In Things Fall Apart, Achebe foreshadows the rise and fall of his protagonist. Okonkwo's name is an indication of the character's major traits as well as being indicative of his tragic flaw. According to the author, Okonkwo not only refers to a male born on a specific day, but also translates as stubborn male pride. This pride is at the root of the character's strengths and at the same time is the source of his weaknesses. Okonkwo's pride is evident in many positive attributes; he is strong, hard working and has achieved family status considered successful by Igbo standards. First, the author describes Okonkwo's physical characteristics using terms desirable in a male in stark contrast to the more effeminate terms used to describe Unoka, his father. The character's masculinity is further emphasized when he manages to defeat Amalinze, a great fighter who had remained undefeated for seven years. News of this victory quickly spread to the surrounding villages, amplifying Okonkwo's sense of self-worth. The desire to be respected by other members of the tribe highlights the hard-working aspect of Okonkwo's pride. Forced to borrow seedlings to start his first crops, Okonkwo's reputation as a hard worker is rewarded as he receives more sweet potatoes than he asked for. He tends his fields diligently and is considered successful based on the number of barns needed to store his crops. In the Igbo tribe, a man's success is also measured by the size of his family. This is another area where Okonkwo finds great self-esteem. He acquired three wives, one of whom, Ekwefi, was once considered one of the most beautiful women in the village. For the Igbo, family is of the utmost importance; then once... halfway through the card... the character subsequently takes his own life. This act causes everything that Okonkwo had tried so hard to avoid. His father had died a shameful death; Unoka had no titles and was in debt to many. Now Okonkwo was dead anyway; suicide made his body impure. As a result, Okonkwo had to be buried by strangers. His death was as humiliating as his father's. In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses human emotion to show the strengths and weaknesses of his protagonist. Okonkwo is a very proud man. He wishes to be considered a successful person by the standards of his tribe. This same emotion causes the character to act in ways that the Igbo consider incongruous. This stubborn male pride is the main force at work in Okonkwo; allows him to prevail and yet is equally responsible for the character's death.