The conclusion to Things Fall Apart is that a final confrontation between Igbo religious and

cultural life and the new religion of Western missionaries occurs at a traditional ceremony
lamenting the suffering of Igbo ancestors, the ancient gods. Oknokwo pulls his machete to
defend the Igbo tribe against the colonial officials who come to stop the ceremony. In thus doing,
Okonkwo slays the court messenger--none of the rest of the tribe feels the time is right to defend
traditional tribal life against the more powerful Christian colonial life. Okonkwo is disgraced as
he stands alone. His only recourse after such disgrace is to slay himself--an ironic and tragic end
to the man who was driven by inner terror of failure and yet had become the greatest warrior in
the tribe.

One theme of the novel is that inability to adapt to changes can lead to one's downfall. This is
shown in the conclusion, when Okonkwo hangs himself rather than submit to the laws of the
British again. He has struggled with the clash of cultures ever since the missionaries built a
church in Umuofia. He often ridiculed those who joined, and disowned his son Nwoye when he
turned to the church as well. But Okonkwo was still subjected to the laws of the British. Whether
this was just or unjust is another matter-Achebe here is highlighting the tragedy of obstinacy.

The novel ends with an ironic comment on Okonkwo's death by the District Commissioner, who
sets out to write a book about the Ibo. He is racist, condescending, and describes the villagers as
uncivilized and in need of pacification. The gravity of Okonkwo's suicide is lost on him, which
makes the act even more tragic.