In his novel ‘Things fall apart’, Chinua Achebe uses literary techniques to reflect the reasons for Okonkwo’s tragic downfall. Okonkwo’s downfall is primarily a result of his character’s flaws. It is stated early in the novel that Okonkwo’s life is dominated by his fear of weakness and failure. Along with a suggested fear of change, it is these flaws that eventually lead to his suicide. Throughout the novel Achebe uses literary techniques to highlight these flaws. Significant techniques incorporated by Achebe include foreshadow, point of view and simile. This essay aims to outline Okonkwo’s flaws, their causes and Achebe’s use of literary techniques to emphasize them, in the context of the above extract.
Achebe’s clever manipulation of the novel’s point of view emphasizes Okonkwo’s fear of failure. An example of this can be seen in the line “How then could he have begotten a son like Nwoye, degenerate and effeminate?” By positioning the reader to see Okonkwo’s point of view, Achebe illustrates Okonkwo’s fear of failure, through his clear disappointment in his son. This fear of failure is also reflected elsewhere in the novel, especially through his disrespect for his father, Unoka. Okonkwo loathes Unoka because of his laziness. When Unoka died he had taken no titles and had many unpaid debts. Because of this, Okonkwo strives to differ from his father, motivating him to become a wealthy and respected member of the Ibo tribe. There is considerable evidence early in the novel to suggest that it is Okonkwo’s disappointment in his father that leads him to fear weakness and failure. These fears are able to explain his great shame in Nwoye when he turns against his tribe to join the white missionaries. Okonkwo perceives the white missionaries as being “effeminate” or weak, and therefore views Nwoye in the same way for joining them. It brings great shame upon Okonkwo to have his son betray the tribe. Once again the reflection of Okonkwo’s flaws in the above extract is...