How Does Okonkwo's Change In Things Fall Apart

Many things can occur during a during a cultural collision, some can be bad, others good. In the book Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the main character, Okonkwo, had to make many decisions throughout his lifetime because of the challenges that were thrown at him. Okonkwo's sense of identity was disrupted when he was challenged with the introduction of Western ideas. He continually tries to fight the changes happening within the Ibo society. Okonkwo's change in his sense of identity was due to his fear of being seen as weak, being like his father, and by the cultural collision. The introduction of Western ideas shaped the meaning by showing how the cultural collision impacted Okonkwo. The first reason Okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of Western ideas was due to the fact that he disagreed with the ideas. He tried to fight the changes
He was losing the pride he once had in his culture and society. It also caused him to kill himself. "That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself and now he will be buried like a dog..."(153) He was trying to uphold his culture and ended up disgracing it. The cultural collision deeply affected Okonkwo. “Then the tragedy of his first son had occurred. At first it appeared as if it might prove too great for his spirit. But it was a resilient spirit, and in the end Okonkwo overcame his sorrow. He had five other sons and he would bring them up in the way of the clan.”(126) When introduced to Western ideas in Things Fall Apart, things really did “fall apart”. Some of the lbo people improved from the ideas. But others fell; their leadership fell, their respect fell, and their manhood fell. Okonkwo was one of the unlucky ones. His sense of identity was completely changed and challenged due to these new