Many times when reading a book one develops a one-sided view of the situation because of the way the characters are portrayed. Usually, the characters the author wants to portray as good are cast in a positive light, meaning that only the good things about them are included and, in most cases, the story is told from these characters" points of view. The characters the author wants to portray as bad are cast in a negative light meaning that only the bad things the characters do or participate in are included. It is on a rare occasion that an author manages to capture the many different aspects of their characters, allowing the reader to understand all sides of the story and to choose for themselves if they like or dislike the character(s). In the book Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe portrays both positive and negative aspects of Okonkwo and the Ibo culture to collectively form a neutral atmosphere, the reader does, however, develop sympathy and understanding for the Ibo culture because the book is written from their point of view; with the European culture, in spite of certain positive elements of their presence, one develops a very negative image of them as a result of their overall attitude towards and impact on the Ibo culture.

             One positive aspect of the Ibo culture is the strong community ties they share symbolized by the large village gatherings that are depicted from time to time in the book. In these gatherings everyone in the community is allowed to participate and anyone who wants to can share their views. The clan called a meeting after a woman from Umuofia was killed in a neighboring village, and when the leaders decided they should discuss the presence of the Europeans. They came together to make decisions on what the village"s course of action should be. They also came together as a community to view wrestling matches and the trials of the egwugwu. These brought the people of the village together.