Things Fall Apart It's hard to imagine being invaded and forced to change virtually all of our habits by a foreign nation. Unfortunately for Igbo society, imperialism was imposed on them. All they could do was sit back and watch the English change every aspect of their lives. Everything from religion to family life has been changed by imperialism. The title, Things Fall Apart, suits the book very well because that is essentially what happened to the village of Umuofia. Umuofia's cultural traditions eventually collapsed. The main points of interest in Things Fall Apart are life within the Ibo tribe, the struggle of one man's desire to succeed, and imperialism. In the first part of the story, Achebe takes the reader through the daily lives of the Igbo people. The reader is exposed to different aspects of Ibo culture such as the role of women in society and the process of food production. The role of women in the Ibo tribe was very specific and minimal. When a man wanted to marry a woman, he only had to pay the dowry to his relatives if they accepted it. “My daughter's suitor is coming today and I hope we will settle the bride price question” (Achebe 65). This is from a conversation between Okonkwo and a friend. Women had virtually no rights and their only purpose was to give birth, cook and clean. Women had no say in tribal meetings and were never allowed to respond to their husbands. The agriculture of Ibo society was also a focus of Things Fall Apart. Yam was the main food of every meal and they called it “the king of crops”. Additionally, people used yams for every traditional celebration and used kola nuts to offer their personal “chi” or god. These foods, as Achebe had described, were sometimes linked to or implicated in the religion or ancestral spirits of the Ibo tribe. The main character of this book, Okonkwo, is a truly hardworking and ambitious man, but these characteristics are primarily motivated by hatred. and resentment towards his father. His father was a lazy man who held no titles in society and had many debts. Fearful of ending up like his father, Okonkwo makes a concerted effort to work hard and earn the respect of his peers..