Why Language Is (Or Could Be) An Area of Knowledge

12 Days Left!

Ok, the title may sound more dreary than interesting, but as I was considering some philosophical aspects of language over summer, I began wondering about why Language was not already an Area of Knowledge (AoK). To give some background, Language is a Way of Knowing (WoK), which as the name suggests is a way of gaining knowledge. WoKs provide answers to the ‘How Do We Know?’ question. The other WoKs are emotion, intuition, faith, reason, imagination, memory, and sense perception. The existing AoKs, which I believe Language should join, are Ethics, History, Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, Mathematics, Religious Knowledge Systems, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and the Arts.

An Area of Knowledge can be defined by its characteristics, which include having specific Scope and Application, having its own Concepts and Language, a concrete Methodology, Historical Development, and Links to Personal Knowledge. To argue my case, I’ll be looking at each component of the AoK through the lens of Language.

Language can be described as a system for communication, where information can be conveyed when symbols are put together on paper, or when these symbols are given sounds that give meaning when they are spoken. This is what Language as an Area of Knowledge is about – communication. It studies how humans transfer information to one another, and by doing so solve problems in other AoKs. For example, certain conundrums in psychology (a Human Science) could be explained with the absence of certain words that exist in other languages. Having a word for a concept makes it more concrete in our minds, as it fits into our communication system. For instance, the word litost is Czech for ‘depression caused by sudden insight into one’s own miserable self’. It could be argued that the Czechs would be more prone to this malady, as they are more aware of it than we are (as it exists more indirectly in English). Additionally, just like the Scope of any other AoK, Language contains open questions (e.g. What is the origin of Language?) that are still being explored.

The next characteristic of an AoK is slightly trickier. Concepts and Language emphasize the role of language in the way knowledge is created in each AoK. Language encompasses concepts, and it is these concepts that constitute the Areas of Knowledge as we know them.

One way around this would be to consider not the system for communication itself, but the study of it (which we mentioned earlier). For example, linguistics is a study under Language, which looks at its structure and its implications (e.g. social, historical etc.). Like any scientific field, Linguistics has its own terminology. We even learnt some of it in class, for example ‘creole’, ‘dialect leveling’, ‘code switching’ etc. These words represent key concepts in linguistics, a field directly related to Language, and so consequently explain our knowledge of this area.

Linguistics as a field of Language is rather ‘meta’, as it attempts to understand the origins, structure and implications of itself. It also fits well into the AoK framework under Methodology. Experiments involving language (such as this game) are frequently conducted, revealing to us more information about how we communicate with each other. In fact, other subsections of Language, like literature (the production of artistic language) also have distinct ways of being understood that could be considered Methodology. One might analyze themes, diction, characterization, plot etc. to further understand the work. Additionally, Language again resembles an AoK through the things it values (which we see directly in literature), and the rejections it makes (font size, for example, does not matter as much in literature).

Do I really need to explain why Language has a Historical Development? Although there are contrasting theories on the origins of language (e.g. Discontinuity and Continuity theory), they both involve it’s gradual evolution to what we know it as today. Even from the linguistics perspective of meta-language, our understanding of the communicative systems we use is constantly changing based on historical context. For example, at a time when people relied on the church for explanations, the story of the Tower of Babel illustrated the origin of different languages. Now, however, linguists believe different languages arose out of different needs and contexts. Etymology can also provide interesting insights into the historical development of specific words and ideas.

The last component of an Area of Knowledge is its Links to Personal Knowledge. With this element, the AoK must tell us what it should mean to us, and why it is important. There are many direct connections to the Knower in Language, as its usage is almost unavoidable (an interesting article here talks about thought without language – a very rare occurrence). Language is also instrumental in the many forms of communication that surround us today – from advertisements to entertainment and social media. Any interaction with people will use some form of language, and establish our personal links to the AoK.

