As If It Had Granted Its Permission

"Candlelight"

Tony Hoagland

Crossing the porch in the hazy dusk

to worship the moon rising

like a yellow filling-station sign

on the black horizon,

you feel the faint grit

of ants beneath your shoes,

but keep on walking

because in this world

you have to decide what

you're willing to kill.

Saving your marriage might mean

dinner for two

by candlelight on steak

raised on pasture

chopped out of rain forest

whose absence might mean

an atmospheric thinness

fifty years from now

above the vulnerable head

of your bald grandson on vacation

as the cells of his scalp

sautéed by solar radiation

break down like suspects

under questioning.

Still you slice

the sirloin into pieces

and feed each other

on silver forks

under the approving gaze

of a waiter

whose purchased attention

and French name

are a kind of candlelight themselves,

while in the background

the fingertips of the pianist

float over the tusks

of the slaughtered elephant

without a care,

as if the elephant

had granted its permission.

    This poem is filled with images of death. Not, however, the images one would presume to find in your classic poem about death. Here, Hoagland points out the death that is happening constantly and all around us. The death many choose to ignore, and that many don't even notice in the first place. It's more than just death that this poem grapples with though, it's also about the act of killing. Hoagland assesses the way in which we prioritize ethically some things over others, specifically in the context of middle class consumerist society. While doing this, he slips in the subtle assertion that you can't save everything, and that entirely ethical consumption isn’t possible in the world we live in. There's a hint of remorse because of it too.
When one eats a steak or unknowingly crushes an ant, she may not view these actions as the act of killing. Hoagland argues that it is just that. His tone isn't accusatory, however, and at times it's almost matter-of-fact. His assertion that "in this world/you have to decide what/you're willing to kill" makes it seem unavoidable. The "faint grit of ants beneath your shoes" isn't fazing because of its perceived insignificance. His use of "faint" is intentional, as the feeling is almost imperceptible. Eating a steak is equivalent to killing a cow, which in turn has killed rainforest, which then hurts the atmosphere. Even going out in the sun kills skin cells on your body. All this killing seems unavoidable, and it is. Hoagland does seem to feel some guilt despite this, however. When he speaks of playing on an ivory piano "as if the elephant/had granted its permission," there seems to be some criticism. His tone at the end of the poem is almost sad, as if the fact that this killing is unavoidable doesn't make it right, that it still leaves one uneasy.
Hoagland's poetry focuses largely on the culture of middle-class America, and consumerism is a key aspect of that culture. While many examples of killing in this poem aren't related to consumption, the central image is. Candlelight, the title of the poem, falls on the steak that is being used to save a marriage. This encompasses the death of a cow, the death of a section of rainforest, and the thinning of the atmosphere, which will inevitably affect generations to come. In Hoagland's example, it will affect "your grandson on vacation" and burn the cells of his scalp. Here, we see in a somewhat ridiculous illustration the impossibility of consumption under capitalism being harmless. Hoagland uses this image to assert that even mainstream activities such as going out to dinner with your spouse are harmful to something in some way. "Still you slice/the sirloin into pieces/and feed each other/on silver forks."
"Candlelight" is a poem that analyzes the flaws of the world that we live in. Many of these flaws are impossible to change. Hoagland writes what could be a coming-to-terms with that, with the constant and unavoidable killing happening all around us, happening because of us. He leaves with a somewhat disappointing image, that of the pianist playing on the tusks of a slain elephant. The pianist doesn't care at all for the elephant, and plays on as if the elephant had told him it could do so. He is trapped in the willful ignorance Hoagland believes we all must participate in to get through life.

Cracks in the Sidewalks

Beneath the Sidewalk
Stephen Dunn

Whispers collect there, the bad news
from our subconscious,
tears that have dripped down
the insides of faces,
apologies that have gotten lost
in all of our throats.

So much has been held in,
so much has seeped through
the soles of our shoes,
that half our lives are beneath the sidewalk.
We sense the deep riot
that is always going on.

