Okonkwo is highly regarded in Umuofia. He is viewed as a great warrior who has gained the respect of those around him. He is a wealthy, successful man who seems to have a lot of say in the village's politics. However, despite his high stature, Okonkwo is far from perfect. His violent tendencies and explosive temper frighten those who are close to him, and his fear of being perceived as weak causes him to be incredibly misogynistic. The downfall of Okonkwo is completely his fault. He just straight up murders a guard in the middle of the village. I mean, I understand that this guy was from a group of people who were trying to force their beliefs and way of life onto Okonkwo, but there was really no reason for him to just chop this guy's head off. Not only that, but this wasn't the first time Okonkwo has been super eager to commit homicide. He murdered Ikmefuna with absolutely no provocation. The village elders even told him not to do it, but he did it anyway.
I mean, in my opinion, Okonkwo does deserve a little misfortune. Straight up murdering two people, trying to shoot your wife, and beating your children and wives definitely warrants some serious punishments in my book. Maybe he didn't really deserve to die, but then again, he did commit suicide. By killing himself, he basically chose his own punishment. Okonkwo also doesn't seem to gain any sort of awareness or even feel sorry for his actions. The book ends on an ironic note that reminds the audience of the viewpoint of the Christians.
Okonkwo fits some of the characteristics of a tragic hero and although he can be viewed as such, I feel as though some of his punishment is deserved.
I love that you're not afraid to call out Okwonkwo's problematic actions!! (#smashthepatriarchy). I do think that this post could be a little longer, with more explanation of how Okwonkwo does actually fit the tragic hero trope, since you say that he does conform in some ways. But otherwise, I think that your analysis of his behavior is really interesting. I like that you make the statement that his behavior is so bad that he is not wholly undeserving of his fate, and I also thought that your assertion that he chose his own fate was really interesting. All in all, this is a really great post!
ReplyDeleteAs always, I really appreciate the sarcastic inflection in your voice throughout the post. You do a very nice job discussing why Okonkwo is not a hero because of the way he treats his wives and children but I think it would serve you well to evaluate the extent to which Okonkwo may fall under some of the other categories for tragic heroes. Basically I just think you need to go a little deeper into the analysis of how much he fits the mold. Overall the post was witty and engaging to read.
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