Things Fall Apart and Life Goes On Achebe is often about man's conflicts with himself and his culture. Things Fall Apart is no exception. Achebe's story is about a strong man, Okonkwo, whose life is dominated by fear and anger. The fear of the main character, Okonkwo, is generated first by the fear of failure and then by the fear of the unknown. The unknown in this story is the arrival of the English in Africa. A religion is brought to the villages and new ways of thinking are born. Overall, the African village that Okonkwo knew and grew up in slowly begins to disappear. Okonkwo is not only afraid for himself but for his entire village. He is afraid that his culture will fade away and be forgotten by younger generations. Achebe is able to show the reader his intentions right at the beginning of the book by including a quote from WB Yeats' poem "The Second Coming": Turning and turning in the widening vortex the hawk cannot hear the falconer; things fall apart; the center cannot hold; simple anarchy is unleashed upon the world. Achebe lets the reader know right from the start that Nigeria's rich cultural heritage is falling apart and that there will be no happy ending. Okonkwo's life symbolizes the life and wealth of the tribe and village. As the story progresses, Okonkwo's life begins to deteriorate, as does that of the village. The story ends with the death of Okonkwo and the death of an entire civilization. The colonials have taken control of the village; children no longer believe in the old methods. Things fall apart and no one wants to put them back together. Life continues with the invasion of the English, but it will never be the same again. Achebe was born and raised in a large village in Nigeria. He also studied in Nigeria. After a brief career in radio, Achebe began lecturing abroad and for a time established himself as a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts..