Perhaps one of the most influential elements of literature, a setting can potentially dictate the plot of a story, establishing culture, tradition, and a backstory. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart sees an African world that largely revolves around Nigeria's geographic location; this agricultural society serves as a vast foundation for a polytheistic religion and a reverence for the land itself. Not only are the values ​​of the Umuofia community significantly built on this localization guideline, but the very essence of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and his unparalleled mentality, originate from this venerable attitude. In turn, the author himself, Chinua Achebe, brilliantly shares a traditional culture that is intrinsically dependent on the land itself and how it inevitably leads to a clash of civilizations where things truly "fall". Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayChinua Achebe attempts, and succeeds, to share a unique African culture that is inevitably and demonstrably based on an agricultural society. Within this culture, the great value of sweet potatoes, palm oil, and kola nut are demonstrated as forms of wealth. In the first chapter of the book, Okonkwo is described as “still young[,] but he had gained fame as the greatest wrestler of the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of sweet potatoes, and he had just married his third wife” (Achebe 3), which shows that his wealth is accompanied by his status as a farmer and the amount of sweet potatoes he has. Therefore, an individual's high social position is dictated by the amount of land he owns and the fruitfulness of his agricultural labor. Since weather and climate are a key factor in defining economic prosperity, a polytheistic religion that revolves around the elements of nature also prevails. Fear of the gods of nature is instilled in members of this community, ultimately influencing the very meaning of life: pleasing the gods for one's well-being. This force of culture and value results in the creation of the protagonist, whose very ambitions would be rendered obsolete and worthless without the underlying culture made possible by this land. From the beginning of the novel, Okonkwo establishes himself as a man of unquestionable worth. Force. He tries his hardest to become the exact opposite of what his father once was: a man who was a "failure" in Okonkwo's eyes. What constitutes a “failure”? In the context of this novel, Okonkwo's father is poor and does not have the wealth measured in sweet potatoes. This very richness is only made possible by the land's ability to produce sweet potatoes. When Unoka, Okonkwo's father, consulted a priestess in the past, he regretted his misery: “I also kill a rooster in the shrine of Ifejioku, the god of sweet potatoes. I clean the bush and set it on fire when it is dry. I sow sweet potatoes when the first rain falls and stake them when the young tendrils appear [...] when a man is at peace with his gods and his ancestors, his harvest will be good or bad according to the strength of the his arm” (Achebe 6). The performance of sacrifice towards the sweet potato god shows the omnipresence of their religion. Furthermore, the Umuofian community avoids angering the gods at all costs and makes their fear clear. When Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace, he is reprimanded, but not for the supposed reasons for his abuse. Okonkwo is forced to repent, lest his wrong behavior push the gods to unleash their wrath on the entire community. That is.