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DavidFeng ThingsFallApartPrewrite 19January2014

Manystoriesinliteratureportraytragediesthatoccurtounsuspectingcharactersrather frequently.Evenmorepeculiar,somestoriesshowthattragiceventshappentocharacterswhenitsnot eventheirfault.InthestoryThingsFallApart,ChinuaAchebetellsofastoryinwhichayoung NigerianOkonkworisestopowerandnobilitythroughpersistence.Hisdesiretoworkassiduouslyis inspiredfromhishatredofhisfatherslazinessashestrivestoearningthehighesttitleinthevillageof Umuofia.Unfortunately,hiseffortsaredisturbedbytheintroductionofWhitemenandheeventually commitssuicidewhenherealizeshisvillagenolongersupportstheambitionshehas.Although Okonkwosharescommonalitieswithtragicstoriessuchashavingatragicheroexhibitingtraitsofhubris andfearsofshowingaffections,hestillcontrastssignificantlyfromclassicaltragediesinthatthe protagonistispersistentatreachinghisgoalsandfails.Eventhoughheisunsuccessfulatsavingthe village,Okonkwofailstorecognizehisflawashecommitssuicideaftertryingseveralseveraltimes. TheprotagonistOkonkworesemblesthetraditionalviewofatragicherointhatheportraysa characteristicflaw.Okonkwoexhibitstheflawoffailingtoshowemotionsandaffectionaswellas fearingthedisplayofweaknessinpublic.Thispersonalityisregardedasstrengthandbravenessinthe villageofUmuofia,butthisconcealmentofsomeemotionsmaygivethewrongimpressiontoothershe mayface.Forexample,inthescenewhereIkemefunaandNwoyearepreparingyamsfortheYam Festival,Okonkwothreatens,Ifyousplitanotheryamofthissize,Ishallbreakyourjawinaharsh andbittertone(Achebe28).Eventhough,threatsliketheseareintendedforbothboystobecome

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strongermen,theseremarksgraduallytickNwoyeintorefusingtoobeyhisfatherscommands. Eventually,therelationshipbetweenNwoyeandOkonkwobreaksapartandOkonkwofailsto transformhissonintosomeonelikehimself. OneaspectofOkonkwothatfailedtomatchAristotlesdefinitionofatragicheroisthat Okonkwoneverbeganwithhighrankingstatus.However,hedoesfalltohisdemisestartingfrombeing oneoftheleaders.Inorderforhimtogainthenobilitythatothervillagerspossessed,hebeganbylaying thefoundationsinaslowandpainfulprocessthathethrewhimselfintolikeonepossessedbecause hisindolentfatherrefusestoworkforthenecessitiesofliving.Instead,OkonkwosfatherUnokaprays tothepriesthopinginvainforprosperities.WithOkonkwospersistence,hetransitionsfrombeinga shamefulsonofanordinarycitizentooneofUmuofiasinfluentialleaders.Thiscontrastswiththe originalviewofatragicherosuchasCreonwhorulesasthenewkingofThebes,Menoikeussonat thedawnofhisreigninthetragedyAntigone(Sophocles819).InthesettingofAntigone,peopleare bornintowhateversocialstatustheirpreviousgenerationsresidein,however,inthemoremodern settingofThingsFallApart,peoplehavethecapabilitytoriseinstatusthroughhardwork. Lastly,towardsthedenouementofthenovel,Okonkwoattemptsforthefinaltimetorestore orderaftertheintroductionoftheBritishpeoplewhocloudedthetraditionsandrelationshipsofthe tribeswhenothersconvertedintoChristianity.Normally,atragicheroacquiescetothejudgementofthe godsafterseveralunfortunateevents.InOkonkwosdilemma,Okonkwosuffersfromvarioustragedies suchasbeingexpelledfromhisownhomevillageaswellaslosinghisownsonandIkemefuna.Despite thesecircumstancesthatarguablydisplaysthegodsdissatisfactionwithhim,Okonkwocontinuesto savethevillageofUmuofia.OnlyuntilhewitnessestheoncefearfulvillageletweakBritishpeople escapewiththeirtroublesdoesOkonkworealizehowfutilehisactionswere.Insubsequentscenes,

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Okonkwocommitssuicide,anactregardedasanoffenseagainsttheEarth(Achebe178).Hisown friendscantevenburyhimbecauseofhowsinfulthisdeedisconsidered.Eventhoughsuicideoccurs withmanytragicheros,thisscentexemplifiesanotherdifferencebetweentraditionaltragediesbecause theactofsuicideisregardedasnobleduringtheclassicalperiod. Inconclusion,thestoryofOkonkwoissimilarinmanywaystoolderstoriesintheClassical traditionsbutvariesinotheraspects.Onecandiscernthatbothtragedieshavesomecharacteristicsof suicidebyeitherthetragicherosorothersthatfeelscatharsis,butinThingsFallApart,suicideinthe villageofUmuofiaisntanobledeedthattraditionaltragediescontain.Itisalsonotedthatbothtragedies displaytheinfluenceofgodsinbothsocieties.Unlikethemodernworldviewoftragedies,traditional tragicherosoftenlistentothegodsorfaceseverepunishmentswhenrefusingtolistentothegods.In Okonkwosscenario,humanscontroltheirowndestiny.Okonkwoalsorefusestogiveupuntilhe realizesitismeaninglesstocontinueon,buthediesinfailurewithoutfaulttohimself.