It seems that Language does follow the structure of an AoK. But one must also realize the compelling argument for it as a WoK – the way that Language encompasses nearly every aspect of our lives and also every AoK is what places it in that category. To counter this, we can focus on the purpose of an AoK – to categorize our knowledge into systems to understand it better. Language fits well here, especially as our earlier definition explained it as a communicative system and the study of it.

All in all, I believe that Language can fit effectively into the Area of Knowledge framework. This argument does not make a statement about Language but rather about ToK, proving that the existing WoKs and AoKs are not infallible structures that govern all knowledge. They have their own limitations, which must be recognized to truly understand ToK.

Of course, many of the examples I brought up here fit in well with Language and Literature, and the analysis was also completed on the English language, which we are studying in this course. The argument is not flawless as it does not look at other languages, but it provides a good beginning for more analysis. What do you think?

Sources

https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/exist/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=d_0_tok_gui_1304_1_e&part=2&chapter=4

https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/exist/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=d_0_tok_gui_1304_1_e&part=2&chapter=3

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab13

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003925.html

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2011:1-9

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-are-there-so-many-languages/

http://simplyphilosophy.org/words-are-arbitrary/

Book Reflection: Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (SLIGHT SPOILERS!)

I hope everyone has been enjoying their summers so far. 32 Days Left!

I’ve just finished reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers’ memoir. A very brief synopsis: it documents the life of the author (twenties?) after and as both his parents pass away, and he cares for his younger brother (eleven) and deals with the tragedy. While the content of the book is “staggering” by itself, what really stood out to me was the author’s prose. It greatly impacted my view of writing, and my understanding of what constitutes telling a story. This blog post will attempt to outline what it was that made this not a book, but an experience.  

The first thing that set it apart from others was its structure, or rather the lack thereof. It was very ‘anything goes’, where one sentence could be half a page long, and where two different and unrelated narratives could be told at the same time. It also paid little attention to grammatical structure, with instances where words were just stuck together instead of forming ‘proper’ sentences. All this flowed together like thought processes, which the reader can identify with – especially as the abstract phrases conjure up feelings that are more universal than the specific events that triggered them.   

Working together with the very personal structure of the novel is how self-conscious it is. There are times when characters lapse into monologues that are obviously false – questioning the purpose of the memoir and insisting on the selfish motives of the author for focusing on the tragedies around him to ‘add drama to his own life’. As the reader, the times when the book questioned itself brought me back to the reality of what I was reading and engaged me to question it. While this is a very useful device, it can become annoying if used too often and without skill.

In A.H.W.O.S.G., however, the self-consciousness never became problematic as it was balanced with a level of honesty that was almost painful to watch. The book was not pretentious at all, and attempts at being ‘cool’ or being anything were shot down by the self-conscious side of it. This absence of any self-labeling within the story makes the novel even more personal and vulnerable, as it laughs at itself first to defend against any potential criticisms or other people lampooning it. All hatred, jealousy, and ulterior motives of the writer are undisguised.   

Earlier this year, we discussed ‘standard English’ and the fact that it does not really exist. This book fits this sentiment perfectly – not only is proper grammar abandoned at times, Eggers also uses lists, charts, and drawings to communicate his message. What is interesting is that his message is always delivered, and that oftentimes it is in the least organized parts that the message is the clearest.  This is perhaps aided by repeated swear words, which also contribute to the novel seeming like someone’s inner dialogue.

In conclusion, all these factors work together to create a book that makes you feel like you are sitting in Dave Eggers’ head, sifting through his past experiences and watching as he processes and deals with what life has given and is giving him. Watching another human’s thoughts (the part where we usually feel most alone) is at once comforting in its familiarity, but at the same time scary in the realization that we are not as special as we think we are. I’d definitely recommend this book, although beware – there may be some themes that people may be uncomfortable with. As mentioned before, it is very honest, and nothing is hidden from the reader’s view.  

Have a great summer! J

How To Portray People Who Don't Have Facebook

"Not having Facebook could be the first sign that you are a mass murderer"

Before beginning you must understand that there are two types of People Who Do Not Have Facebook. One type is old and does not have the ability to use the internet (all your relatives older than thirty fall into this category). It is not this group that interests you - o great, wise commentator on social functions and norms - but rather the second group, which is made up of Young People Who Do Not Have Facebook. 

