How Does Okonkwo's Ability To Change

Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Written by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo’s inability to change causes the majority of his problems that he attempts to resolve them using the same methods that caused them, “No problem can be solved from the same level if consciousness that created it.” (Einstein). The way Okonkwo tries to remedy his problems propel the theme that change is inevitable.

Okonkwo’s motivations, character developments and interactions with things and people around him suggest he is a Byronic Hero. Okonkwo’s success and popularity within the clan developed his arrogance: “The …show more content…
Deep in the novel, Okonkwo’s bipolar tendencies are seen, “It warmed Okonkwo’s heart to see such strength of numbers...where Okonkwo’s body was dangling.” (Achebe 207). This quotation from chapter twenty-five demonstrates how bipolar Okonkwo is. He is happy about the number that show, he believes it shows that people want to go to war with the white men; however, that is not the case, whenever Okonkwo beheaded the head messenger he realized the men of Umuofia were not going to fight due to the fact that they had let the head messenger’s company flee. Whenever this fact was realized, Okonkwo went on his way, he went to his compound and hung himself. This shows how bipolar Okonkwo really is, he is happy, alive, ready to fight with his brothers in arm, and then he commits suicide. This trait is shown by his interactions with others, he was warmed when his people came and angered when they did not stand up and fight, driving himself to suicide. This trait is revealed by the interactions of Okonkwo and his clansmen, which drives him further into depression. Therefore, throughout Okonkwo’s actions, we see his emotions reflected upon his bipolar