Ch. 25 TFA Like Father Like Son

In the last chapter we see something that is completely unexpected. Okonkwo commited sucide. Suicide is a grave sin and once someone commits suicide the body is considered evil. The body can only be touched and buried by complete strangers. Obierkia blames the commissioner for the death of Okonwko and praises Okonwko’s greatness. Through this we can truly see how much Obierkia cared for Okonwko. The commissioner orders his messengers to help with the removal of the body but he refuses to take part. As he leaves, he appears to be satisfied with the new knowledge he has received on this custom. He also adds how he has learned a lot about African customs and prides himself for bringing “civilization to different parts of Africa” (208). Before that he had considered himself to be “the student of primitive customs” (207). He believes that the circumstances from Okonwko’s suicide could be an interesting addition to his book on Africa and could be added in a paragraph or even an entire chapter. When in fact he knows very little about the Igbo culture and considers them to be primitive. Achebe was able to write a whole book about Okonwko, whereas the commissioner can only manage to write a chapter about him. To the commissioner, Okonwko must seem like a heartless and cruel savage for killing his messenger, but to us he is a lot more then that.

Although it is unclear why Okonwko killed himself, we got to look into his past and present and see that Okonwko is not perfect after all. He tried to be so unlike his father that he ended up being just like him. Like father like son. In the end, Okonwko’s death was inevitable, throughout his life he received nothing but disappointment and betrayal and finally he had enough. The accidental death that sent him to exile had hardened his view on life. The betrayal from Nwoye and his clansmen were the last straws. He had enough.
What was so ironic about this last chapter? Do you think Okonwko made a wise decision by killing himself? What more could he have done if he had lived?