Characterization of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart

Analysis of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart


The final sentence in Things Fall Apart would suggest that the District
Commissioner viewed the tribal characters as simple and incapable of deep understanding.
However, Achebe’s portrayal of the characters give each one great depth and complexity.
The perfect example of this contradiction would be the Okonkwo. The intricacy that
Achebe used in creating Okonkwo was astonishing. If the reader were to meet Okonkwo
in person, he or she would perceive Okonkwo as primitive. However, with Achebe’s
story of Okonkwo in the book, the reader can see that Okonkwo is a man that is struggling
to overcome everything he fears becoming. Okonkwo is terrified of being associated with
any resemblance of his father, Unoka. It is this single fear that pushes Okonkwo to lead
the life he does. Inner turmoil is constantly surrounding Okonkwo, but it is his disgust for
his father that ultimately determines the characteristics that Okonkwo...