How does Chinua Achebe’s novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ display change in Okonkwo’s behavioural identity?

Behavioural identity is the notion that provokes significant change in human behaviour and dynamics. These behaviours are prompted by the culture, environment, experiences, and values in relation to a person’s upbringing. The novel, Things Fall Apart, (1958) by Chinua Achebe, a post-colonial novel set in the 1890s depicts a wide range of behaviour in various characters, primarily in the protagonist, Okonkwo. Through his novel, the author characterises Okonkwo as a man who longs for external validation and struggles to create his identity as a strong and fearless warrior in the Igbo community. However, ironically, his fear of failure leads to the downfall of his character. The change in this downfall is portrayed from experiencing internal fear in the beginning of the novel to displaying this fear at the end. Okonkwo’s behavioural change is deconstructed through a chronological approach in the essay. Thus, raising the line of inquiry: “How does Chinua Achebe’s novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ display change in Okonkwo’s behavioural identity?”. This essay examines how Achebe employs antithesis, metonymy, pathos, euphemism, chiasmus, analogy, characterisation and hamartia to display behavioural identity change.

 

Achebe represents Okonkwo experiencing constant internal fear. Okonkwo’s experiences play a major role in moulding his nature, which echoes an identity change in his behaviour. The author articulates the antithetical viewpoint of Okonkwo and his father Unoka. “Unoka was an ill-fated man” (Achebe 14), because “he owed every neighbour some money” (Achebe 4). On the contrary, “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond” (Achebe 3) for his strength and fame. The disparity between him and his father displays Okonkwo’s hate for the ignominious life his father spent. This hatred morphed into Okonkwo’s internal fear of turning out like his father. Achebe uses antithesis to bring out this inner trepidation through depicting Okonkwo’s success in life, which is the complete opposite of his father. Hence, this underscores the great extent of his fear as Okonkwo works painstakingly to be completely different from his father, depicting the beginning of his journey of change in identity. A flashback of Okonkwo reveals his playmate calling his father an agbala – “a man with no title” (Achebe 11). Here, the metonymy of the title symbolises the respect, power, and strength a man receives in the Igbo community, the complete opposite of what Okonkwo’s father possesses. The author’s uses of metonymy in terms of the title disclose Okonkwo’s yearning to get away from his fear of failure. His agony was something rooted within him for a long time, making it “deeper” (Achebe 10) and “more intimate” (Achebe 10). This fear influenced Okonkwo to be strong willed and adamant at doing anything to achieve this title. This can be observed in the lines “Even as a little boy .... agbala” (Achebe 11), proving how Okonkwo’s experiences influence his current behaviour. Okonkwo loathed showing his failure before people, especially his family; he often used his impetuous temper to disguise it. Delving into the lines “Okonkwo ruled ... little children” (Achebe 10) provides evidence to the uncontrollable temper that Okonkwo has. The author enunciates this temper that Okonkwo metaphorically has as a sign of failure. Since Okonkwo was in the incessant dread of turning out as his failure father, he terrorises his family with his bad temper. This diverts the audience away from his actual fear of failure. Hence, Okonkwo’s experiences shape the beginning of the change in his behavioural identity.

 

