Re-assessing Okonkwo's Suicide An Act of Sacrifice/An act of Disgrace

Chinua Achebe with his very first novel Things Fall Apart (1958) took the literary world by storm and catapulted African literature into the world stage. In this novel the clash of civilization and the impact of it on the lives of people became his theme. On the backdrop of this setting there is also the story of Okonkwo, a proud clan leader and revered warrior. How he attained glory and also how he ended his own life at the end of the story became a central point of critical attention. Though Achebe depicted the Suicide at the end of the story, he never gave any concrete answer for this shameful act. Critics trying to find the answer of the great question ‘why did he do it?’ always faced limitations. In order to understand Okonkwo's Suicide, one must possess a sound knowledge of Igbo culture and traditions. Anthropological and social scientific approach is essential to get to the bottom of this shameful act. Was he afraid of captivity? Or he sacrificed his life in order to save his society? These are the kind of questions which are discussed in this paper.