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Juliana Yagyu
Ms. Tatum
Humanities/Period 3
10 April 2019
The Defeat of Okonkwo

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe presents a traditional character, Okonkwo, who

refuses to adjust to imperialism. In the beginning, Okonkwo was one of the most honorable men

in his village, he had lived a successful life until he had been exiled to another land for

accidentally killing another clansman. While he was away, Europeans had changed the Ibo

culture he once knew, so he gave his all to convince his people to fight for the lifestyle they

previously had. Okonkwo portrayed a rigid and violent approach to the cultural collision of

Western ideas in Ibo culture ultimately leading to his downfall of unsuccessful attempts to

terminate European influence and demolished dominance. Okonkwo did not accept the cultural

collision but could not stop the Western ideas nonetheless. Okonkwo’s reputation had also been

shifted from a strong, brave warrior to ordinary clansmen without any way to stop it. Finally, he

dedicated himself to restoring Ibo tradition but was unsuccessful in the end. His culture forcibly

changed leading to defeat. The cultural collision Okonkwo witnessed disgusted him as his status

in society tremendously decreased showing the brutal effects imperialism had on Africans.

In response to the cultural collision, Okonkwo strived to cease Western ideas from

influencing Ibo culture. When Okonkwo’s exile had ended, Obierka informed him of Western

influence, evoking dejected feelings from Okonkwo: “Okonkwo’s head was bowed with sadness

as Obierka told him these things” (Things Fall Apart 136). In order to avoid appearing

vulnerable, anger is typically the only emotion Okonkwo conveys; however, he responds
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differently to the dreadful information Obierka informs him with. After Obierka finishes

explaining how Western ideas have changed Umuofia, Okonkwo says: “We must fight these men

and drive them from the land” (Things Fall Apart 136). Okonkwo finds the cultural collision

intolerable and plans to rid the Europeans immediately.

Achebe shows how imperialism had affected Africans through Okonkwo’s struggle to

revive Ibo tradition that the Europeans had disrupted. Okonkwo believed it was up to him to put

matters into his own hands after hearing his fathers response to the coward Egonwanne, he says

“If they listen to him I shall leave them and plan my own revenge" (Things Fall Apart 156).

Okonkwo thought the only way to restore order was to stop his fathers from accepting Western

ideas, if necessary. After Okonkwo murders a man, he knows that his punishment is inevitable

and chooses to die rather than surrender to European rule: “They came to the tree from which

Okonkwo’s body was dangling” (Things Fall Apart 162). Okonkwo knew there was no way to

save his village and refused to submit to Europeans.

Before the European’s arrival, Okonkwo represented a fierce, unstoppable warrior;

however, after he returned to Umuofia he was seen as an average, powerless clansmen due to

European influence. Specifically, Okonkwo was referred to “one of the greatest men of his time”

as he brought “honor to his village” prior to European arrival (Things Fall Apart 1 & 5).

Okonkwo gained his former reputation through bravery, strength, and hard work, aiming to be

the man his father could not be. Despite Okonkwo’s previous reputation throughout the villages,

his return “was not as memorable as he wished,” unfortunately, “Umuofia did not appear to have

taken any special notice of the warrior's return” (Things Fall Apart 142). The lack of celebration

for Okonkwo’s return had resulted from differing values of the Europeans that did not praise

Okonkwo’s skillset like Ibo culture once had.

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Achebe shows the perspective of imperialism in Africa from an African’s point of view,

with various responses important to consider when studying the time period. The book informs

us that Africans had already established a system in their land before the Europeans had arrived;

they did not need guidance from other powers. Some Africans such as Okonkwo did not want the

cultural collision to occur, but it did so nonetheless due to the strength of European power. On

the other hand, some Africans were delighted by the introduction of Western ideas and gladly

integrated it into their culture. To fully understand the aspects of imperialism, it is vital to see the

story from both perspectives, relinquishing a biased view.

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Cited Sources

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 1958. Heinemann. Print.