A huge theme in Things Fall Apart is the concept of success. What makes a man successful? How does one measure success? Okonkwo, the main character of the novel, inherited only one legacy from his father: a disadvantaged life in poverty. His lazy, irresponsible father died in debt, leaving him nothing but embarrassment, shame, and a burning hate for everything his father stood for. He embodies the driving force necessary for Okonkwo to make it in life. The main character works hard and fights starvation, trying to provide for himself. He eventually succeeds in obtaining two respectable village titles and a massive estate for him and his three wives.
From what I’ve read so far, this novel is a criticism of the negligent; it defines success as the result of years upon years of hard work and unwavering discipline. According to the triumphant Okonkwo, success is achieved through facing one’s problems head on and never flinching or backing down or showing weakness. Ever. That’s a pretty extreme way of looking at things. Then again, he is a high ranking member of a barbaric African tribe. Let me try to reshape the definition of success into one more compatible with society today.
I read up on some of the factors that make a typical man of today successful. Based on this article, it seems that the most important step to success is conquering the natural human desire to be passive and let things “fall into place.” “I cannot overstress the importance of beginning the great work of being proactive rather than reactive in life. Accept these facts: Life is a difficult battle, demanding conflict and struggle. The best way to meet this requirement is by taking the battle to life, not letting life take the battle to you.” (Coughlin, 2008). Now obviously, this doesn’t mean cutting heads and claiming women as wives left and right like Okonkwo did, but with all the job competition and the capitalist mentality of
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