In things fall apart, Chinua Achebe tells a masterful story about an Ibo farmer

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living in Nigeria ate the end of 19 century. This self-made man had passed through a

modest childhood to become a prosperous and respected leader.

Throughout his novel, Achebe describes “Okonkwo” as the leader of his tribe. He is

a successful farmer and warrior and got a quick anger spirit. He is a self-made and well

respected man. Achebe considers him as the concept of self and society.

At the beginning of the story, Oknonkwo is known throughout the land for his

fearless as Achebe stated that he has the fear of being regarded as a weak man and a

failure in society as his father “Unoka”.The writer also made it clear that Okonkwo is

ashamed of his father by saying: “And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion to hate

everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of these things was gentleness and

another was idleness”

In other words, Oknokwo’s father “Unoka” was a lazy, irresponsible and effeminate

man. Although he was talented musician, he had a bad reputation and brings shame to his

family. Thus Okonkwo wanted to forget all about his father and al what is related to him.

That is why; the fear of being like him drove him to work very hard and with passionate

in order to build himself and create his position among the clan’s members and get titles

as was written in “Chapter 3” from the novel where Achebe describes Okonkwo struggle

and merits his achievement: “If ever a man deserved his success, that man was Okonkwo”.

Furthermore, throughout the story, Okonkwo is determined to prove him-self

industrious. This fear resurfaces when Okonkwo’s son “Nwoye” exhibits several of Unoka’s

qualities. Okonkwo did not want his son to be the same picture as his father. Instead, he

wanted him to be more powerful and strong and be self-confident.

 Moreover, Okonkwo’s fear leads him to threat the other members of the family

harshly as Achebe had written: “His wives especially the youngest lived in perpetual fear of

his fiery temper and so did his little children”. Okonkwo beats his wives, shouts at his

children even when he is well aware that they are innocent. He is even willing to break the

rules of the clan to prove his authority; that is: “during the Weak of Peace” when the clan

members are not allowed to quarrel, Okonkwo beats his wife harshly. Although a priest

warned him that this will ruin the whole clan, he was still considering that any sign of

weakness will cause him to lose control of his wives and children.

In the other hand, Okonkwo is a character full of paradox since he seems sometimes

afraid to express positive emotion .He believes that affection was a sign of weakness.

However, Achebe is careful to mention to his main character. For instance: after

Ekemefuna’s death, Okonkwo is un-able to sleep for several days. Again, when his

daughter falls ill, he took care of her, and when she is taken away by a priest, he secretly

spends the night worrying about the girl.

Throughout the story’s development, that is chapter 20, Achebe describes how

Okonkwo during his exile could influence his girl to marry a man from Umuofia only. So

that through his girl he could still retain prestige in his clan.

By the exile of okonkwo to his mother land “Mbanta” the writer pointed one of the

very important thought of the Ibo people that is said in Chapter 14: “A man belongs to

his father land when things are good and life sweet. But when there is sorrow and

bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland.” That is why he was exiled in his mother land

after the sin he had done. While being there, Okonkwo felt weak and lost all his positions

and titles. His uncle tried to encourage him to rebuild himself again. This can show the

falling of Okonkwo from being the powerful leader to a weak man who needs help.
 After his return, Okonkwo is greatly surprised by the coming of the whites and the

great changeability they had done in the village, that is : Building churches, and

converting more people to Christianity among them his son Nwoye who seemed

disappointing his father and to follow their culture. Okonkwo refused this, and tried to

stop them. He tries to prove his power and swears in chapter 24: “If Umuofia decided on

a war, all would be well. But if they chose to be coward, he would go and avenge himself”.

In fact, the clan members were surprised by his doing and instead, they refused to follow

him. Thus he killed a white man just to make it clear for the villagers that he is able to

defeat the whites and got things as they were. But he again, did not receive any support

from his clan members and so decided “to kill himself” to show that he is still strong and

powerful, he chooses to commit suicide, the most shameful way to die. The things he has

known have fallen apart and have dragged him down with them.

Finally, we can say that Achebe’s novel “Things fall apart” still be an excellent

example about the Ibo people. Chinua had used for the purpose of coloring his novel many

characters whom each played a specific important role. The story’s hero was Okonkwo

whom Achebe considered as a tragedy character who is full of paradoxes.