In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo was once considered the greatest warrior alive. Things change and he commits suicide by the end of the story. It is a disgrace to commit suicide in his tribe. For all his life, Okonkwo feared dying like his father without honors at his burial. Although Okonkwo had lived his life as a hard-working man who was a great leader and warrior in his tribe, Okonkwo dies in a disgraceful manner. Achebe's message throughout the novel is that change can be devastating. Truly, the novel "depicts conflicts and tensions within Igbo society as well as changes introduced by colonial rule and Christianity." Struggling to achieve success in the traditional world, Okonkwo, the protagonist, is a talented but inflexible Igbo. He fears becoming like his lazy father who dies with no titles and without honor. Despite his hard work and determination to receive all the titles he can achieve, Okonkwo cannot stop the changes that are happening in his village. He cannot get his tribal men to fight the European Christian white men who have come in to take control and change his village traditions. The District Commissioner who represents the white Europeans comes in to civilize Okonkwo and his tribal people. Ironically, the District Commissioner makes things worse: …show more content…
He commits suicide because he cannot deal with the changes that the Christian white men are making in his village. While the white man from Europe came in to civilize the Igbo tribe, he did not succeed. Indeed, the story of Okonkwo affirms that Europe did not introduce civilization to savages. Okonkwo lost his life because the Christian white man came in and forced his way of life on a people who had already established their own way of