What Makes A True Hero?

What is the first thing I think about when somebody asks me for the definition of heroism? Well first and foremost, I think about determination, loyalty, and faith. I believe that all heroes need to be loyal to their people, determined to reach their goals, and have faith that things will be alright. Originally in my multi-paragraph, I've stated that Okonkwo is in fact a hero. I still stand by my argument, however I have realized that even though Okonkwo can be considered a hero, it is later revealed in the novel that Okonkwo also holds many traits that make him unheroic. 


Okonkwo can be considered a hero because he is fearless, determined, independent, and hardworking. He is honored for his personal achievement of throwing the unbeaten wrestler and his successes in war; this makes him brave. Furthermore, being the son of a man who failed miserably in life, Okonkwo didn't give up. He was independent and hardworking. He was determined to reach his goal which was to live a better life than his shameful father. Moreover, Okonkwo is a great role model for many people. He had many achievements which many can only dream of obtaining; these include becoming a wealthy farmer, having three wives, and taking two titles. But the fact that makes him so heroic with all these successes is that he was still very young when he became one of the greatest men of his time. This shows how somebody who had nothing to start with, can work his way up to the top if he had the determination to work hard. 


However, Okonkwo also shows many traits that make him unheroic. For instance, he would beat his wives, most of the time for insignificant reasons; heroes aren't supposed to take their anger out on innocent people. Furthermore, when Okonkwo committed suicide, he lost all faith and loyalty for his tribe. This ultimately made me reconsider whether or not Okonkwo was really a hero. Heroes aren't supposed to give up just because something is going horribly wrong; Heroes are supposed to always find faith to carry on when everything else seems to fall apart. 


In conclusion, I believe Okonkwo is a hero for many reasons. However, I think he is ultimately a tragic hero as he let all of his irrational fears of being weak and his inability to endure watching his village being taken over by the white society, get the best of him. In my opinion, heroes are supposed to give you that last dose of hope when all hope has already seemed to die out, and Okonkwo failed to provide that to his people.