When discussing these delinquents make sure to enforce that the defining characteristic of their personality is that they Don't Have Facebook. There is literally nothing else that is interesting about them. Ingrain in your reader/viewer the truth that having a Facebook account is the ONLY sign of having a healthy social network and life. Remind them that besides Facebook, there is no other way to make friends or keep in contact with said friends - and so anyone who does not subscribe to this is automatically a loner with no life. They no doubt know this already, but just repeat it to make sure. 

It would also be helpful to mention that a grand total of TWO serial killers - James Holmes and Anders Beiring Breivik - do not have Facebook. Take this as infallible proof that anyone without an account is planning to murder you. Because you are so very important. And because it's not like there's a positive correlation between time spent on Facebook and narcissism or anything (Ryan & Xenos, 2011). 

When constructing characters that Do Not Have Facebook, make sure they are anomalies. Surround them with normal people who do have Facebook, just to prove how much more fun they have. Include many, many, many conversations over pictures that people posted on their walls ("Dude did you see that photo?!"), mysterious status updates ("Dude did you see that status update?!"), or discussions over scintillating groups the protagonist is excluded from. Bonus points if these groups are directly related to the interests of the One Who Does Not Have Facebook. Make sure the protagonist is visibly uncomfortable with their choice of Not Having Facebook.  

If your protagonist is ever asked about their views on Facebook, make sure they voice them strongly. Use opinionated phrases like "Facebook is just stupid." Be careful not to include any reasonable arguments, since your character is obviously misguided and irrational for not being one of the masses. This should not be hard - keep in mind when writing the novel that you are doing a service to this oppressed community. You are exposing their story and giving them a hero, a Facebook Convert, to look up to and emulate. Wow! You are, like, so great. 

Back to the story - the plot of your novel is obviously the conflict between whether the main character should have Facebook or not. Keep in mind that your protagonist is flat, no other conflicts or problems permeate their lives except for this one - the defining question of modern humanity and prerequisite to being human. Explore this conflict through pages of internal angst and deliberation. His/her decision not to go online is because s/he's just too shy. Do not give real reasons like not having enough time or wanting to be productive - those will just confuse your highly intelligent readers. 

Include a defining event as the climax of the novel, where the protagonist is denied a job or similar opportunity because his/her potential employer thinks his Facebook account had so many red flags that it had to be deleted. After this, show your main character staring off into the distance deliberating their decision again. If you are writing a movie instead of a novel, include dramatic music. Build up to the peak where s/he sits down forcibly at the desk, lifts the screen up, and with shaking hands clicks that holy green Sign Up button (a.k.a. the pass to social acceptance). 

The next day, make sure your protagonist has somehow become more attractive and has more friends when they step into school. They are no longer bullied, and their problems have gone away. Their crush even smiles as them! They have now officially become one of Them, the people who have Facebook. As they saunter off into their new found life (which did not exist before), briefly describe the group of people that your protagonist was once a part of - Those Who Do Not Have Facebook. They are all sitting at the same table in the cafeteria, and make sure they are staring jealously at your main character. Do not worry, they will come to realize the error of their ways soon enough - especially thanks to books and movies like yours. 

Sample Paper 2 Answer

Show how and to what effect Achebe makes use of myth, legend or other stories and tales. 

The central aim of Things Fall Apart was to write against the colonial oppressors and upset the imbalance of 'storytelling power' through providing an African narrative that readers from all over the world can identify with. One of the central ways author Chinua Achebe achieves this is by presenting the audience with an African cultural experience that fully immerses the reader in the fictional world of Umuofia. 

