Thesis Statement Things Fall Apart

With reference to Things Fall Apart, show how sub-plots or secondary characters contribute to the reader's understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole. 

Thesis Statement: In the novel Things Fall Apart, the author Cinua Achebe addresses many social groups that are treated insignificantly by various villages. The main social groups are women, children, and white men. Since the marginalisation consists of exclusion and physical abuse, Achebe makes use of secondary characters to further display and develop the theme of the clash of cultures, while presenting the conflicts and challenges they face. 

Okonkwo's character

Okonkwo is the main character in the novel Things Fall Apart. The novel revolves around the theme of change vs. tradition and Okonkwo is symbolic of tradition that refuses to give in and accept change regardless the pressure he is under.  In the very beginning of the story, Achebe displays him as a well respected man in a small village, Umuofia, of the Igboland. He is presented as a confident and conventional Igbo man who has 3 wives. Okonkwo is somewhat a representation of the Igbo community before colonization. He holds the people's values high and is respected due to his wealth, regardless of his dad's failure inside the society. However, Okonkwo does not realize that change is inevitable. His tragic flaw leads to his later downfall, which contradicts peace and love, one of the few factors the Igbo community stands for. In the novel, Okonkwo's purpose is to further drive the plot as well as themes presented. He shows that change must be accepted and that in the end tradition often loses. He is a representation of a resistant native towards the colonization in Africa. Okonkwo's character represents change, and most importantly that change needs to happen because, as the title says, things fall apart.