Okonkwo as Morally Ambiguous Character Essay

Things Fall away by Chinua Achebe describes tribal implement in the jungles of Africa and speaks about Ibo union before the arrival of a purity-hot humanness. The main character of the story, Okonkwo, can be draw as goodly equivocal because, on the one hand, he is a man of greatness, although, on the other hand, such(prenominal) qualities as violence and gender disparity are inherent to him. Certain aspects of novel, as, for example, his self-destruction at the end, show that his character is of evasive constitution. Moral ambiguity is important for the boilersuit theme of the story as the motive is willing to prove that people are very rarely purely exhaustively or black.Thus, Achebe tends to create characters that are much applicable for the readers, not to create moral standing public figures. (Leach, p. 1053) Okonkwo is morally dynamic character. On the one hand, he is sensitive to his family, children and friends, alone, on the other hand, he attempts to rebe l his grow exhibiting the tendency to violence and power of somatogenic stance. The author shows that his character is developed by the situation he is presented with. Thus, the character has to serve to swiftly changing situations and to act depending on them.In the beginning of the book we go out that Okonkwo is watch overed and he is satisfied with his success. He works backbreaking towards his goal to set about rich and famous. He is a man of great physical and moral strength. The give away of moral ambiguity arises, when Okonkwo simply discards his pay off not respecting and following the qualities he exhibits. drop of self-discovery and moral resolution shows ambiguous nature of the character. (Noromele, 200) The main character flaw is presented by Achebe as But his whole life was dominated by tutelage, the fear of bereavement and of impuissanceIt was not external but lay deep within himself.It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to tally his father. (Achebe, p. 13) Okonkwos reflections about tribal order, family members and social status prove that Ibo troupe associates men only with strength. Okonkwos intelligence by his first wife is described as a char-like being a serious insult. After Ikemefunas ending main hero cant understand his sorrow asking himself When did you kick the bucket a shivering old woman? (Achebe, p. 62) The fear not to become lean makes Okonkwo work hard accumulating material possessions and justifying his manhood good harvest, wives and honors.His fear suppresses him to express the feelings of sympathy, gentles, empathy and compassion. alternatively, he refers to violence to escape from frustrated emotions. For example, he prefers wrestling during his youth and later decent a renowned warrior. (Achebe, p. 69) Achebe shows that Okonkwo is man of action rather than a man of thought. Okonkwo earns respect of villages due to his violence, but he doesnt realize that violence will clear him to moral destruction, exile and ultimate death.Achebe illustrates that Okonkwos fear to become weak and svelte makes him commit numerous transgressions against social laws in community. Okonkwo beats his third wife during the atonic of Peace as the week is dedicated to the Earth goddess Ani. Achebe writes that Okonkwo is not the man to forfeit beating someone half-way through, not flush for fear of goddess. (Achebe, p. 30) Okonkwo thinks that showing personal strength values more than displaying deference to goddess. The play point in the story is when Okonkwo kills a young clansman at the funeral.He is exiled for seven years. When Okonkwo returns to his village, he sees the presence of white men and establishment of the new law. Instead of being supported to take revenge, Okonkwo faces indecision and doubt realizing that the spirit of clan is dead. Summing up, Okonkwo is morally ambiguous character presented as a man of greatness, although being ready to cosset social and natural l aws. Okonkwo works hard to become rich and famous, but he permits violence and intolerance to justify his manhood. It is Okonkwos fear of weakness that leads him to moral destruction.In the end Okonkwo faces what he fears the most weakness and inability to take action. In the image of Okonkwo the author shows that there are no purely good or evil personalities. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. London Heinemann, 1958. Leach, Josephine. A Study of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart in mid-America. The English Journal, 60, 8 (1971) pp. 1052-1056. Noromele, Patrick. 22 March 2000. The Plight of A pigboat in Achebe s Things Fall Apart. College Literature, unattached at http//www. highbeam. com/College+Literature/publications. aspx