The main character, Okonkwo, is trapped by dogma, which is, according to Steve Jobs, living with the result of other people’s thinking.  Because of this, he cannot differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.  He bases all of his decisions on what would make him a better person in the eyes of the society, not in the eyes of himself.  He is so lost in other people’s expectations and lives by them that he turns selfish because he puts his image in front of anything else. 

          Ezinma, one of Okonkwo’s daughters, is the only person who is able to ground him.  Although she is a small part of the novel, she has the greatest influence over him.  Throughout the novel, he only loses focus on his image whenever she is at risk and this occasionally causes a break in his masculine appearance.  Ezinma has learned how to deal with and please her father and Okonkwo acknowledges this.  Because of their influence, her actions tend to be first-priority, over Okonkwo’s determination to move up in his social standing.  Ezinma resembles a return of logic to Okonkwo and causes him to rethink his actions.  Because of her profound effect on Okonkwo causing him to think separately from the tribe, she is a hero.

          Obierika, is another hero of this story.  Obierika is not afraid to stand apart from the rest of the crowd.  One of the most distinct examples is when the men of the tribe, including Okonkwo, go out to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo’s “adopted” son.  Obierika stays behind claiming that he had better things to do.  Constantly, Obierika tries to get Okonkwo to think about deeper issues, such as morality or universal truths, but Okonkwo is too focused on his reputation to listen to him.  But, even Okonkwo considers him “a man who thinks about things” (125).  Because of his thinking, he is a hero.  He is a man who, even though the rest of his tribe believed in other values, stood up to what he believed as a morally good individual.  His ideas make him another hero to Okonkwo and to the story.

          Overall, the people who embrace individuality and fuel their curiosity are the people who will save others from becoming too trivial or too “bad.”  These people are the heroes because they renew a focus on morals and doing what is right instead of doing what is best for a good reputation.