novels main protagonist, is a lot more complex than meets the eye and is often used by Achebe to advance certain themes or purposes in the story. While Okwonkwo may not be a traditional tragic hero, he shares many traits of a tragic hero. Firstly, his tragic flaw, which can be excessive pride, is the thing that eventually leads to his downfall, his death. He commits a crime and the consequence is a punishment that is arguably too harsh, With that being said, Okwonkwo never really comes to a realization that his downfall may be a result of his wrongdoings or his tragic flaw. Choosing Okwonkwo as a tragic hero is a way for Achebe to be able to relfect on the entire Igbo society. If Okwonkwo is symbolic for the entire society, then Achebe is inferencing that their downfall was due to their own doings. While being colonized and being taken over is not something that can be attributed to the Igbo people, their inability to fight back and to open their minds about other ways of thinking could have attributed to their destruction. Using Okwonkwo as a tragic hero allowed Achebe to not only expand Okwonkwo's character, but to also show all the different aspects of the society. If Okwonkwo is considered symbolic for the entire Igbo culture, Achebe has effectively been able to use him to advance several themes. Firstly, the theme of the struggle between cultural beliefs and personal beliefs is something that often comes up with Okwonkwo and other characters like Obierika. While cultural beliefs are often forced upon every person in the Igbo society, there are instances where each character must question whether the actions are justified or not. many characters, including Okwonkwo, were attempting to reach and equilibrium between their cultural and personal beliefs. Another theme that Okwonkwo is the staple of is fate, or destiny. Although Okwonkwo works hard his entire life and does everything he can to stay away from the reputation of his father, he keeps facing obstacles until he eventually dies as worthless as his father did. Again, if Okwonkwo represents the entire Igbo society, then colonization and destruction of the culture was an inevitable act. While they may have attempted to calmly drive the Europeans out, the eventual takeover of their land is something that could not have been stopped.