Before we can understand the effect of myths, legends, and tales in the Umuofia community, we need to understand a bit more about the Igbo culture. We have seen thus far that it is primarily an oral culture, where wisdom and education are passed down verbally. The myths thus take on a greater significance, as they form a core part of African culture. It is also important to recognize that without this strong background of African culture, the novel would consist just of a bare plot line, and would lose much of the richness and significance that gave it the significance and prestige it holds in literary circles today. 

In order to explore the specific ways in which myths, legends, and other stories are used within the novel, I will focus on three examples which each accomplish Achebe's aims. 

One of the first instances of a myth was in Chapter 7 where Achebe describes to us the internal conflict within Okonkwo's son Nwoye, over preferring his mother's tales but wanting to please his father, "Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and violent" (p.53). Following this, one of Nwoye's favourite myths is recounted, allowing the reader to learn about the quarrel between the Earth and the Sky. As we mentioned earlier, the primary aim that myths like these serve is creating a richer environment for the audience to immerse themselves in. 

Aside from this general aim, however, it is also interesting to note that this particular myth serves the additional purpose of representing femininity. There are many elements within the language of the myth that imply this, for example "Vulture was sent...to soften his heart", "the sons of men", "rain wrapped in leaves of cocoyam." (cocoyam is a 'woman's' crop). This works hand in hand with the fact that these stories were told by the mothers to their children to imply that femininity forms a strong part of Igbo culture. It also reinforces the theme of balance, and gives the Igbo women a quieter form of control over the community as purveyors of their educational system. This could serve as foreshadowing that a character as unrelentingly masculine as Okonkwo will not survive and flourish in a culture like this. 

Within Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses myths more than just directly through stating them. He also relates them as part of explaining the significance behind proverbs, which occur throughout the text and add to the cultural authenticity of the novel. Proverbs do this by acting as condensed pieces of wisdom that constantly inform the reader on the cultural values and norms of the Igbo. An example of a proverb that does this very well occurs in Chapter 4, "when a man says yes his chi says yes also". It was used in the context of explaining Okonkwo's success despite his meager start in life, and enriches the novel by revealing the cultural values of the Igbo that allowed Okonkwo to succeed for the first part of his life. 

Like all elements of Igbo culture that are revealed to the audience, this proverb has a very deliberate function aside from the overarching purpose of enriching culture. The values expressed here are those of independence and self-sufficiency, and they are very impactful especially at the end in Okonkwo's suicide, because they imply that it was his own choices that led him to that plight. Contrarily, however, Okonkwo is often considered by western audiences to be a tragic hero, but this differs from Igbo tradition in that tragic heroes are often fated to an unfortunate end. By providing this proverb to audiences who would likely associate Okonkwo with the tragic hero (he has many other hallmarks, such as hamartia) Achebe further provokes them into questioning how much of Okonkwo's downfall was his own doing and thus engages them in the text. This also plays a role in the ambiguity of Okonkwo's 'goodness'. It is hard to decide whether he is a good or bad character, adding to the multivocality of our understanding of the text and protagonist. 

The final example of myths and stories that we will consider are those in the forms of songs. These are sprinkled throughout the text, and provide the audience with another form of culture to associate with the Igbo. The songs serve a slightly different function than the stories, since they are common in most cultures (even when education isn't mainly verbal). This would allow a more diverse group to identify with them. The act of including lyrics without accompanying tunes or music, however, can perhaps also be interpreted as a comment by Achebe on the integrity of his text. It's almost as if he is reminding us that no matter how much we sing or read these songs, there is still an element of Igbo culture that has been irreparably lost due to colonization. This is represented symbolically via the medium of his novel: as a book we cannot include a song within it, and books embody civilization and education (which the colonizers 'brought' to the African people). 

One memorable instance where a song is related occurs in Chapter 7, where Ikemefuna sings a song  (p.60) in his head before the men close in to kill him. The song is purely in Igbo, and the audience is not provided with any additional context of what it means. Igbo songs such as this one strongly contrast the language of the narrative: English. They act as a marker, reminding us of the African culture behind this text, providing the audience with raw 'culture packets' that even though we can't understand, we are trained to accept. Our understanding of the other events going on at the time songs like these come up also add to our acceptance of these songs. 

