How does Chinua Achebe use settings in Things Fall Apart?

The main setting of Things Fall Apart is a series of Igbo villages in what is now Nigeria, just before, and at the start of, British efforts to colonize and Christianize the tribes. The setting is crucial because of that historical context and because of the way the tribal values have shaped the protagonist Okonkwo. There is a key change of setting in the novel, as well, when Okonkwo is exiled to his motherland for seven years. When Okonkwo goes to his mother's village of Mbanta, he is humbled; he is no longer a tribal leader. And yet, when all he can think about and look forward to is how he will regain his status and wealth when he returns to Umuofia.

The setting of Umuofia influences Okonkwo's character, though he deviates from his cultural norms in significant ways. The tribe values ancestors and traditions. Okonkwo respects these values only to an extent. He beats one of his wives during the Peace Week, which is strictly forbidden, and he disavows his own father for being poor and not masculine enough by Okonkwo's standards (he is a musician, while Okonkwo demonstrates his manly strength through wrestling and successfully farming yams).

When Okonkwo returns from exile, he finds that the tribe has fallen under the influence of the Christians. There are some rebels, but there are also some villagers who have converted. Umuofia is a changed place, and Okonkwo's priorities are no longer shared by many of his peers or by those of younger generations. The setting shows us the flaws in Okonkwo's character and how his inability to accept change leads to his downfall. However, the setting also allows Achebe to critique the methods and attitudes of the westerners who come to Umuofia and attempt to "pacify" (209) the African tribes.

Where do the events in Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" take place?

The novel is set in Nigeria, one of the largest and most populated countries on the African continent. The time-frame for the novel is, however, not modern and the events depicted are fictional (though based on actual incidents and events). The time frame is the 1890's after the colonists had arrived and were in the process of converting people through the use of missionaries. The missionaries were intent on converting the inhabitants to Christianity for they believed that they were heathen, uncivilised and savage.

Foreign governments (such as the English) believed that it was their duty to rescue the inhabitants from an uncivilised existence and educate them. The real purpose, however, was to oppress them and to exploit the country's natural resources. 

Most of the action occurs in Okonkwo's village, Umuofia, it being the main village of a group of nine. Okonkwo was also banished to his mother's village, Mbaino, for seven years after having accidentally killed the son of a villager during his father's funeral, so some of the events in Okonkwo's tragic life are also played out there.  

The villages and their names depicted in the story are fictional although the traditions, culture and descriptions of the villages are based on the factual information. The author, Chinua Achebe, is Nigerian and his father was one of the first in his village who converted to Christianity. Achebe's novel depicts the destructive and divisive nature of the colonists' and missionaries' influence in his country.