Rough Draft of Final Portfolio Research Based on Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

RUNNING HEAD: ​SINGLE CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Rough Draft and Working Thesis

Jadah Arrington

ENG130-2

Colorado State University – Global Campus

Dr. Stone Meredith

November 2, 2019

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RUNNING HEAD: ​SINGLE CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Single Character Analysis

The book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe published in 1958 simulates a story

about the pre-colonial life in Nigeria. The story revolves around a strong cultural community

with an individual with bad karma following his way leading to his demise and the penetration

by the White colonists that started eroding the rich culture of the community. The paper will

revolve around Okonkwo who is the main protagonist in the story. The character has the best

interests of the community because he was seeking to become one of the lords of the community

someday … “​to become one of the lords of the clan​” but his actions did not allow him. The

character is full of pride, hard work, violence and anger (Achebe, 2017). It is evident that in

chapters 14 and 17 Okonkwo is not at peace with his outcomes after having to leave his

community after killing his adopted son. In addition, his other son Nwoye was proving a burden

and failure because he was not following his father’s ways and interests.

The character is one of the most complicated and sophisticated characters with the best

track record. The book portrays Okonkwo as someone who will not back away from a fight as

long as it does not reflect poorly on his character. The individual hated his father and son

because of being poor, lazy and more into the music stuff that were not good for a man of the

society. The activities made it a challenge for the character to have any association to such traits

and instead worked hard and violent believing that it was the way a man should act. The

character comes off as a know it all person that would like to stand tall in all meeting

congregations and be heard just because it would fulfil his ego and those watching.

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RUNNING HEAD: ​SINGLE CHARACTER ANALYSIS

The story is reflective to the main character because his actions tend to dictate the

outcome of the book and the whole community. The author lets the story of the main character

and that of the deeper meaning also simulate with the traits of the main character. It is evident in

the chapters; Okonkwo is not satisfactory with the farming and was almost giving up on the

practice because he is used to have his way and almost immediate outcomes …​“Okonkwo works

hard on his new farm but with less enthusiasm than he had the first time around (Achebe,

2017)​”. On the other hand, he believes he is a failure and it eats him away because his son is not

anything reflective to his character and thus despises him. The book itself focuses on a

community that is losing its culture to the White colonialists despite standing tall and trying to

salvage it and still ended up collaborating.

It is evident in the story that, Okonkwo was a major influence and symbol that would aid

the community in growing and maintaining its culture. However, the fact that Okonkwo was

violent and had anger issues it dawned on him that his son will never be like him. The thoughts

of committing suicide started developing after realizing that it was not possible for him to

become a lord after his violent and anger nature made him participate in killing his son. The

failure in harvesting and his son’s transformation to Christianity … “​Okonkwo’s cousins notices

Nwoye among the Christians​” was one of the final disappointments that Okonkwo would not

take because it felt like a betrayal and his life achievement all that could not happen (Achebe,

2017).

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RUNNING HEAD: ​SINGLE CHARACTER ANALYSIS

References

Top of Form

Achebe, C. (2017). ​Things fall apart​. New York, New York: Penguin Books.

Bottom of Form

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