Achebe's Problems

Achebe has definitely created a character affected by Change. As soon as Okonkwo becomes stable and happy in his life, things begin to change, and he begins to lose his livelihood. Not to be cliche, but things start to fall apart. And it sucks. And that's what change is all about. Not knowing what will happen next, or whether it will make things better or worse. In a moment our whole lives and everything we count on can be torn from us, and Okonkwo exemplifies this.

I believe that Okonkwo is much like Frankenstein's monster. Like Shelley's character, his first kill is not meant as a kill, but rather a display of strength. Both slay young boys, and are outcast from society because of it. In the lives of both characters, this signifies the descent of "normal" life. Also, Okonkwo's life is upturned by the arrival of the white men, who try to "civilize" his culture. The white men in this story parallel Victor Frankenstein in that by screwing with the world they think they are doing good, when really they are just messing things up.

I believe both Okonkwo and the monster to be unfortunate in how their lives were altered by the societies they were a part of.