In conclusion, Achebe uses different forms of myths, tales, and stories to add to the richness of African culture. Within these examples, his usage also adds depth to the events going on in the novel at that time. Links back to western literary structures also further engage the audience in the text. His usage is especially significant since the majority of his readers may not as detailed a knowledge of Igbo culture as he does. 

The Death of My Culture (Obierika's Memoir)

It’s hard to imagine that things were ever any different. The white washed hospitals and Christian schools in the afternoon sun opposite the hut where I’m writing this stand tall and deliberate – almost as if they belong there.  

Just like their buildings, the white men are now scattered amongst us, preaching their religion and culture to our people. They have grown so accustomed to us that we sometimes even see white women, hiding underneath umbrellas and flowing dresses as they shyly look our way and avoid eye contact. They should know that they have nothing to fear, for their race has sufficiently broken us.

I remember coming in to my compound after working with the yams one day, and seeing my son Maduka reading in his hut. This was many years ago, and reading was still rare. We the Igbo people are a culture founded in oral tradition – it is the stories a man learns from his mother that makes him who he is.

Intrigued, I went forward to my boy’s hut to ask him what he was doing. So enamored was he with his book that he did not hear my footsteps until I stood in front of him and called his name. Maduka jumped, startled. He hastily looked up and slammed the book shut, stammering out a hesitant “Yes, father?”.

“I thought you were going wrestling this evening?”

“Y-yes, but I also had school…”

It was then that I looked down and saw the book he held in his hands. Sitting regally in his dark palms, the blood red leather bound cover had ‘The Bible’ inscribed in gold on the cover. I recall picking it up, leafing through it, and thinking how ironic it was that the words of the white man’s faith were bound in the colour of our earth.

I looked down at Maduka and I smiled. What else could I do? I left the hut, and he continued reading happily. His peaceful silhouette lay against the sun, oblivious of his culture trickling away like palm wine being tapped from a palm tree by a bad tapper.

I have given this much thought, and decided that this is how the white man has managed to break us apart. He came from within, slowly taking our brothers and sisters over to his side, creating a shield that our strongest war medicine could not break – for how could we fight our own people? How can I tell my son that the white man is wrong, and in this way preach hatred in such a young soul?

At the start we believed that the missionaries would eventually be destroyed by the Evil Forest, and so we let him be. But he survived, and our people began to think that his medicine was stronger than ours. We say that living fire begets cold, impotent ash. The power and appeal of his God was too great for Chukwu to stand next to.

And looking back, can I say that I blame my people? The white man’s God did not make us throw away our twins, he did not make us kill our sons, he did not make us exile our brothers. In short he was so much easier to follow – he did not demand animals nor sacrifices, just our thoughts and prayers.

It is in this ease that I think we allowed ourselves to be captured – we did not even notice we had forgotten Chukwu and Ani and Agbala and our ancestors until we saw that the paths to the oracles had become faint. And this was the worst part – why had our Gods not punished us already? Our neglect went unheeded, making many of us miserable. If the Gods do the same whether or not we sacrifice to them or not, then what is the point? At least the white man’s God protects him from the Evil Forest and does not forget his people.

As our religion changed, so did our customs. The stories we told our children changed. They heard passages of Moses and Joseph, and turtles and birds become no more than animals. These children grew up to tell these stories to their children, and so our entire lives became infected with the disease of the albino. 

Through these decades I had to watch wretchedly this painful cycle everyday as my home and life fell apart. 

Paper 2: Things Fall Apart

To what extent has an awareness of context enriched or enhanced your understanding of Things Fall Apart?

The way I understood Things Fall Apart changed a lot after the class developed an understanding of the context. This is due to the highly specific aims of the text – author Chinua Achebe was writing against the colonial oppressors with the aim of changing the way Nigerians (and other colonized cultures) saw their histories. With this understanding of context in mind, many of the decisions Achebe made regarding what aspects of Igbo culture to include and which to exclude made more sense. In this essay, I will be exploring examples of how an understanding of context and culture has furthered the depth at which we understand the text.

