By Nyang’au Araka
Okonkwo remains one of literature’s most iconic and complex characters.
As the protagonist in Chinua Achebe’s seminal novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s life unfolds as a gripping tale of strength, pride, trauma, and cultural disintegration.
Now, decades after the book’s publication, a Kenyan scholar is offering a fresh perspective: a psychological profile of the man who couldn’t bend with the winds of change.
In a compelling video conversation, available here, Dr. Geoffrey Wango, a senior lecturer in Counselling Psychology at the University of Nairobi, dives deep into the psyche of Okonkwo.
For many readers, one question has always lingered after turning the final page: what, really, was wrong with Okonkwo?
Dr. Wango approaches this question not only as a psychologist, but also as a literary mind—he holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Literature, a master’s in Linguistics, and a PhD in Psychology.
This unique academic journey positions him perfectly to dissect both the mind and the message behind Achebe’s tragic hero.
Okonkwo, who lived with the fear of becoming like his father—a man considered weak and irresponsible—sought to embody masculinity, control, and order.
But in a society shifting under the pressure of colonial intrusion and internal contradictions, his rigid worldview becomes his downfall.
Ultimately, Okonkwo takes his own life, unable to reconcile the traditions he revered with the encroaching modernity that rendered them obsolete.
Dr. Wango’s psychoanalysis reveals deeper layers: a man gripped by internalized fear, cultural expectation, and emotional repression.
In unpacking Okonkwo’s trauma, Dr. Wango invites viewers to also reflect on their own emotional baggage, societal pressures, and coping mechanisms.
It’s a session that bridges literature and life—where a fictional tragedy becomes a mirror to real-world psychology.
Watch the full discussion here:
https://youtu.be/MdmYkd5QDyQ
Dr. Wango is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Psychology. His academic path began in literature before transitioning into linguistics and finally psychology, giving him a uniquely multidisciplinary lens on human behavior, storytelling, and cultural analysis.