Previously, I had thought that Okonkwo was not a hero; that is up until I learned the definition of a tragic hero. A tragic hero has a flaw that they are born with and unaware of. They also are responsible for the actions that lead to their downfall. However Things Fall Apart takes place in modern day, so Okonkwo can be classified as a modern tragic hero which can be contrasted from a classic tragic hero because modern heroes are usually ordinary people and do not necessarily receive the audience's sympathy that a classic hero would.
All these points led to the change in my opinion. Before I had thought Okonkwo was not a hero because he seemed cowardly, always running away from his problems and not very likable due to his strict nature. However now that I recognize Okonkwo's major flaw, the fear of laziness and losing manliness, the qualities that his father possessed I believe he is as a tragic hero. His fear causes him to strive to achieve perfection at all costs which leads to Okonkwo making decisions that indirectly cause his death.
Hi Cadia!
ReplyDeleteYou brought up an interesting point when you said that "Okonkwo seemed cowardly". After looking at the book more in depth, I have to say that I agree with that statement.
Although on the exterior, he seems very rough and brave sometimes I thought that he seemed cowardly.
A true hero (in my opinion) would be able to accept his weaknesses and work to overcome them but I think that Okonkwo rejected the concept of having a flaw completely. Consequently, I think he became a weak and fragile character.
His "failure" of being a "failure" ended up in his death.
A nice reflective post Cadia!
I find it weird that the tragic hero is still considered a type of hero. I do know the definition of it, but I still can't figure out why they're considered heroes. My brain-clopedia is simply not able to wrap its pages around this.
ReplyDeleteA hero is supposed to help others, and this guy is just having a man vs. self/man vs. environment moment.