A Fallen Hero

The tragic hero demonstrates great dedication and sacrifice; as well as standing as a symbol of goodness and justice. His acts of courage and strength are however no match for his tragic flaw, which eventually lead to his downfall. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo the main character of the story plays the role of a tragic hero. Okonkwo’s greatest fear of becoming a failure like his father, Unoka, is the …

…the same force that leaves you plunging to the ground. To be able to use a negative aspect of your life as your motivation in your search for success is a difficult thing to do. Many people who are capable of doing so often become so engulfed with achieving their goals out of a powerful fear of reliving that negative time in their life. Ironically in many cases this fear is what eventually destroys them.