In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo plays the role of a tragic hero destined to fall from his lofty titles. From a small child, he struggled to be the opposite of his father. When working to be successful, Okonkwo “threw himself into it like one possessed. And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death.” Although his father was ill-fated in the eyes of …showed first 75 words of 740 total…

…showed last 75 words of 740 total…could take it. Therefore, Okonkwo carries all the characteristics of a tragic hero. His sad story brought the downfall of himself and the hastening of his tribe’s fall to the white men. Ironically, because he took his own life, his death was of equal disgrace with his father’s. They both spend their eternity in the evil forest – one who spent his life without titles beside the one who thrived on pursuit of such.