Tragic Flaw That Presented in Okonkwo

Tragic flaw that presented in Okonkwo

People, who seem to be strong in our life, act nothing but imperturbation towards troubles. In fact, they don't express their nervous or fearfulness part of their minds. In addition, they don't always have a happy life also. That is because they need to cover for their emotions, and that makes them become burdensome people. Further more, by disguising, they lose the liberty of doing whatever they want to do. In Things fall apart, Okonkwo, the protagonist, is indeed the exemplary person of this kind. Because of Unoka, Okonkwo's father, doesn't give a very good example of being a father, Okonkwo's personality is changed permanently. Okonkwo abhors his father's attitude for life and becomes not only foolhardy, but also violent and harsh. The exalted status of Okonkwo in the beginning of the book defines him as a hero, and the finale death of Okonkwo clearly manifests that Okonkwo is a tragic one. It is Okonkwo's over-reaction towards his father builds the tragic flaw in him, and the tragic flaw built in him is his extreme value of manliness.

Okonkwo's tragic flaw clearly doesn't give Okonkwo a good time during the week of peace. One year, during the week of peace, Okonkwo was greatly nettled by his wife, and the only reason is she went out without telling him and was late for dinner. Okonkwo's fury pushed him to beat her during the week of peace, which was not permitted by the clan. "And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace. Ð'... But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for the fear of a goddess" (Achebe, 30). Okonkwo's extreme value of manliness decides that he won't stop beating her, and that leads him to a serious consequence. He needs to sacrifice one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries. Okonkwo was indeed repentant, but it was his manliness again that decides not to show this emotion. Okonkwo's extreme manliness value let he burden a very big misunderstanding as well. People think he was not regretted, but he did inwardly; people also start to make fun of him because of this event. "And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said his good fortune had gone to his head. They called him the little bird nza who so far forgot himself after a heavy meal that he challenged his chi" (31). This big misunderstanding was only a minor consequence of his tragic flaw compare to others. After this, Okonkwo's extremism values will lead him to more misfortunes.

As for the locusts' decent has no foreboding at all, the death of Ikemefuna comes abruptly. In fact, Ikemefuna's death is closely related with Okonkwo's tragic flaw. When the elders decided the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo was very shocked of the decision. He was very fond of the boy even though it wasn't shown. However, it was Okonkwo's extreme value of manliness determines that Okonkwo will be on the crew of killing Ikemefuna. Even Obierika, Okonkwo's close friend, was not in favor of doing that. "Obierika said Ð''But if the Oracle said that my son should be killed I would neither dispute it nor be the one to do it'" (67). Okonkwo thinks that not willing to kill his son is showing his "weakness". Based on his value of manliness, he decides to be on the crew. Further more, Ikemefuna's death was cause by the very hand of his father. " Ikemefuna cry, Ð''my father, they have killed me!' as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak" (61). Surprisingly to the reader, the reason Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna was not to get him out of suffer, but is simply because "He was afraid of being thought weak." Saddled with so many burdens, Okonkwo doesn't live a happy life for sure. Although he didn't choose to kill Ikemefuna he certainly can do a lot to it: talk to Nweoy about it, refuse to be on the crew, or to save the child if he want to. However, his tragic flaw again put efforts into his final choice. The killing of Ikemefuna