Okonkwo exhibits signs of failure through the emotions of sorrow, gratitude, and affection that contradict his ideology of staying away from failure , turning his fear into reality. Achebe uses pathos to depict the identity change in Okonkwo's behaviour. This use of pathos in the line “Okonkwo was inwardly....... due to Ikemefuna” (Achebe 38), outlines Okonkwo allowing himself to experience emotions. As Okonkwo feels pleased with his son Nwoye, this metaphorically indicates that Okonkwo is pleased with Ikemefuna because of the positive influence he has on Okonkwo's son. Through constant thoughts of Nwoye, Okonkwo demonstrates his growing fondness towards Ikemefuna and his gratitude as Ikemefuna makes Nwoye a better person everyday. Moreover, the employment of pathos is also observed during the killing of Ikemefuna. This is strongly demonstrated in the line “As the man who...........looked away” (Achebe 44), more specifically in the words “Okonkwo looked away” (Achebe 44), indicating that Okonkwo, a mighty warrior with numerous kills, couldn't look at Ikemefuna’s killing. The instinct of looking away that Oknonkwo displays when a man swings a matchet at Ikemefuna evinces the emotions that Okonkwo feels towards him, providing an exemplification of Okonkwo’s growing fondness for Ikemefuna. The emotions that Okonkwo's is experiencing highlight pathos, while simultaneously subtly hinting that Okonkwo’s feels positive emotion for Ikemefuna which prompts him to look away during the swing of the matchet. Furthermore, in the line “cut him down” (Achebe 44), the author implements the use of euphemism. The utilisation of euphemism vocalises the sensitivity of the situation. This is because Okonkwo considers Ikemefuna as his own son leading him to develop care for Ikemefuna. Thus, to use words like murder, kill or assassinate, can be considered gruesome towards someone that Okonkwo's has gained affection for. Hence, through euphemism, the substitute word used is “cut down” (Achebe 44) and through this the author denotes the endearment Okonkwo has for Ikemefuna. In addition, the drastic identity change in Oknonwo’s behaviour displays the significance Ikemefuna has in Okonkwo’s life and how it leads to him developing emotions of care and affection. During this point of time, Okonkwo unveiled indirect emotions observed in the line “He was afraid.......thought weak'' (Achebe 44), demonstrating his failure. Okonkwo’s fear of being thought of as a failure impells him to be present during Ikemefuna’s killing. Achebe’s depiction of change in Okonkwo’s behaviour from strong and adamant to letting himself develop affection for someone brings out signs of failure in his character. The change in Okonkwo from experiencing internal fear during the beginning to displaying a part of this fear as the novel progresses, unveils the behavioural identity change in Okonkwo.

 

Okonkwo verbalises his fear of failure intimately through his actions and undertakings. By doing so, Achebe extensively delineates the complete identity change in him. Okonkwo bluntly presents this fear outspokenly in the lines “Okonkwo was ..... personal grief” (Achebe 133). The author avails chiasmus in the lines to display this fear by thoroughly expressing emotions that Okonkwo feels. The employment of chiasmus particularly in the words “deeply grieved” (Achebe 133) and “personal grief” (Achebe 133), is to emphasise on the sorrow he is facing. This sorrow adds to the claim of exhibiting Okonkwo's failure through the portrayal of direct emotions. Moreover, the emphasis on using similar concepts of grief in the two sentences accentuates the transformative change in Okonkwo, from displaying signs of failure to completely displaying failure. Okonkwo also grieves for the other men of Umuofia, Achebe implements an analogy to expound this grief. The analogy of “warlike men of Umuofia” (Achebe 133) and “soft like women” (Achebe 133) is used to exposit the change in behaviour of the Umuofia clan. The analogy of warlike man means a strong and powerful person while a softlike women means weak and tender, demonstrating the transformation of the Umoufia clan: them becoming weak. Through this analogy, the author metaphorically includes Okonkwo in this behavioural change. This is to indicate the transformative change in Okonkwo himself, from powerful to a weak man, thus, denoting the complete change in Okonkwo from the experiencing internal fear to displaying this fear completely. The author includes the employment of hamartia in the characterisation of Okonkwo. Through hamartia, Achebe features the main tragedies, that led to the change in Okonkwo’s behaviour and in the end the downfall of his character. This change and downfall can be observed in the lines “Okonkwo’s body.... stopped dead” (Achebe 151). Okonkwo’s death proves the claim of behavioural identity change, from a strong and fearless warrior, to a man who takes his own life, depicting the tragic downfall.

 

In conclusion, Achebe successfully displays the behavioural identity change in Okonkwo, in his post-colonial novel, Things Fall Apart. He does this through the various use of literary devices like antithesis, metonymy, pathos, euphemism, chiasmus, analogy, characterisation and hamartia. Throughout the novel, through the various transitions, Achebe unveils Okonkwo’s failures, this shows the identity transition of his character from experiencing internal fear to displaying this fear. The author’s use of transitions in the story, mainly for Okonkwo, aid in proving the change in behaviour in him. This transitions of behavioural change is depicted through the experiences, actions and undertakings in Okonkwo’s life forming his identity. In an attempt to display this change, Achebe also shows the audience the flaws of a powerful and strong person in a community, and how these flaws completely consume the person. Further, Achebe uses supporting characters who help in bringing out the conflict of the story, thus, reinforcing the theme of behavioural identity change. Hence, the complexity of the novel is in the conflict and the devices through which Achebe achieves the larger purpose of outlining the tragic nature of the behavioural identity change aid in exposing it of its flaws, sorrows and griefs.

Achebe , Chinua. Things Fall Apart. PENGUIN CLASSICS, 2001.