How Does Things Fall Apart Change Okonkwo's Culture

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Okonkwo never changes his culture, if anything the Western culture killed him. While Okonkwo was exiled, the missionaries established themselves. They one easy converts by thriving in the Evil Forest and more importantly accepting the outcast into the Church. People, like Okonkwo's son Nwoye, flocked to the acceptance of the Church. Their strength and economy no longer depended on Gods or yams, the white missionaries changed the balance of power. With white missionaries came white soldiers and the Igbo became subjugated whether they liked it or not. This of course would all be too much for Okonkwo to bear. He returns to a village divided. The men who had not joined the white missionaries were afraid to fight. Okonkwo knew his culture, as he …show more content…
when it's time to wrestle her daughter brings him dinner. She's remembering that that's when they fell in love.
Things Fall Apart is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture. Okonkwo is a respected and influential leader within the Igbo community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. He first earns personal fame and distinction, and brings honor to his village, when he took down Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. Okonkwo determines to gain titles for himself and become a powerful and wealthy man in spite of his father's weaknesses.
Okonkwo had a father that was a lazy and wasteful man. He always borrowed money and then squandered it on palm-wine and merrymaking with friends. Consequently, his wife and children often went hungry. Within the community, Unoka was considered a failure and a laughingstock. He was referred to as agbala, one who resembles the weakness of a woman and has no property. Unoka died a shameful death and left numerous …show more content…
This theme is also played at the individual and societal levels. In the story, readers are frequently reminded about this theme in references to chi, the individual's personal god as well as his ultimate capability and destiny. Okonkwo, at his best, feels that his chi supports his ambition: "When a man says yes, his chi says yes also" . At his worst, Okonkwo feels that his chi has let him down: His chi "was not made for great things. A man could not rise beyond the destiny of his chi. Here was a man whose chi said nay despite his own affirmation"
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