Things Fall Apart

Summary and Analysis of: Things Fall Apart

There are many lessons that we learn in life. Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart teaches one of life?s greatest lesson. True, lasting happiness matters more than ones social rank or ones rank of wealth. Okonkwo, who is the main character in this book, is trying his best to be the man that is father was not. His father was a well known bum and a man who owed a lot of debts. Okonkwo felt that men are always suppose to be strong, leaders, and do what people perceive are typical male tasks. But his father, Unoka, did not fit his description of what he felt a real man should be. He was ashamed of his father.

Okonkwo had an obsession. His obsession was his pride. And this led to him losing his head and everything that worked so had to obtain. One of his greatest fears that were portrayed in this book was that of showing any type of emotions, affection, or sorrow. He felt that showing them would make him look weak. It is okay to express yourself. That is part of being human. To protect his own image Okonkwo would do anything. He began to search for wealth and status by asking other villagers who were wealthy for support. He was loaned seed yams. This was just enough for him to begin a productive crop. He had to start at the bottom and work his way up to the top. He was able to do just that. He gained a very high standing in the Ibo tribe. And his ultimate goal was to become an elder in the tribe. But that never would happen. He was banished for seven years for killing. And he forced to let go of everything that he had worked for all of those years. He lost everything including his titles and his standing within the Ibo tribe. He had to live with his mother?s tribe, and eventually seven years later he went back to the Ibo tribe to start his life all over again, only to in find out that things had changed. The arrivals of missionaries in Africa started a new way of living. The people who the Africans believed were outcast were accepted by the missionaries. They felt that no one should be turned away. The Africans thought that the outcasts would bring the missionaries nothing but bad luck.

The missionaries were given the evil forest to build their churches. The missionaries and the outcast were able to live and function very well in the forest. And when the Africans saw this they began to convert to Christianity. They felt that the God of the missionaries was more powerful