In Things Fall Apart, how do the oral traditions, proverbs and Igbo wisdom, and language used add to the effect of the novel's tragic ending and the...

The language, customs, and proverbsuses in
his seminal novel all contribute to 's tragic outcome in many ways.
Indeed, the ending is rendered more devastating because Achebe uses this Igbo wisdom throughout
the story to allow Okonkwos friends and colleagues to warn him against his staunch, prideful
nature that leads to his eventual downfall. Early in the novel, Okonkwos lazy fatherforeshadows
Okonkwos demise when he gives his son this key piece of advice:

Do not despair. I know you will not despair. You have a manly and a proud heart. A
proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is
more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone (24-25).

The novel is filled with moments like this, moments that foreshadow
Okonkwos suicide. What makes this passage even more devastating is the fact that Okonkwo does in
fact fail alone. His region has been completely altered by European influence brought about by
Christian missionaries. In Achebes world, Okonkwo is inextricable from traditional Igbo values,
and the fact that Achebe uses so much of the language and wisdom of the tribal Igbo gives the
story a further sense of depth. Igbo values are under attack by Western colonialism, and the
face of the entire region has been changed. When Okonkwo dies, so, in a way, does the
traditional Igbo way of life. The rich language that Achebe uses ties Okonkwo to his traditions
and values, and provides the tale a melancholic feel.