Things Fall Apart

Is Okonkwo a tragic hero? What is his fatal flaw? Explain.

chapters 14-19

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Proud, ambitious, and ill-tempered, Okonkwo is the tragic hero of Things Fall Apart. An ambitious man who has risen from nothing to a man of importance in his tribe, Okonkwo rules his family with an iron fist. He is deeply dedicated to the traditions and social hierarchies of his people, and he is determined that his sons and daughters follow his demanding example. The indignities forced on him and his people by the British eventually prove to be too much for him. After an act of defiance which goes unsupported by his people, Okonkwo gives in to despair.Okonkwo suffers from a lack of self-esteem. He holds everyone and everything in his fragile sense of masculinity.