Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart" chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief. and traditions. As events unfold, Okonkwo's carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life crumble. The story of Okonkwo's fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace, dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting beyond measure all the Ibo tribe. The “things” that collapse in Achebe's novel are Okonkwo's life – his ambition, dreams, family unity and material wealth – and the Igbo way of life – their beliefs, culture and their values. The greatest force that drove Okonkwo to succeed was his fierce determination. desire to be nothing like his father, which gives him a deep fear of failure and weakness. Thus, Okonkwo had a furious temper, mistreated his wives and children, and ruled his household harshly and without caring emotion. “Maybe deep down Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, fear of failure and weakness” (Achebe, 1958, p. 13, para. 1). His father, Unoka, was considered a failure by Igbo standards; labeled agbala (“agbala was not only another name for a woman, it could also refer to a man who had taken no title” (Achebe, 1958, p. 13, para. 1), he was considered by his village, Umuofia, as lazy and effeminate; Unoka died heavily in debt and took no tribal titles during his lifetime. Okonkwo was ashamed of Unoka and obsessed with becoming his antithesis. a tragic character flaw for Okonkwo and his service as the foundation of not only his success, but also... middle of paper ... and was not willing to sacrifice his inherent beliefs for outsiders, intruders into his village; expected as much of those around him – Nwoye and his clanmates – as he expected of himself, and clung to the possibility that his example would be followed, should be followed, as they did. rose up against the white man and triumphed. In the end, he was disappointed! and everything he had fell apart. Works Cited Achebe, C. (1959). Things Are Falling Apart New York, NY: Random House, Inc. Akwani, O. O. (2011). Okonkwo: A Life of Fear; a life of courage. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: A Book Review. Retrieved from http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/global/arts_culture_media/archives/Okonkwo.aspFroiland, A. (2011). Tribes and people groups: Ibo (Igbo). African people and culture. Retrieved from http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/ibo.htm