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Okonkwo can't be buried because he committed the ultimate sin in Igbo culture: he took his own life, which is seen as a great offense against the Earth Goddess and the community.
In Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart," the character Okonkwo faces a tragic fate at the end of his life. Despite his prominence as a warrior and leader in his community, Okonkwo is unable to receive a proper burial after his suicide. Okonkwo cannot be buried according to the customs of his Igbo community because he dies by his own hand, which is considered a grave offense in Igbo society. Suicide is seen as an act of great dishonor and is believed to disrupt the natural order of life and death. The Igbo people believe that those who take their own lives are unable to join their ancestors in the afterlife and are doomed to wander as restless spirits. Therefore, Okonkwo's body is left unburied as a way of further punishing him for his transgression and serving as a warning to others about the consequences of such actions.
Why can’t Okonkwo be buried?. (2023, Jun 13). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/qa/literature/why-can-t-okonkwo-be-buried
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