Do you surrender to change or, is it possible, to make it surrender to you?

This central question arises in Chinua Achebe’s classic African novel “Things Fall Apart.”

This book was Nigerian author, Achebe’s first novel written in 1959. It was one of the first African novels written in English that showcased African life.

Recently, the 50th anniversary edition of this timeless book was released. I first read it when I was a freshman in college. Rereading it, left me buzzing with thoughts about society, family and change.

The story centers around Okonkwo, a Nigerian warrior, a famed wrestler and prosperous yam farmer who works hard for greatness.

“Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered. As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings. Okonkwo had clearly washed his hands and so he ate with kings and elders,” Achebe wrote.

This is just one example of the many African proverbs that flow throughout this 200-plus page book.

The proverbs and fables about life and its pathways are intertwined with Okonkwo’s tale.

As his story unfolds we are shown that this warrior is ruled by fear that steams from the sins of his father.

“Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness,” Achebe wrote.

But, when change knocks hard on Okonkwo’s door in the form of white Christian missionaries we see him struggling to hold on to traditions, his family and his very life.

As I neared the end of this novel, it made me examine how I deal with change in my life.

I found myself looking at Okonkwo’s final decision and asking did he do the right thing as his world fell apart?

It is a question I am still struggling to answer.