In spring there are small explosions.
Signs.  This why
the sidewalk must be repaved.
We hire someone to do it for us,
our tight bodies watching from windows

If the walls could talk.  If the walls could talk they would share memories of family dinners, heated arguments, and passionate nights.  Sidewalks are like walls.  Day after day countless people with countless stories travel across them leaving their stories beneath the pavement.  The little moments of joy and anger and sadness are what come together to weave the fabric of lives.  Stephen Dunn approaches poetry with honesty, capturing the raw beauty of the everyday human experience.  Dunn's poem Beneath the Sidewalk utilizes imagery and metaphors to convey a widely relatable idea in the context of a deeply personal experience.

From breakups to makeups to joyful reunions, the sidewalk experiences a wide range of emotional events.  Conversations that occur on sidewalks are merely "whispers" (line 1) and fragments of a deeper conversation. Dunn captures the image of "tears that have dripped down the insides of faces" (lines 3-4) creating a knot in the stomach of anyone who has ever felt sadness.  The word 'dripped' is important in this image as it conveys a certain emotion.  The tears are not pouring or streaming as in the case of intense momentous emotion.  Dripping implies that the feelings have been pent up for a while and slowly are making their way to the surface.  Following the image of tears is that of "apologies that have gotten lost in all of our throats" (lines 5-6).  More so than a visual image, this is a powerful emotional image.  By using the pronoun 'our', Dunn pulls the reader into the narrative and stirs up memories and images of those times in everyone's lives when apologies were left unsaid. The first stanza is relatively general forcing readers to look into their own sidewalk conversations but the next two stanzas are different in nature.

As Dunn was writing this poem, it seems as though he had a particular person in mind.  Perhaps it was a lost love or someone who was slipping away from him sidewalk conversation after sidewalk conversation.  This sidewalk is a seemly critical place in the context of Dunn's life.  He says that "half our lives are beneath the sidewalk" (line 10).  This phrase indicates that perhaps the sidewalk is located outside of Dunn's longtime home.  Dunn then introduces the negative image of a "deep riot" (line 11) and "small explosions" (line 13).  The words 'riot' and 'explosions' indicate an argument or an upheaval of the pattern of everyday life.  Due to the fact that these upheavals occur, "the sidewalk must be repaved" (line 15).  The word 'repaved' feels temporary.  Pavement, not matter how many times it is redone, always cracks.  In this, Dunn offers an image of the fragility of life and relationships.  He looks into the fragility of his own relationship.

Dunn works with the personal.  He talks about the perfectly imperfect and seemingly insignificant events that shape and create life.  Beneath the Sidewalks invites readers to explore the conversations they have lost beneath the sidewalks while simultaneously providing Dunn a place to look at his own sidewalk stories that make up his life.

Okonkwo's Journey

Okonkwo very much fits the ideal of a heroic character. He holds the strength and sense of duty to protect his people, but also has humbling flaws of insecurity and fear. His journey is also very close to that of Aristotle’s tragic hero, a noble man who falls from greatness but recovers and learns something new. Okonkwo is introduced to the reader first as a character who has to overcome his father's reputation, and then someone who has to battle his own insecurities. At the end of the book, he takes what he has gained from his past two experiences and uses it to defend his village from the outside force of the missionaries.

Okonkwo’s beginnings fill the first two criteria for a tragic hero, noble status with a humble past. His social position is shown by his having three wives and a title. Also, though not discussed among the people, he wears a mask and helps make the decisions of the people through acting as a speaker for a spirit. To gain this position, he had to deal with his father’s debt, poor soil, and lack of yams to grow their own wealth. He also had to prove his strength and loyalty by wrestling the Cat. His lower initial status allow the reader to relate more to Okonkwo. From his elevation, Okonkwo is able to gain the power and mindset of having to protect Umuofia.

Book two of Things Fall Apart gives the other portion of the characterization of a tragic hero. After Okonkwo commits a “female” murder and is banished for six years, he has reached his downfall. Like most tragic heroes, he is not fully to blame because the gun exploded without his intention to injure anyone. In Mbanta, Okonkwo first hears of and begins to resist the missionaries. In this, he begins to learn how to approach offenses as well as let others take charge in certain instances. One example of this is his return to Umuofia, when he realises that he will not be able to give his voice completely in making decisions that impact the entire tribe (though in his head he still thinks they should use more aggressive in getting rid of Christianity).

