Analysis Of Okonkwo's Suicide In Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo’s Suicide in Things Fall Apart In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s suicide is an act of cowardice. Throughout the novel, he tries to prove -- more to himself than to others -- that he is manly and courageous. He does everything he can do to prove this and everything he can do to cover up anything that could potentially disprove this. He overtly shows that he is the best of the best and that he is the “Alpha-male” of the Ibo tribe. What he is really doing though, is getting rid of any sign that he is anything like his father. He is scared of what people will think of him. Moreover, he is scared that he will be seen as agbala. In the end, his suicide is him finally just running away from the problem altogether. For this reason, Okonkwo’s suicide at the end of the novel is an act of cowardice. Before his Okonkwo is clearly seen as a courageous man. Right away in the first …show more content…
Like in the feast he held, Okonkwo is scared. During the feast, Okonkwo overcompensates to cover up any sign of his unsuccessful father. This idea is not only seen in the feast, but in multiple scenes such as the murder of Ikemefuna. Ultimately, Okonkwo gets tired of covering up, and he just decides to run away from the problem altogether. This is not an act of courage because he is not persevering in the face of adversity. Furthermore, he is not dying for the people. Okonkwo wants to keep his reputation, but the force of the people is too strong. Before he can lose that reputation, he kills himself. Furthermore, the epigraph states: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” (Yeats 3). This is the point where the “centre” is no longer able to stay together. He is tired of trying to prove himself and is no longer able to uphold the roots of his people 's’ culture. He does not face his problems, and he selfishly gives up when he no longer has support. Therefore, there is no way his suicide could be seen as an act of