Cultural Collisions
The Cultural collisions between different groups of people that are forced to live together are bound to happen, especially if those two groups have completely different ways of life. The human consequences between the two cultures in Things Fall Apart affect the Umuofia people’s religion, agriculture, judicial system and social life. The Umuofia are polytheistic; their gods include Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves settles disputes and tells the future and Chi personal god, judges work and accomplishment. When Okonkwo was introduced to new culture he reacted negatively and began to undermine them, he remained true to his culture but one can possibly say that the Western culture killed him. The consequences of Okonkwo’s response to the culture is that he became deeply grieved as he saw the clan fall apart.
Okonkwo's Suicide
Okonkwo is so intent on not becoming like his father, unworthy and weak, but by committing suicide, he makes himself unworthy and ironically, even more cut off and disrespected by his clan. Okonkwo’s death is especially ironic when we consider one major event at the beginning of the novel the terrible harvest. Okonkwo’s first harvest is one of the worst harvest years in clan history. It is doubly ironic then, that it is his inflexible will that eventually leads to his downfall and suicide.