At the end of the novel, though it does finish with Okonkwo’s suicide, there is a feeling of seriousness but not complete despair. Though he showed growth, Okonkwo still kept the impulsive, insecure side he showed in Ikemefuna’s death and killed again in the same fashion. He showed a journey and gaining notoriety, falling in an accident, and then rebuilding himself to protect others in the style of a tragic hero, but he did not develop enough to save himself.

A Succession of Downfalls

The concept of the tragic hero has permeated literature for thousands of years, and Okonkwo of Things Fall Apart is a perfect example. A tragic hero is marked by a downfall that the protagonist suffers, usually as a result of that character’s flaws. Okonkwo is a tragic hero because he experiences not one, but three downfalls, right in succession.

The first downfall that Okonkwo faces is smaller than the rest, and it does little to affect his life as a whole, but it is still worth noting as part of his tragic hero’s journey. It comes when Okonkwo shoots one of his wives during the Week of Piece. This raises a scandal in his village, and he is punished with a fine of several goods and a large sum of money. Of course, this downfall is a result of a flaw of his: his raging temper. If not for his inability to remain calm when things do not go his way, he would have avoided the whole event, thus avoiding a harbinger for even worse things to come.

The second downfall comes when Okonkwo’s gun misfires at the funeral of a prominent community member. It causes the death of an innocent young man, and Okonkwo is thus exiled from the village for seven years. The punishment is obviously more extreme, in this case, but it is still a downfall and still a result of one of his flaws. This time, that flaw is his antiquated nature. He is obsessed with the great men of his age, always striving to be like the heroes around him when he was mentally and physically in his prime, and thus is clumsy with modern concepts and inventions, like the gun. If he had been more accepting of the changing times, he may have been able to handle the gun competently and avoid killing a fellow citizen.

Finally, the third and final downfall comes when Okonkwo takes his own life. Rather than live with the punishment of killing a white man, or even living under white rule at all, he chooses death, and the loss of his life is the greatest downfall of all. The suicide was caused by multiple factors, including the threat of execution by the new order, but they can all be traced back to one thing: his fear of failure. Mentioned from the beginning of the book, his fear forces him to always be the best, the strongest, the most violent and intimidating. He cannot be seen as weak, he cannot be seen as unsuccessful, and he cannot be seen as succumbing to a new god and a new government. If he had been able to work through this fear, things may have turned out differently.

Of course, there is no telling how the book would have been different if Okonkwo’s flaws disappeared. It may no longer even be a story worth telling. As it is, the story of Okonkwo is very sad, frustrating, and horrible to bear, and it is so because of his status as a tragic hero. He has a great many flaws, and when he falls, these flaws are to blame, every time.

Not tragic, not a hero

Aristotle believed in tragic heroes. These people are not saviors who help all and do no harm, living happily ever after; in fact, to Aristotle tragic heroes are imperfect beings who come to a deadly end. Okonwko, in Things Fall Apart, fits some of Aristotle's requirements, but not all. Even with all of Aristotle's ideas, Okonkwo does not seem remotely like a hero at all, not even a tragic one.

Aristotle's first three ideas on being a tragic hero in theory fit Okonkwo, however one should look at how he got to where he was. A tragic hero needs to be a character of noble stature and greatness. Yes, Okonkwo is revered in his village, but is because he is the best at brutally fighting people to prove his strength. Secondly, the hero is pre-eminently great, but not  perfect. I would not even go as far to say that Okonkwo is great. He beats his wife and children and cannot control his nasty temper. He even tries to shoot one wife! I do not see myself to be anything like Okonkwo at all and cannot identify with him. Okonwo's downfall is his fault. He kills himself, that is entirely his choice. Although this fits the requirement, in this case I believe it was a coward's way out.

