Things Fall Apart is about the tragic hero Okonkwo, who does not want to leave his culture and values. It is all about Igbo culture and Umuofia community of Nigeria. The protagonist Okonkwo wins the wrestling by beating Amalinze the Cat and earns honour, fame, respect in his community and becomes a leader.

Before that, If we read the earlier life of the hero of the story ‘Things fall apart’, Okonkwo. It’s really a heart-touching. His father Unoka was a lazy person. He often borrowed money from others. So, they lived a difficult life. Whole community called Unoka as a failure. Unoka died and left debts.

Okonkwo had to work really hard, in order to remove the bad reputation of his family. He wanted to give his family a bright future. He worked in the fields and returns all debts. Okonkwo regretted on being the son of a lazy person (Unoka). He was violent, warrior and a leader since his childhood. He was given a young boy, Ikemefuna by neighbour village Mbaino in a peace treaty. Ikemefuna was a very loving child and meanwhile becomes a good friend of Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye.

Once Okonkwo beats his wife because she forgets to prepare food. These days were the weak of Peace and full of violence. An Oldman of Oracle tribe sent a message to Okonkwo that Ikemefuna should be killed in the revenge of Umoufian women, who was killed three years earlier. Accepting the message, with the help of his partner, he killed Ikemefuna. Nwoye realizes that his father has killed Ikemefuna, so he wanted to get separation from his father. Okonkwo becomes depressed after killing Ikemefuna and realized that he had done something very terrible in his life. To forget the regret, he went to visit his friend Obierika to share his feelings and get some relief.

Meanwhile, his friend, Ezeudu died, and he went to attend his funeral. During the funeral, his gun goes off and killed a sixteen-year-old son of Ezeudu. According to their tradition to kill his clansman is the crime against the goddess of the earth. So, Okonkwo and his family were exiled for seven years.

Okonkwo with his family went to Mbanta, to live and spend the years of punishment. His maternal uncle was there. He gives him land to build a compound. Okonkwo becomes sad and blames himself to become failure to lose his greatness and to lose his friends, home, and the fields.

Missionaries come in Mbanta to preach Christianity. Okonkwo believes that they are nonsense but his son Nwoye believes in them and becomes Christian. The Missionaries build Church on the land which was given to them by a village leader. The land was a part of Evil Forest and according to tradition, Missionaries will not going to survive there for a longer. But they were wrong, and missionaries managed to remain alive. Villagers thought they have some magical powers. So many villagers including women become Christian. Missionaries then went to Umuofia and build a school there. Nwoye also left the Mbanto and attended the school.

After completing exile years, Okonkwo returns to Umuofia. He observes that the village has totally changed in his absence. So many people have renounced their titles and become Christian. Whiteman has built a prison and established a government system. He wonders why Umuofians have not tried to get rid of Church and Whiteman. Mr Brown, the White Missionary, respected Igbo culture and befriends with Umoufians. He encouraged them to attend school. Okonkwo was afraid of changings of Umoufia.

Mr Brown becomes ill and to replace him, James Smith was sent to the Umoufia. He was very strict and against the clan system. It creates violence and Church was burnt to the ashes. District Commissioner imprisoned all the village leaders including Okonkwo and asked villagers to pay a fine of two-hundred and fifty bags of cowries. The people of Umoufia collected the money and paid in exchange for the release of the tribe leaders. All leaders were then released.