The Rough Beast’s Hour: Okonkwo’s Social Transformation in Things Fall Apart
Time is marked by the progression of new cultures rising up and tearing down the societies which existed before, and such is the case with Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The title, an allusion to Yeats’ The Second Coming is selected for this reason. In Things Fall Apart, the arrival of white missionaries to the African village of Umuofia begins to bring an end to the social order which existed before, replacing it with a society more in line with the values of the colonizers. One prominent villager, Okonkwo stands against this rising change and the novel goes on to explore his downfall as Okonkwo becomes an outsider in his changing own world. Okonkwo begins as …show more content…
The truth of the matter comes out during an assembly to plan a revolt against the white colonists, where Okonkwo kills one of their messengers. Okonkwo thinks he acts for the tribe, but “They had let the other messengers escape” (Achebe 205) in the shock of Okonkwo killing the man. Despite the language of discontent being used, the villagers are not as eager to respond with violence as Okonkwo has to defend their culture. In Okonkwo’s eyes, “The best lack all conviction” (Yeats 7) and he is doing what his role as an Umuofian man prescribes him to do. What appals Okonkwo is the failure in his eyes for the other men to do the same. Instead it becomes clear “The Falcon cannot hear the falconer” (Yeats 2), for it is no longer societal standards driving Okonkwo’s actions. Okonkwo is instead guiding himself by his own beliefs. In this single motion Okonkwo reveals he no longer shares the same values as the rest of Umuofia now that the colonists have taken over. Instead of rejoining a culture that once celebrated his accomplishments, Okonkwo now stands …show more content…
His pride prevents him from simply accepting a punishment by the outsiders by his own definition and by hanging himself he achieves agency, much like Juliet’s “O happy dagger” (V.iii. 168-169). In one final act, Okonkwo regains control of his world. He rejects any further colonial domination of his being and leaves the world without compromising his values. This act proves to be futile however as the district commissioner remains unfazed, believing the tale of Okonkwo would make “a reasonable paragraph” (Achebe 209) in his book. Okonkwo’s great stature has instead been reduced to a footnote. The commissioner and his men have no reverence for another savage who opposed them, and merely concern themselves with the removal of the body. In death and in life he is now an outcast with everything he stood for now wiped
Time is marked by the progression of new cultures rising up and tearing down the societies which existed before, and such is the case with Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The title, an allusion to Yeats’ The Second Coming is selected for this reason. In Things Fall Apart, the arrival of white missionaries to the African village of Umuofia begins to bring an end to the social order which existed before, replacing it with a society more in line with the values of the colonizers. One prominent villager, Okonkwo stands against this rising change and the novel goes on to explore his downfall as Okonkwo becomes an outsider in his changing own world. Okonkwo begins as …show more content…
The truth of the matter comes out during an assembly to plan a revolt against the white colonists, where Okonkwo kills one of their messengers. Okonkwo thinks he acts for the tribe, but “They had let the other messengers escape” (Achebe 205) in the shock of Okonkwo killing the man. Despite the language of discontent being used, the villagers are not as eager to respond with violence as Okonkwo has to defend their culture. In Okonkwo’s eyes, “The best lack all conviction” (Yeats 7) and he is doing what his role as an Umuofian man prescribes him to do. What appals Okonkwo is the failure in his eyes for the other men to do the same. Instead it becomes clear “The Falcon cannot hear the falconer” (Yeats 2), for it is no longer societal standards driving Okonkwo’s actions. Okonkwo is instead guiding himself by his own beliefs. In this single motion Okonkwo reveals he no longer shares the same values as the rest of Umuofia now that the colonists have taken over. Instead of rejoining a culture that once celebrated his accomplishments, Okonkwo now stands …show more content…
His pride prevents him from simply accepting a punishment by the outsiders by his own definition and by hanging himself he achieves agency, much like Juliet’s “O happy dagger” (V.iii. 168-169). In one final act, Okonkwo regains control of his world. He rejects any further colonial domination of his being and leaves the world without compromising his values. This act proves to be futile however as the district commissioner remains unfazed, believing the tale of Okonkwo would make “a reasonable paragraph” (Achebe 209) in his book. Okonkwo’s great stature has instead been reduced to a footnote. The commissioner and his men have no reverence for another savage who opposed them, and merely concern themselves with the removal of the body. In death and in life he is now an outcast with everything he stood for now wiped