How Does Okonkwo In Things Fall Apart

Often times in life men feel like they need to provide for their family and fulfill the roles of their society. Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe, which takes place in 1890’s Nigeria. The Ibo civilisation is falling apart and Okonkwo takes the damage. Krik? Krak! is a series of short stories written by Edwidge Danticat that takes place in modern day Haiti. Guy is a family man who is struggling to provide for them but gives up and has a downfall. Although both Okonkwo and Guy are defeated when they lose faith in themselves, Guy takes his defeat worse than Okonkwo. Okonkwo loses all his pride and will to fight for the Ibo culture, so he takes his own life. Obierika leads the commissioner behind Okonkwo’s compound. The narrator states, “The come to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling… ‘It’s an abomination for a man to take his own life.. His body is evil’” (Achebe 207). Obierika finds Okonkwo’s dead body hanging from the tree and says that Okonkwo commits suicide. Okonkwo knows that it is against their culture to commit suicide. Okonkwo has always tried to uphold the Ibo culture but has finally given up and destroyed it himself. He loses his pride because he realizes that no one will help him defend the ideals …show more content…
As Guy rises through the sky in a hot air balloon with everyone cheering for him they notice something. The text states, “Guy was climbing over the side of the basket… Guy was in the air hurtling down towards the crowd.. He crashed… His blood immediately soaking the landing spot” (Danticat 77). Guy, not being able to feel that he can make his family happy the way he wanted, has to end his life. His defeat is worse because his suicide happens in front of many people including his family. He feels this pressure because he can’t provide for his family. Guy commits suicide because he thinks he isn’t a good father and