Chinua Achebe, In the author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe compares the destruction of the Igbo people's culture to the damage done to Western civilization caused by World War I. He describeshighlights the devastation ofharm done to the Igbo culture brought by the European invasion people by followshowing the tragic downfall of the main character in the novel, Okonkwo, an Igbo hero. As the time goes on and Igbo society is penetrated and shattered byshiftstowards Western culture, Okonkwo begins to loses his identity as a respected member of the Umuofia clancollapse in a similar manner to the clan of Umuofia. He resists the new ways at first, trying to carry on the old traditions, but then realizes his efforts arehave been futile. He ultimately falls apart and accepts his defeat by committing suicideand ultimately experiences his downfall. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe demonstrates the destructiveness of cultural collision by showing Okonkwo's loss of identity as a respected man in Igbo society and his response to the changes in his clan. Okonkwo's reaction to Western culture illuminates the author's message that when cultures collide, one will inevitably be destroyed in the process.culture can be utterly destroyed by the other. .
When Western ideas are introduced into Igbo society, cultural collision occurs and facilitates great change within the Igbo community starts to abandon its by decreasing the importance of traditional values, the values it has placed on great warriors, great farmers, and the sense of belonging to a clan. For example, when Okonkwo returns to his home, "Umuofia did not appear to have taken any special notice of the warrior's return"(Achebe 103). Before Okonkwo's exile, he was the epitome of success according to Ibo cultural values. He was "well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond"(Achebe 3) because of his success as a warrior and farmer, two very important Ibo values.
