Literary Anylasis

Literary Analysis

In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, there are many great themes. However, the main theme is the Tragic Hero with a Tragic Flaw. The Tragic hero in this book is Okonkwo and his tragic flaw is his obsession of looking manly and not at all weak; his biggest fear is looking weak. Throughout the novel, Achebe uses an abundance of literary devises such as similes, personification, and hyperboles.

Right away in chapter one, we learn that Okonkwo is a strong, well known person. “Okonkwo was well know throughout the nine villages and even beyond. As a young man he brought fame to his village by throwing down the great wrestler, Amelize the Cat.” (Achebe, 3) The book also uses a simile at this point, “Okonkwo was as slippery as a fish in water.” (3) This gives the reader a message that they understand. It tells us just how good Okonkwo was at wrestling. Again the book uses a simile to describe Okonkwo’s character, “Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bush-fire in the