Priorities

Due to Okonkwo's desire to never be like his father, Unoka, and become a respected man in the village, he often loses sight of what is truly important in life. When Okonkwo returns to his motherland during his seven years of exile, he learns from his wise uncle, Uchendu, that his problems are nothing compared to other tragedies that many villagers experience. He teaches Okonkwo that even though life can have problems, you should never let sorrow weigh you down, since Okonkwo has a duty to care for his wives and his children. Uchendu has buried twenty-two children and has lost all of his wives, but he still continues on in his life. Lastly, he asks Okonkwo to seek comfort in his motherland and care for his family and ancestors rather than worry about his sorrows of life.

Change

One concept that is explored in the novel is change versus tradition. As white men and missionaries take over the village, Okonkwo is determined to maintain his village's tradition and resist change. Also, this desire to resist Christianity taking over the village is due to an inner-struggle within Okonkwo that contains fear of becoming cowardly like his father, Unoka, and fear of bringing shame to his village. Throughout his life, Okonkwo was determined to never be like his father, Unoka, and it was shown through his determination to eliminate the threat of white men taking over the village

Kinship

Later in the novel, as religion and colonization become threats against the village of Umuofia, it becomes apparent that kinship helps to keep the village united in defending itself from outside threats. Often as years progress, kinship begins to die, and Okonkwo begins to realize the importance of coming together as a village, learning from each other and bonding. This realization comes due to his desire to resist outside threats and maintain the cultural values of the village.

Language

This novel explores the concept of language and how it is an important part of culture and its growth. Achebe shows in the novel that knowledge and information are passed between villagers through stories and proverbs, and these stories inform the children of the village in order to maintain tradition and values. An example is when Ekwefi, Okonkwo's second wife, tells the family the story of the origin of the tortoise and why its shell is not smooth. Although the story is simply entertaining, it brings the family and the village together and teaches important life lessons. Language in the novel shows the importance of preserving tradition and upholding the customs of the village.