Empathy In Things Fall Apart

At some point in one’s life, there comes a time when one must realize things will never go back to the way they used to be and some things can’t be fixed. Chinua Achebe explores this theme in his book, Things Fall Apart. Things Fall Apart is set in a village in Africa called Umuofia right before Europeans arrived. The book focuses on the life of a man named Okonkwo and his tragic downfall brought by colonization. The village of Umuofia also suffers a tragic downfall due to colonization even though the people in the village react differently than Okonkwo. Okonkwo is stubborn and won’t alter his beliefs while the village of Umuofia tries to accept the new ways into their culture. Although Okonkwo and the village try different things, both end in tragedy. Throughout the novel, Achebe establishes empathy between the reader and Okonkwo. Through his lens, the complexity of the villages and people are portrayed, and Okonkwo's hamartia which leads to his tragic downfall creates a microcosm for the larger tragedy of colonization through a narrative shift. The empathy established between Okonkwo and the reader allows one to understand Okonkwo as a tragic hero, understand his hubris, and empathize with his hamartia. Okonkwo is shown as …show more content…
This empathy makes the reader understand Okonkwo’s hamartia and fears. When the missionaries arrived, Okonkwo had two choices - he could accept the change in his culture and adapt or he could act out aggressively. Okonkwo couldn’t reshape his values and his pride led to his tragic downfall. The villagers of Umuofia tried to change their culture and beliefs and accept this change, but colonization still lead to their downfall. The narrative shift in chapter 25 illustrates the true purpose of colonization and how either way a society reacted, colonization would lead to their