One of the most apparent examples of this is the debate concerning the text’s sexist connotations. On a casual reading without additional cultural context, it appears as if Things Fall Apart is very sexist – wife beating is accepted as a normal part of society, men can take more than one wife, and husbands are expected to have “control” over their households.

After reading essays on the Igbo cultural background, however, we learn of the existence of women’s groups like the “Umuada” or daughters of the clan. These groups controlled the “civil and familial spheres of influence”, and contained powerful women who even had the power to take titles and (in some tribes) marry other women. This is unsurprising if we consider that the central cultural axiom of Igbo life is Balance. Although this disparity between the way Igbo culture is portrayed by Achebe and the way it actually was may be even more infuriating at first, upon greater consideration it deepens the personal connections we form to the text.

In Rhonda Cobham’s essay Problems of Gender and History in the teaching of Things Fall Apart, she proposes that Achebe purposefully leaves out the traditional power that Igbo women had because it does not fit our Western culture. While the idea that Achebe was trying to “fit” western culture seems absurd at first, it makes more sense when considering the context of the novel. Things Fall Apart was written in 1958, with the aim of giving the world a traditional African narrative and character to identify with. One of the devices Achebe used to make sure we identified with Okonkwo is reducing the disparity between Western and African culture and customs.

Apart from not giving autonomous women’s societies more power, Achebe also focuses on the seemingly ‘polygamous’ relationship of Okonkwo and Ekwefi by not describing in as much detail the love between Okonkwo and his other two wives. This is strengthened when we realize that in the majority of instances where Okonkwo shows caring emotion, Ezinma and Ekwefi are involved (e.g. when Okonkwo follows Ekwefi to the Oracle; when we learn of his worry before this event; and when he prepares medicine to cure Ezinma’s fever). Through this, the difference between these cultures seems smaller, and allows the non-African audience another potential facet to identify with.

In the same vein, Achebe excluded some realistic actions that actual Igbo women could have taken during the course of the novel. For example, in the case of the wife-beating Uzowulu, the earlier mentioned Umuada (or daughters of the clan) could have organized a “sexual strike” until his wife got the justice she deserved. Cases like these are unheard of in the west, however, and so their exclusion give the non-African readers a structure that they can identify with. By doing so, Achebe is able to focus on building cultural similarities in Part One of the novel, which play a big role in allowing the audience to identify with Okonkwo when Igbo society falls apart in Part Two.

This decision of his also helps the audience center on the focal point of the text: the reality of colonization. If Igbo culture had been described in all it’s glory, it’s likely that many other issues would have been raised (e.g. sexism), not pertaining to Achebe’s original plan. We see him exercising his right as an author to create (to a certain extent) his own version of Umuofia, which is ideal for telling his story.

This idea that Achebe’s Umuofia is just one interpretation of an African village of many others that could exist also introduces the readers to the fact that “there is no truly objective, unbiased version of traditional life” (Cobham). The observer effect comes into play – once the village is being recorded it’s reality has been affected by the person recording it. This realization is one that goes beyond just Things Fall Apart, enriching our understanding of any texts we may read in the future (especially those relating to traditional life).

A cultural concept that enriched my understanding of the text was that of Balance. In the essays we read, a lot of emphasis was placed on how much the Igbo value Balance in all forms – seen in the novel, for example, when the male is the ‘lead’ of the household but the concept of ‘Nneka’, or mother being supreme, also exists.

This understanding of the Igbo culture sheds light on why Okonkwo is so conflicted – he interprets his own tribe’s values as being direct and clear-cut, whereas in reality there are often two sides to the same coin. Okonkwo associates masculinity solely with courage and strength, and he fails to realize the complex system of morals encompassing both compassion and strength that the Igbo value. One example of this is in the case of Ndule and Ozeomena, where Okonkwo’s counterpart Obierika positively recognizes their inseparability while Okonkwo questions the masculinity of Ndule.

