Okwonko Essay

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In Anglo- Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero had to be strong, brave, loyal and courageous. Warriors had to be willing to fight and face any odds that came towards them and protect their people. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character Okwonko lives in Umuofia a group of nine villages in Nigeria. Okwonko gets through his tough life without a father figure there to help him become a man he becomes successful. Okwonko, because of his hard life, has learned to be mentally and physically stronger than most men in his tribe, “bringing honor to his village” (Achebe 1). Although Okwonko is a superior character his tragic flaw and his manliness brings about his own demolishment. When Okwonko was eighteen years of age, “he had achieved fame as the greatest wrestler in all of the land” (Achebe 27). Okwonko achieved his fame when he threw off Amalinze the Cat, the greatest wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino. Okwonko was a brave man and was not afraid of anything. Okwonko, “was not afraid of war. He was a man of action, a man of war” (Achebe 10). He was strong mentally and physically and could handle everything his father could not handle. Okwonko believed that hard work will make you a wealthy farmer. He has been a successful farmer since he was a young teenager. He was known to survive one of the worst droughts any elder can remember. Okwonko had many accomplishments as a young adult and it led him to his success and became very superior in every aspect of his life. Although Okwonko was very superior, he feared weakness and failure, which led him to treat members of his family insensitively. His son, Nwoye was not normal or desirable physically or mentally. This would fear Okwonko. “I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner

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