Okonkwo as Morally Ambiguous Character Essay

Things deteriorate Apart by Chinua Achebe describes tribal emotional state in the jungles of Africa and speaks about Ibo community before the arrival of a duster piece of music. The master(prenominal) face of the story, Okonkwo, can be described as chastely indistinct because, on the one hand, he is a spell of greatness, although, on the other hand, such qualities as violence and gender discrimination be inherent to him. Certain aspects of novel, as, for example, his suicide at the end, show that his character is of ambiguous character. Moral ambiguity is important for the overall theme of the story as the germ is willing to prove that people are very seldom purely good or fiendish.Thus, Achebe tends to create characters that are more applicable for the readers, non to create moral standing images. (Leach, p. 1053) Okonkwo is morally dynamic character. On the one hand, he is sensitive to his family, children and friends, but, on the other hand, he attempts to maverick hi s father exhibiting the tendency to violence and power of sensible strength. The author shows that his character is developed by the situation he is presented with. Thus, the character has to respond to fleetly changing situations and to act depending on them.In the beginning of the book we sympathize that Okonkwo is respected and he is satisfied with his success. He works unwaveringly towards his ending to pass rich and famous. He is a man of great physical and moral strength. The issue of moral ambiguity arises, when Okonkwo simply discards his father non respecting and following the qualities he exhibits. Lack 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 entire life was dominated by consternation, the fear of failure and of weaknessIt was not external but lay deep within himself.It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. (Achebe, p . 13) Okonkwos reflections about tribal order, family members and social status prove that Ibo society associates men only with strength. Okonkwos son by his first wife is described as a woman-like being a serious insult. After Ikemefunas death main hero cant understand his sorrow asking himself When did you ferment a shivering old woman? (Achebe, p. 62) The fear not to become fragile makes Okonkwo work hard accumulating material possessions and absolveing his manhood good harvest, wives and honors.His fear suppresses him to express the feelings of sympathy, gentles, empathy and compassion. Instead, he refers to violence to escape from frustrated emotions. For example, he prefers grapple during his youth and later becoming a renowned warrior. (Achebe, p. 69) Achebe shows that Okonkwo is man of put through rather than a man of thought. Okonkwo earns respect of villages due to his violence, but he doesnt realize that violence will lead him to moral destruction, extradite and ul timate death.Achebe illustrates that Okonkwos fear to become weak and fragile makes him excite numerous transgressions against social laws in community. Okonkwo beats his third wife during the fatigued of Peace as the week is dedicated to the Earth goddess Ani. Achebe writes that Okonkwo is not the man to stop beating someone half-way through, not even for fear of goddess. (Achebe, p. 30) Okonkwo thinks that screening personal strength values more than displaying deference to goddess. The turning register 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 radical law. Instead of being supported to take revenge, Okonkwo faces hesitation and doubt realizing that the life-time of clan is dead. Summing up, Okonkwo is morally ambiguous character presented as a man of greatness, although being ready to violate social and natural laws. 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 mesh of A Hero in Achebe s Things Fall Apart. College Literature, available at http//www. highbeam. com/College+Literature/publications. aspx