being misguided and insensitive, has a certain integrity derived partly from his extensive experience in the region. However, in the people's rationalizations about Ezuelu at the end of the book, history seems to be misappropriated: "Their god had taken sides with them against this headstrong and ambitious priest and thus upheld the wisdom of their ancestors — that no man however great was greater than his people; that no one ever won judgment against his clan."

Beyond proverbs and traditional sayings, Ezuelu creates a sense that the individual lives of the characters are part of an ongoing continuum observed by ancestors from their realm in Ani-Mmo. This idea is reinforced by the author's use of irony, providing a wider and more comprehensive perspective on the novel's events. This broader view persuades Achebe's non-African readers that ignoring the human tragedies, accomplishments, and possibly even the deities of Africans is a grave mistake.

As British officials discuss the practical advantages and disadvantages of their decisions or compare them to their perception of the "mission" of colonialism, and as Ezuelu contemplates his loyalty to Ulu and the responsibilities of his role toward his people, the reader is compelled to actively assess everything that transpires.

This novel portrays the clash between the Igbo civilization and the British, who bring colonialism and their Christian religion to West Africa, through the eyes of Ezeulu, the Chief Priest of Ulu in Umuaro. Ulu is a god created to combat the slave traders from the neighboring Abame. A land dispute between the Okperi people and the Umuaro leads to a brief war, which is forcibly halted by the British District Commissioner, Captain Winterbottom. This sets the stage for further British intrusion into Umuaro. The British plan for governing the Igbo, which Winterbottom, a seasoned colonial ruler, strongly opposes, involves installing certain African leaders as British puppets, inviting exploitation and corruption. Conflict resolution, both in the British manner and the Igbo way, becomes a major theme, often undermined by poorly conceived practices on both sides. The war ignites when an Umuaro delegate sent to resolve the dispute desecrates an Okperi man's ancestral shrine by breaking his ikenga, or symbol of his ancestors. In retaliation, the Okperi man kills the Umuaro delegate and sends the body back without explanation. It is this lack of mediation, rather than the murder itself, that triggers the war. As the novel progresses, Ezeulu is imprisoned for refusing the position of Warrant Chief offered by Winterbottom under orders from his superiors.

Colonialism is depicted as a complex web that prevents even well-intentioned individuals from acting for the common good. Chapters detailing the interactions between British officials show that, while they are not the worst of their kind, racism and ignorant condescension are inherent in their roles. Their actions cause much more harm than they anticipate. While imprisoned for refusing to become a Warrant Chief, Ezeulu misses the time to start eating one sacred yam per month to mark the pre-harvest period. Upon his release, he refuses to eat them in multiples to catch up, thereby incurring the wrath of his people and leading to the decline of Ulu worship in favor of Christianity. Ironically, Ezeulu becomes the chief martyr of Ulu.

Achebe is deeply concerned about the impact on the Igbo people as their traditional beliefs are replaced. Ezeulu's lesser son, Oduchi, is sent to a Christian school, essentially as a spy to keep his father informed. Misinterpreting scripture literally, Oduchi believes he must kill one of the pythons, which are sacred to the Igbo. Torn between the two belief systems, he loses his nerve and locks the smaller of two pythons in a box, leaving it to die from suffocation. This feeble attempt to kill the serpent results in a public spectacle when the box starts moving like an oversized Mexican jumping bean. Ezeulu himself opens the box with his spear, exposing the abomination and further damaging his reputation.

The construction of a road between Umuaro and Okperi is another British effort to bring "progress." Men from both villages are coerced into working on it for low or no wages. A minor dispute leads to not only racist insults but also the whipping of Ezeulu's favorite son, Obika, whose drinking problems may partly be a reaction to the pressures of colonialism.

The status of women in Igbo society is compromised by polygamy, with older wives often feeling jealous of newer ones. However, colonial corruption brings even worse scenarios. One African man, elevated to a position of power by the British, is said to take any woman he desires without paying the bride price. Within Igbo culture, women are at least afforded some protection. Achebe carefully notes that in most marriages involving characters he cares about, genuine love exists between the husband and his favored wife, as seen in the tenderly depicted marriage between

Obika and Okuata. In contrast, Nwaka, the wealthy and greedy antagonist of Ezeulu at the beginning of the book, has acquired five wives by the end.

In the discussion below, Joyce Cary's Mr. Johnson and Conrad's Heart of Darkness are examined in relation to Things Fall Apart (1958). These works also relate to the theme of road construction and its ties to the British "mission" and the destruction of African culture, which is evident in Mr. Wright's enslavement and mistreatment of his workers. Numerous other authors, both African and European, strive to portray the clash between colonialism and indigenous African cultures, as well as the tyranny inflicted by rulers on both sides. Among these writers, Achebe's Nigerian contemporary, Wole Soyinka, stands out. Together, Soyinka and Achebe are considered giants in contemporary Nigerian literature. Additionally, Amos Tutuola, whose first book The Palm-wine Drinkard was reviewed by Achebe, may have heightened Achebe's appreciation for his own Igbo oral traditions.

Other authors who have chronicled the damaging impact of colonialism in Africa on both the colonizers and the colonized include Graham Greene, Doris Lessing, and Nadine Gordimer. George Orwell, who highlighted the issues of British colonialism in Myanmar (formerly Burma), also merits recognition.

The central character of Ezeulu, his futile attempts to address very real issues, and his role as a tragic hero, evoke comparisons to Greek tragic figures like Oedipus, as noted by other critics. In contrast, the supposedly rational Winterbottom and his steadfast African ally John Goodcountry seem insignificant, as they have not experienced the profound and conflicting insights and pressures that Ezeulu has faced.

The novel No Longer at Ease (1960), a sequel to Things Fall Apart, explores the struggles of a young Igbo man trapped between the expectations of two different cultures. Obi, the grandson of Okonkwo, receives his education in England and is appointed as the secretary of the Nigerian scholarship board. Initially attempting to adhere to the rules, he ends up living beyond his means and accruing debt. He begins a relationship with a beautiful woman named Clara, but their plans to marry are derailed because she belongs to an outcast tribe, known as osn. Ultimately, Clara suffers from a failed abortion that Obi helps arrange, and he is eventually caught accepting a bribe. Unlike his grandfather or Ezuelu, Obi as a protagonist lacks their grandeur; instead, he is overwhelmed and broken by the conflicts and situations he faces, rather than being uplifted by his attempts to manage them.