Okonkwo Character Analysis

As the main character of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo has a key role in developing not only the plot but also the themes of the story. The themes of change vs. tradition and fate vs. free will are mainly based around Okonkwo and the audience sees them play out over the course of the story. In the beginning of the story, all of Okonkwo's success is attributed to his will. He takes credit for all of his good fortune and says that it is a result of his own hard work and cannot simply be attributed to good luck. However, as things begin to fall apart around Okonkwo he no longer takes responsibility for what is happening to him. It was originally stated that "Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his chi agreed." however we later see a reversal of this when Achebe says "Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation.".

As mentioned previously, the novel is strongly centered around the theme of change vs. tradition. Okonkwo is a true symbol of tradition that refuses to bend to change despite the immense pressure he is put under. Okonkwo refuses to adapt to his changing environment and is strongly against any form of change to his current lifestyle.While this idea of conserving traditional practices is good, Okonkwo fails to realize that change is inevitable and this eventually leads to his downfall within the novel. 

Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in order to give the world a more accurate portrayal of Africa that they had not yet seen. However, he made the choice to not present the Igbo culture as a utopia and rightly so. While he wanted to portray the culture in a better light than it had been previously, he also wanted to show that the Igbo culture has its flaws as well. If he presented Okonkwo as an unbelievable man with absolutely no flaws then that would make the rest of his story less believable as well. By establishing Okonkwo as a tragic hero he makes the statement that while the Igbo culture is no utopia, it still has its values and should be respected.

In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's purpose is to drive the plot and themes that are present within the novel. He shows how tradition is often reluctant to accept change and that in the end tradition often loses. Overall, Okonkwo is a representation of any native who was resistant to the oppressive colonization in Africa.