Fear is like religion that can poison thoughts and influence opinions before overpowering and ultimately taking over a person's innocence and morals. In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's reprehensible actions are caused by his blurred vision of right and wrong as his life is dominated by a lifelong fear of failure. Okonkwo's deep fear of failure originates from his father Unoka's failures, and Okonkwo's life purpose is to be Unoka's opposite and achieve high titles. If Okonkwo's Ibo culture thrives, the hierarchy of titles will remain and Okonkwo can finally earn a respected place in his community. Fear takes over Okonkwo's ability to process reason and responsibility, and he loses sight of why his village makes certain decisions when changing events send things astray. Okonkwo feels he must maintain a high and respected title in his community and does everything he can to protect his ego. Furthermore, his fear of failure causes Okonkwo to react impulsively to events that pose a threat to his chances of achieving high titles and success. Due to the fear of failure, Okonkwo dangerously strives for personal fulfillment and success, which leads him to react irrationally to drastic changes in his Ibo culture and ultimately leads to his downfall. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo's fear of failure drives him to have a high standard of and ego that is highly respected in his clan. Although Okonkwo does everything he can to protect his ego, some obstacles cause Okonkwo to lose his mind. Early in the novel, Achebe describes the customs and rules of the Week of Peace, a single sacred week of the year in which the Ibo culture honors the Earth Goddess for a healthy year for crops. Even though Okonkwo knows the reason for the week… halfway through the paper… their tribute. Okonkwo ignores his emotions several times throughout the novel just so that others will not see him as weak or less than who Okonkwo wants to be seen as, powerful, persevering, elite, and ultimately successful. Furthermore, Okonkwo fails to listen to the reasons behind the decisions made by his community and in turn reacts irrationally and irresponsibly to the situation. Overall, Okonkwo's fear of failure suppresses his potential to enjoy life, rather than living life just to make others think highly of him. Okonkwo's inability to tame his lifelong fear of failure limits him to reacting irrationally to situations without processing what is happening with reason, and ultimately the mistakes Okonkwo makes throughout his life add up and lead to his final death, suicide. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.