Things fall apart

In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is exiled from his tribe. This
rift from his friends is caused by numerous actions, but the last one and most severe
was him killing a friends son on accident on the day of that friends funeral. Clan
protocol calls for the exile of Okonkwo and his family for 7 years, in which he
returned to his motherland, and the burning of his hut and animals to purge the
village of his sin. During this time, Okonkwos experience is both alienating yet
enriching, which also provides details to the reader about the deeper meaning of the
novel. Achebe seems to infer in these passages that with periods of isolation come
reflection which allows the person to have a clearer view of the things around them.
First, the readers can clearly see that Okonkwo is feeling very remorseful and
guilty about the accident. One reason why he was so remorseful was because he
would no longer be able to be one of the highest ranking people in the tribe after
being exiled. However, it is made clear that the tribe already had qualms about
Okonkwo because of his ruthless act of killing his adopted son and the beatings he
gave his wife during the sacred week. The fact that Okonkwo didnt notice these
things and thought that the clan wanted him to act this way, shows incredible
dedication to the tribe, but it also shows that he wasnt really in tune with their true
ways either. During his isolation, he hears about his clans issues about the Christians
and hears what they do. He notices that their ways and his thoughts are distinctly
different, which carries on when he finally arrives back at the village. This difference
bothers him and he claims that the clan has changed from their old ways. This

realization of change shows that Okonkwo was able to see the clan as it really was.
The insight he gains would be called an enriching experience, which also shows that
through the period of isolation he was able to distance himself and gain a firmer grip
on reality.
Okonkwo is also alienated in his experience because he is allowed no input on
what is going on and is forced to learn what happens through a visiting friend. During
the time when the Christian first came, he wanted his people to wait for what will
happen. However, because of his exile, he could only hear news that his people
decided to kill the messenger, whose people came for him and killed the villagers.
This alienation is not only present during his time of exile, but present during his time
of return aswell. For example, when he comes back and witnesses a disgrace that a
Christian of the tribe had done, he rallies the people to purge the village of his sin the
old ways. However, when the Christians back up the sinned Christian, the villagers
back down, when Okonkwo shares the idea to fight them and drive them out. Total
alienation occurs when he kills a Christian messenger to drive them out, only to find
his people have let the rest of the escape against his will. At this point, Okonkwo
accepts that his people have left him and his life has fallen apart and hangs himself.
Okonkwo is able to realize that he was different from his tribe members
through his period of exile. After this period, he reunites with his tribe and finds that
with these newly seen differences, he is basically alienated cultural-wise. Through
these events, Achebe is trying to tell the readers that although Okonkwo was isolated
from his family and home, it was not a bad thing entirely. In fact, he is saying that

with these times of isolation, one can come upon a time of reflection which might
allow them to have a clearer view of the things around them and before them.