Was Okonkwos Suicide at the End of the Novel Expected free essay sample

He was driven by the fear of his father- to avoid being weak and feminine, and as such, he developed into someone who was known for his perseverance, and it is indeed a shock that the protagonist eventually commits suicide, since one would have thought that he would possess enough courage to face the consequences. During the year of share-cropping, a vital year to Okonkwo, that marked the start of his career as a prosperous farmer, the rain poured, and the crops were destroyed. As many were discouraged, Okonkwo was described as having a heart of a(the) lion, and strived even harder instead of being beaten down by the failure. This is a clear representation on Okonkwos willpower, and perseverance. The fact that he was not able to face up to the changing Ibo culture and chose to gave up is certainly unexpected. Moreover, Okonkwo was always seen as a character that was warrior-like, one that believed in fighting back for a cause. In the novel, Okonkwo is described as a warrior, having been the first one to bring back a human head, in the latest prestigious inter-tribal war. This shows his prowess as a person, and his willingness to fight for a cause. Furthermore, he was one of the most respected lords of the clan, and he threw the Cat. His remarkable achievements as a wrestler that propelled him to fame serves as a clear representation of the fighting spirit that Okonkwo had. As such, we would expect him to feel very unjustified and anger towards the Whites for their humiliation for the leaders of the clan, through depriving them of basic rights such as the toilet, and shaving their heads, as well as for their breaking of the clan. Okonkwo was seen to be the ideal leader to lead his clan and tribe towards a revolution against the Whites, nd hopefully overthrow them. However, no such spirit was seen in Okonkwo, unlike the masculine traits he portrayed throughout the book. Instead, he chooses to hide as a coward and commits suicide in the end. However, on the flip side, there is a certain degree in which Okonkwos suicide was expected since we expected him to be driven by fear. Okonkwo is a man who was possessed by his extreme fear of weakness and failure. We see that very clearly here. In the novel, after the men were released, Okonkwo wanted the clan to fight back, and gain their rights. Hence, he proceeded to kill the head messenger to prove to them that they should fight back. However, the missionaries were allowed to run away and he would bear the consequences. But since Okonkwo previously knew about the men in Abame and the hanging incident, he could have chose suicide as an option over public humiliation. Since he was so afraid of failure and of seen as being weak or vulnerable, there was a high possibility that he would not want to face a public death and be subjected to the White mans tortures. Thus, the only way of an escape was for him to take his own life. This resulted in his suicide in the end. The reason as to why this fear would take over Okonkwo and undermine his other positive traits like determination, is solely due to his childhood background and the failure of his father, Unoka. As a child, Okonkwo barely had enough to eat, and his father was a poor farmer. He was the kind of farmer who enjoyed music and fellowship, instead of hard work in the fields. It was a disgrace to be shamefully insulted by his friends, that his father was called an agbala, which meant woman, and he took offence as it was a total shame to be called a effeminate in a masculine tribe. This was the main driving force that led to Okonkwos inbound fear of being seen as someone weak and incapable. He wanted to be someone with ambition, someone with drive, and someone with power over his own life. Hence, he chose to commit suicide and this was very predictable as he wanted to be the one who had the say over how he died. Furthermore, since Okonkwo was a very rigid man, it was one of the reasons for his suicide. Due to Okonkwos inflexible character, as seen in how he aw rules as rules and family as family, in terms of carrying out the goddess orders. In the killing of Ikemefuna, though Okonkwo was warned by a senior member, Ogbuefi Ezeudo, not to have a hand in the boys death, he still proceeded with the group of men and Ikemefuna into the forest. Even though he loved Ikemefuna as a son, and allowed him to carry his chair to important wrestling matches, he was not flexible enough to note the difference between obeyance as a member of the Ibo tribe, and close fostered bon ds as a family. His way of thinking was mainly one-tracked, and he did not view alternative ways of viewing the matter. Similarly for this dominance of the White people in the Ibo society, instead of viewing it positively on how they have set up a trading store, as well as a hospital and schools help to improve the standard of living in society, his rigid way of thinking as a person caused him to be uncomfortable to the changes in the hierachy structure. As a result of this, Okonkwo was not able to adapt to the changes successfully, and chose suicide to escape. There are internal and external factors influencing an individuals decision and view on different things. Okonkwos single action of commiting suicide shows how much weighing of his character was put into place, and conveyed his more dominant trait- blatant fear and inflexibility, which led to the death.