Exile in Suicide

In the book: "Things Fall Apart" the author Chinua Achebe presents the ultimate downfall of the Ibo tribe as they are forced into the 'white world.' One of the main characters Okonkwo, a devout presence in society, feared by many due to the fact that he cruelly beat his wives. In the core of Okonkwo's being is a sincere and dreadful form of exile that exposes itself the moment he decided to commit suicide.

Throughout the novel the reader was given many different descriptions of gods and ceremonies engendering the sacredness of this tribe. Their beliefs and holy commitment definitely infiltrated itself on every day life, even when their tribe was slowly heading toward extinction. Okonkwo, a brute was affected greatly by this change the Ibo tribe faced...rather than having to succumb to customs not of his own he hung himself, ultimately exiling himself from his Ibo tribe. Suicide is highly condemned, and a refusal of burial is enforced to those who commit the ultimate sin. A painful moment in the book would be toward the end when members of the tribe ask the 'white men' to bury Okonkwo for they cannot, it is against their beliefs. The reader is able to see the connection between these tribal members, and even though Okonkwo went against the tribal rules they still wanted him buried.