here the Igbo were judged and the British missionaries were protected, they also built jails. The missionaries also created a school where they taught new Christians (reformed Igbo) to read and write in the white man's language. The British also set up also set up trading shops, which made money for the villagers. There was also an increase in the development in 7technology (trains, etc...). It seemed that this was all for the good and only improvements; a better lifestyle would come of these reforms. The people of Umuofia attempted to stop the British and the changing society but they did not succeed. In the end, Okonkwo committed suicide by hanging himself. He knew that the people would not fight and he was ashamed of what the Ibo society had become. "He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messenger escape. They had broken into tumult instead of action" (Achebe 205). Everything he lived for and believed in was going to be taken away by the white men. They had control over everything. He did not want to see that happen so he took his own life. Yet, this is ironic because, in doing so, he was committing an act which was considered one of the worst actions a member could do in the Ibo society. Throughout the story we see how strong Okonkwo's personal beliefs were and how much they meant to him. Beliefs, both personal and those of the society someone is born into, play a major role in their life. This story is an example of what happens when those beliefs are taken away and others are forced upon a person. Everyone needs to believe in something, and things fall apart when they no longer can. When he tells the story with an understanding and personal experiences in both cultures. He does not portray the African culture and their beliefs as barbaric. He simply tells it as it is, and how things happened. It is the same with the white men. Chinua Achebe realized that neither of the cultures wer...
