Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe where he tells two different stories
             at the same time. One is of Okonkwo, the villager whose rise to power is halted because
             of all of his misfortunes. The other is of Okonkwo's village, Umuofia, and its struggle to
             hold on to its cultural tradition while facing colonialism from the West. The title,
             "Things Fall Apart," describes perfectly what happens to both Okonkwo and his village.
             Okonkwo's life falls apart and as a result, he commits suicide by hanging himself. The
             cultural tradition of Umuofia falls apart, and becomes influenced by the West. In "Things
             Fall Apart," Achebe uses Okonkwo and the village's falling out to show how African
             culture, as well as other cultures around the world, suffered as a result of Westernization.
             In the book, Achebe focuses mainly on the character of Okonkwo. Okonkwo's
             story follows the general pattern of a Greek tragedy. He experiences many successes in
             the beginning, but everything eventually comes crashing down on him. His early life is
             the typical success story. He starts poor, but works hard to earn everyone's respect. From
             the beginning he is disgusted with his father. He is a lazy old man who borrows money
             and never pays it back. Okonkwo realizes that he does not want to be like his father, and
             it is this hatred that drives him to work hard. After his father's death, Okonkwo pays off
             his debts, and starts his long journey to the top of the clan. In a short time, Okonkwo's
             hard work pays off and he becomes one of the village's most respected members. He
             earns three out of the four village titles. He is recognized as the greatest warrior in
             Umuofia. He takes three wives and has many children. He is almost to the top of the clan
             when his journey to greatness starts to crumble. Because of a scuffle with one of the
             ...