Cultural Collision In Things Fall Apart

In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe the cultural collision challenged Okonkwo’s identity because his culture portrays him and when his culture pushes him away he feels nothing without it. Even though he feels hopeless, he is still a leader, and a leader must obey his culture and tribe. However Okonkwo realizes that he can no longer function within his changing society. The foreigners had such a tremendous effect on his tribe that many of his clansmen decided to abandon their ways and adapt to those of the white men. In the novel the role of customs and traditions is incredibly important and decides the fate of men, women, and children. Okonkwo, a warrior of the Ibo tribe who holds a high position in his society, struggles to understand and adapt to his environment as the white men introduce a new culture on his people. This problem brings Okonkwo into conflict with his friends, villagers and family.

Okonkwo is known as a man with a fiery temper, he beats his wives and children out of rage and anger.

He is ferocious in his warrior attitude because he is determined to not resemble his lazy father in any way. Okonkwo is determined to be a strong man who has no fear at the sight of war. He works hard to overpower any signs of weakness, as portrayed in the novel when he partook in the death of Ikemefuna even though Obierika strongly suggested otherwise, “... as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak.” Ultimitaley he is afraid of failure and has difficulty balancing his his

emotions.

Okonkwo changes from being a strong, confident warrior to a hopeless man who feels his tribe will not support his decision to make war against the white missionaries. As Chinua Achebe adds, “Afraid? I do not care what he does to you. I despise him and those who listen to him. I shall fight alone if I choose.” Everything about the changed community of Umuofia upsets Okonkwo. He claims that the white men were clever as they came quietly and peacefully with their religion. In doing so, they won over his clan to the point where they no longer act like one. Okonkwo remarks, “How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us?... He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” Feeling helpless, Okonkwo gives in to a moment of weakness and hangs himself.

Okonkwo’s response to this cultural collision is depressing because over the time that the white men have came and affected their culture, Umuofia's men have been changed from strong tough men to “soft like women”. The author comments in the novel, “Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just a personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women.” This affects Okonkwo’s identity by showing that it no longer matters being a man which Okonkwo has been showing and emphasizing throughout the novel.

Okonkwo expresses major disappointment for the clan, "which he saw breaking up and falling apart" — a phrase that again relates to the book's title. The cultural collision between Okonkwo’s tribe and that of the missionaries impacted his life in an immensely negative way driving him to the breaking point where he made the tragic decision to suicide.