Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo's Life: The Motives of Suicide By definition, a tragic hero is someone usually of elevated status that has numerous character flaws, leading to the person’s ultimate demise. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, the protagonist of the story, fits all parts of the tragic hero definition. Although he may not have been royalty, as is common in classic literature, Okonkwo was nonetheless considered elite among his clansmen. It is evident …

…in the process, only caused more internal misery. Although it is true that Okonkwo, the central character in Things Fall Apart, was a person of important standing, his flaws and conflicts led to his mental instability by an inability to cope with his life. It was Okonkwo’s setting of unattainable objectives, his lack of resiliency in surrounding situations, and his inability to define who he was that pointed him in the direction of suicide.