As I mentioned in my pre-spring break essay, Okonkwo follows the traits of an Anglo-Saxon hero. After finishing the whole novel, Things Far Apart, I still believe Okonkwo represents an Anglo-Saxon hero more than a contemporary hero. An Anglo-Saxon hero is a man who displays a lack of modesty, shows courage and strength, and is not afraid to face the consequences of death. On the other hand, a modern day hero is a person (male or female) who is a positive leader, helpful to the society, intelligent, and basically a well-rounded human being.
Throughout the entire story, Okonkwo maintains his extremely masculine persona. He is always demanding his wives to do work for him around the compound and to harvest some of the crops. Also, he is very strict on his children because he wants them to learn how to fend for themselves and to not turn out like his father. Despite Okonkwo`s fearless personality, he had only one fear in his life and that was the thought of him turning into his father, Unoka. Unoka was a failure his whole adult life. He ``was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow`` (pg.3). However, Unoka was a benign man which Okonkwo was not.
After Okonkwo killed a boy (Ikemefuna) who lived in his compound for three years, I notice that he starts to display the traits of a classical tragic hero. A classical tragic hero is someone who has some sort of flaw but is not aware of it but which leads the hero to an uncontrollable downfall. In my opinion, the downfall that Okonkwo experiences is after he killed the boy he cannot eat or sleep for days. Coming from a man of such strength, this was not normal and something he had never felt before. A feeling of depression and guilt filled his body until the end of the story when he kills himself. The action of him killing himself is the result of the downfall from his flaw. Thus, making Okonkwo an excellent example of a classical tragic hero.
In conclusion, this man who holds one of the highest titles in his clan, comes off as brave and fearless. Yet, inside he has feelings just like any other person. These feelings never show, although they are triggered when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna. Thus, resulting in his downfall and suicidal death. However, overall Okonkwo represents an Anglo-Saxon hero and a classical tragic hero throughout the story.
About Me
- vanessa C
- Live without pretending, Love without depending, Listen without defending, Speak without offending.
Vanessa Clarke! :) I really enjoyed reading your post. First, I really liked how you explained the type of heroes you thought Okonkwo was and how you gave definitions of what each type of hero meant. I can't speak for other people but for me, it really helps to be reminded of the characteristics of each type of hero in order to fully understand the post.
ReplyDeleteNow for your actual post, I completely agree with you. Even though Okonkwo is fearless, hard-working, and maintains a very masculine image, he still has feelings like a regular person. I think Okonkwo's biggest mistake was trying so hard not to turn into his father, that he lost sight of what was really important. From reading the novel, I can tell for a fact that Okonkwo will never be lazy or unproductive. But showing emotions doesn't make him weak and unheroic. Adding on to what you said, I think that's what also made Okonkwo a tragic hero. I feel that building up too many feelings inside will eventually make a person break down.
Overall, great post Vanessa! :)