Okonkwo's Death

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An ungrateful death
Thing Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. The story revolves around a character named Okonkwo, a strong African man, who is one of the most respected men in his village of Umuofia. He dedicates his life to strengthening his society and his own reputation by victories over other villages and by farming yams, the staple crop. Okonkwo also respects the gods of Umuofia. However, when the British missionaries arrive they change the tribesmen’ beliefs. As Okonkwo tries to bring the old traditional beliefs back, more pressure and resistance begin. When Okonkwo realizes that he cannot gain a victory over the British, he commits suicide. Despite his lifetime of dedication to his tribe, Okonkwo throws away everything he has worked for in this final act of cowardice.
Okonkwo’s reputation in the tribe has always been very important to him. Since he was born to a worthless father who always borrowing others’ money without repaying the debt, Okonkwo always feels ashamed of his family. As a result, “Okonkwo was ruled by one passion - to …show more content…
When the British missionaries force their beliefs on the tribe he engages in the battle against them. He knows that he has lost his status as a leader during the exile year, and wishes that he could earn his place back through this battle. He tries to convince his tribesmen to rebel against the missionaries, boasting that “[he] shall fight alone if [he] chooses” (Ch.24). However, the circumstance does not go along as Okonkwo expects. When his tribesmen see Okonkwo brutally kill a court messenger with his machete, they are afraid that the missionaries will devastate them like Abame village. As a result, they begin to ignore Okonkwo’s urging and leave him to fight alone. Despite what Okonkwo said earlier, he takes his own word back and chooses not to fight against the British alone. He chooses to take his life to escape from the fact that he has lost the
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