Let us Pity the "Oh so Tragic Hero"

     Instead of him not being a hero, my opinion is that Okonkwo is more so a tragic hero. The modern version of a tragic hero is that of an anti-hero, and I believe that defines Okonkwo perfectly. I know he has attributes of not being a hero, one of them being his unwillingness to admit his many mistakes. When he accused his second wife, Ekwefi, of killing a banana tree, which had only a few leaves missing due to a need to wrap some food, he beat her. Even after knowing that the tree was alive, not only did he not apologize, he continued to release his anger. A typical hero is "flawless"; therefore, earning such a title. On the contrary, though Okonkwo is physically flawless, his personality is the exact opposite. Because of many hardships when he was young, he was forced to experience the worst life a child would want in the Igbo society, and that shaped his ice-cold and merciless individuality. Unlike a classical tragic hero, Okonkwo is aware of his flaws and ultimately chooses to continue his actions due to his belief that he is doing the right thing. I believe he is responsible for everything that happens to him in the novel, even the shooting that took place before his seven year exile. Though I may not believe in karma, Okonkwo, in my opinion, got what he deserved. After returning to his fatherland after his exile, he finds that Christians are trying to take over the Igbo culture, and recommends violence to solve the problem. Being the only person that thinks that way, Okonkwo makes a final step and hangs himself, his ultimate downfall; thus, I believe the protagonist of the novel Things Fall Apart, is a tragic hero