No Longer at Ease

As a result, Okonkwo unsheathes a sharp blade infused with the built up tension that is no longer sustainable within a mask hidden from sight as his “true identity” has finally forced itself within its victim. “In a flash Okonkwo drew his machete … Okonkwo stood looking within at the dead man. He knew that Umoufia would not go to war. He knew…

During the final parts of book we see how the presence of the new religion,christianity, as well as the influence of the white men is affecting the different villages and tribes. This religion seems to go against all of Okonkwo’s ideals as a man and a warrior. The preachings of the new religion and the people that practice it are pacifistic and gentle whereas Okonkwo’s ideals are rather violent and self destructive. The contrast of the two demonstrates the affront Okonkwo feels towards the rapid…

The Tragic Hero The protagonist of things fall apart, Okonkwo is known as a tragic hero who holds a position of power and prestige choosing his course of action that possesses a tragic flaw, and gains, awareness of environment that lead to his fall. In his thirties, Okonkwo is a leader of the Igbo community of Umuofia. Achebe describe him as “tall and huge” with “bushy eyebrows” and a “wide nose that gives him a very server look”. When he walks, his heels barley touch the ground, like he was…

The Lgbo dependency on the ancestors and gods in their culture has now been questioned. It is their tradition, stories proverbs, from which they govern their lives. Uchendu, a village elder shows his acknowledgment of diversity by saying “The world has no end and what is good among one people is an abomination with others” (p. 141). In the end the decision is made by the elders that they do “not really want them in their clan” (p. 148) but remain well-mannered and offer them a piece of land in…

How does the author use diction to achieve this passage’s tone? This quote has significant meaning because of how Okonkwo’s life was “dominant by the fear of failure and weakness” (13). Dismay is able to solidify the tone of this quote due to his family's fear of Okonkwo and his fear of himself. The word “temper” is able to reveal an abstract side toward Okonkwo as throughout the book, Okonkwo had a whirlpool of emotions and his temper always got the better of him. Overall, this quote sounds…

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the protagonist Okonkwo is a large, male figure that consistently desires power and seeks to gain power over others. From an early age, Okonkwo attempted to be a very manly man after watching his father, who he described as lazy and soft, emulate opposite ideals. Although he was embarrassed of his father, he took these strong feelings and transformed them into energy that would help him succeed in being entirely opposite. He first gained recognition as a…

Throughout history there have been many instances where opposing cultures have been involved in wars due to miscommunication. It is evident through past events that conflict is avoidable through communication and negotiations to understand issues that may be present. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart illustrates the importance of communicating well with one’s associates or peers. Achebe highlights the value of the Ibo to prove that communication between cultures limits the risk of societal…

same type of conflicts of Person vs. Self and Person vs. Person, as Ezeulu and Hendricks struggle to find resolutions to their problems. They also share similar archetypes that are typical of flawed heroes which are: making the wrong choice, being no longer considered as an authority figure, and having an untimely death…

community of Salem, as well as by himself. John Proctor presented himself in the guise of a happy and put together man, hiding his imperfections and weaknesses from the rest of the community at all costs. By the end of the play, John Proctor could no longer keep his sinful actions, such as his affair with Abigail Williams, as well as his inner drives and personality weaknesses, a secret from the suspicious town during the Salem Witch Trials. His guilt, pride, and unfaithfulness…

life there has been countless times where he had to hide his true self from others. This is mostly true when the situation included Okonkwo, Nwoye’s father. Achebe wrote, “And so he feigned that he no longer cared for women’s stories. And when he did this he saw that his father was pleased, and no longer…