The "falling apart" of Things Fall Apart

The novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is a story about an African man named Okonkwo who appears to be strong on the outside, but eventually crumbles within. Along with the protagonist, the African culture that is his way of life dissolves also, due to the arrival of Christian missionaries who set up a government within his village, Umuofia. Okonkwo’s biggest fear is ending up like his father, Unoka, who was lazy and made nothing of himself; he was known as a coward among the African people. Okonkwo is a well-respected warrior in his village, and carries many titles, which gives him authority. One day, during a funeral, Okonkwo inadvertently shoots a boy in the heart. The only way that this crime can be forgiven, according to custom, is if Okonkwo and his family leave for seven years; so they do. When they return, they find that many villages in the Ibo society have been taken over by white missionaries, and Umuofia is one of them. This new religion attracts many people...