This concept of balance also helps us understand the wider narrative that Achebe is weaving – that of the intertwining western and African stories. This is done very interestingly in Part One, where Achebe tells a western story structure with African characters and cultural practices. For example, in the biblical parallels he includes relating the Okonkwo-Nwoye dynamic to Abraham and Isaac, he balances Christian and Igbo values by showing their similarities. The earlier discussed selectivity that Achebe employs when discussing Igbo women also elaborates to the concept of balance: we see an Umuofia that is closer to our cultural practices and so are more likely to understand it better.

In conclusion, the increased awareness of context (relating to place, agenda, and time) have greatly strengthened our understanding of the many layers of Things Fall Apart. On hindsight, these contexts are crucial to a full comprehension of the many subtleties of the text, and are especially relevant when making sure readers don’t make sweeping judgmental statements on Igbo culture. 

Okonkwo, Tragic Heroes and Storytelling

Blog Prompts:

-Why does Achebe use a tragic hero for his protagonist in his colonial counter narrative?

-How does Achebe use Okonkwo to develop specific things in TFA?

In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, the protagonist Okonkwo is a tragic hero. With his choice of a main character, Achebe deviates from the traditional aim of the colonial counter narrative (which is to write against the colonizers), and instead fulfills his aim of making us understand and identify with this culture. 

The classic trope of the tragic hero is one that was (and still is) very common in literature, with a host of European examples including Antigone, Oedipus, Hamlet etc. Most western audiences already know the basic story of a tragic hero, and I believe this is one of the reasons why Achebe 'chose' this role for Okonkwo. By structuring the novel in a way that 'fit' the minds of consumers of western media, Achebe established a stronger connection with them. This is because the general "scaffolding" is the same - except a different culture has been applied. In this sense it balances the 'culture-shock' that the audience might experience with a predictable (to a certain extent) plot line, making them more receptive to the novel. This may even have been instrumental in making Things Fall Apart stand out as a colonial counter narrative. 

Another question that crops up when considering Okonkwo's role as a tragic hero is whether that placement really was Achebe's choice to make. The author has been quoted saying "When you're an African the world is upside down". In his observation that the world is not the same for people of his culture, the role as the tragic hero may have been the only one available to a protagonist in this context.  This is especially significant when considering the view that Okonkwo is symbolic of his Igbo culture. Just like the cultures, belief systems and methods of government of many tribes were destroyed by the colonizers, so will any African character whose life tells a counter colonial narrative have to be characterized by the ending of a tragic hero. 

For example, we know that Obierika is known to challenge the belief systems of his own faith (Chapter 13, last passage), albeit only internally. If one character consciously questions Igbo society, how can we be sure that others are not doing the same? After all, Obierika still respects the customs of their society, so outwardly things seem fine - as is the case with most of the other tribe members. This doubt of Igbo customs can be translated into peripeteia - an error in judgment on behalf of the clan. While the individual flaws and reversal of fortunes may be different, the concluding fate of all tribe members was the same - being resigned to submission by the colonizing forces. 

It seems that almost any character within this context (of colonization) could fit into the tragic hero mold - especially when the focus is telling the story of the subaltern people. Supporting this were the contradictory Igbo values of the individual and the community, which provided the perfect grounds for their culture to falter (since it wasn't well defined). The tragic hero seems to become almost default to telling this story truthfully. 

Okonkwo's role as a mirror to the fate of his culture was one of the major themes he was used to develop. His internal struggle also develops a 'real' character, and an identification within any audiences with Okonkwo. His struggles do not outwardly seem like things we will identify with (e.g. following the advice of an Oracle), but the umbrella of 'individual vs. society' under which they occur allow us to relate. I personally believe this is the most significant thing Okonkwo was used to develop - a genuine desire to hear someone else's story. Even someone not from our culture or time period. Achebe devotes half the book to doing this, and it could be argued that even without the arrival of the colonizers, Okonkwo's narrative alone would still have made a fascinating read.