Okonkwo's Tragic Hero In Things Fall Apart

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The term hero is derived from a greek work that means a person who faces adversity or demonstrates courage and faces a downfall as well. In the novel Things Fall Apart, chinua follows the life of his main character Okonkwo as he deals with the influence of British colonialism and christian missionaries on the Igbo community. Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero. Although he was an important figure in the Igbo tribe, his tragic flaw and outside forces led to his downfall.

Okonkwo is a tragic hero, his own inner forces are his downfall, but often outside forces contribute to the downfall. Okonkwo actions got the best of him because “Okonkwo was not a man of thought, but of action” (69) He didn’t think before he did something. The messenger
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