This paper examines how "Things Fall Apart", by Chinua Achebe, is a depiction of the
tragic life of Okonkwo, the main character.
It looks at how many elements combine to result in the tragic end of the book, as well as the end of the
traditional ways of Okonkwo's Ibo tribe and, in particular, the arrival of Western missionaries. It attempts to show that, while to the Western eye, it would appear that
women are inexcusably abused in the Ibo culture, these women do use their traditional roles to wield subtle power.