From Grace to Disgrace: Analysis of Okonkwo in Achebe's Things Fall Apart

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. This African proverb suggests that while individual efforts might lead to quick results, the most meaningful and lasting achievements, in a society are often the result of shared efforts that bring people and ideas together. The current paper seeks to investigate the reasons why Okonkwo, who achieves glory and fame, fails at the end of the story. The purpose of the research is, de facto, to shed light on the values that Africans inherited in the past as reflected in Things Fall Apart. It seeks to explore, as well, how the imperfections in the Igbo culture are used or manipulated, by foreign cultures to help the hero of Things Fall Apart collapse. The findings reveal that the failure of Okonkwo translates the vulnerability of the whole Igbo community. Through the lens of Symbolic Interactionism, the researchers bring to surface the aesthetic message of Achebe that, as culture is dynamic, we should take time and investigate what is good and bad in our cultures and take action towards improvement. Otherwise, we will all end up like the Okonkwo of Things Fall Apart.