The last three basic ideas of being a tragic hero do not apply to Okonkwo. He killed many people and went against village advice, not to mention he killed himself before he was caught so we'll never know if the punishment exceeds the crime. I do believe that his suicide was pure loss. If he had stayed alive to explain why he did what he did, then there would have been some gain and discovery, but he did not. After reading about Okonkwo's fate, I was a bit shocked and very upset with the outcome. Suicide is a very touchy subject and it hurt me to realize that none of the villagers could touch Okonkwo's body because he committed such a sin. It's arguable that the suicide was prideful because he would not be killed by anyone, but himself, however, I think he would have had the villager's support and would not have even been killed.

Though it may seem harsh, Okonwko was not a hero of any kind. His actions override any sensible things he ever did. I simply could not get over his awful temper that drove him to do unthinkable things. And if a hero has confidence, constantly doubting one's strength and killing a boy due to being afraid of what other's think, is not it. Okonkwo was just another character that tried to help himself and made very bad choices.

Checking All the Boxes

Dating as far back as the Greek greats, the idea of a tragic hero, someone for whom the audience can root for that some adverse event befalls the person, has permeated literature as a whole.  The basic story-line usually follows a well-respected, revered person (predominantly male... but I digress) to whom some type of tragedy then strips this person of their prestige.  We can see such people in novels, epics, and now movies.  Certain characteristics are prevalent in Things Fall Apart that lead many to believe that the story is one of the tragic hero Okonkwo.

Okonkwo builds a great presence for himself in the Ibo community by becoming the best wrestler, having three wives, and farming a great quantity of yams.  These qualities Okonkwo establishes of his own accord, with no help from his father, like most men have in Umuofia.  He quickly climbs to the rank of one of the presiding elders of the tribe.  This earns him deep respect and reverence from other members of the tribe.

It is clear, especially at the end of the book, that Okonkwo is not perfect.  He struggles with anger and aggression throughout his life, and is often hard-pressed to contain himself.  When he does the wrong thing, he takes it really hard; if someone else does something that he perceives as wrong, he lets them know, either verbally or physically.  Time and again, Okonkwo's faults shine through his actions.

Okonkwo's initial downfall is unintentional; his gun misfired and he unwittingly killed the boy.   This is incongruous with the definition of a tragic hero, as the hero's downfall is not the result of an accident.  However, it can be argued that his ultimate downfall comes when he hangs himself, which is an entirely personal decision.  The Umuofia see suicide as the lowest of the low, only for the weakest of the weak.  Their previous perceptions of Okonkwo as this great warrior are now shattered because he committed such a heinous act due to his smarting pride.

There was absolutely no reason for Okonkwo to go so far as to kill himself.  Yes, if he lived, he would likely have been ostracized by his tribe or killed by the Commissioner.  However, this in no way justifies his disregard for his own life.  He does not deserve to die is such a way so taboo in his culture.

Even though he decided upon the drastic measure, he most likely learned to not murder someone that he simply disagrees with.  With this realization, he could see that his reaction was too harsh, too quick, and too permanent.  And so, instead of facing the consequences, he escapes the potential wrath by leaving this world forever.

Upon arriving at the scene, Obierika seems resigned rather than depressed.  He instead becomes angry at the Commissioner, saying that the white man "drove [Okonkwo] to kill himself" (p. 208), although he does nothing about this internal rage.  The rest of the tribe seems almost complacent, taking this loss in stride.

Okonkwo most definitely meets all the criteria for a tragic hero.  The fine line is, however, that he is only self-serving; he does not help or aid anyone else, just his own lusts and ambitions.  Most heroes, even the tragic, serve some greater purpose for their immediate community or world.  Stuck in his ways, Okonkwo says only what he wants to say, acts how he wants to act, and believes what he wants to believe.  Such are not traits of someone who is truly great, who deserves a position of stature.

Tragic is a Strong Word

     Aristotle's outline of a tragic hero is very specific and outlines different qualities a tragic hero should have. The character Okonkwo from Achebe's Things Fall Apart certainly shows some of these qualities and characteristics, but I'm not sure he can completely be described as a tragic hero.

     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.