Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart are both set in the imperialist era. Authors Joseph Conrad and Chinua Achebe, respectively, created main characters who were from different continents but experienced similar culture clashes. Although Marlow and Okonkwo have different lifestyles, they are both led to question their identities and make crucial life decisions. The most obvious difference between Marlow and Okonkwo is their cultural backgrounds. Marlow has no family, only his shipmates accompany him. Most of the time he makes his physical journey to the Inner Station alone, although he meets important people along the way. Okonkwo, however, has a large family with numerous wives and children, as well as an entire tightly knit village. The two men also have very different habits and customs. Marlow grew up in a society that considers whites to be a superior race and blacks to be primitive, inferior and uncivilized. Okonkwo, however, grew up in a Nigerian village, where proverbs had great philosophical meaning and nature was commonly used in similes and symbolism. Okonkwo's only familiarity with Caucasian ethnicity is his encounter with an “albino” (Achebe 138). Although Marlow and Okonkwo come from very different cultures, they both experience cultural clashes during their travels and are forced to respond to them. Marlow, for example, embarks on a journey to a completely new continent, on the rivers of a completely unknown civilization. As he travels deeper into the Inner Station and, symbolically, into the heart of darkness, he is forced to challenge the beliefs of his people and faces the temptations of wealth and power. On the other hand, Okonkwo i...... middle of paper ......nse against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen” (Achebe 207). Unfortunately, the eminent and aggressive hero of the tribe met his death by committing one of the greatest crimes against his people. Marlow and Okonkwo come from different worlds, but they both experience the same journey. They encounter cultural clashes, identity crises and internal conflicts. They respond to these problems in their own ways: Marlow physically runs away, but Okonkwo does not. Both men end their story with a betrayal of their values ​​and way of life. Although Okonkwo and Marlow lived on different continents, they experienced similar physical and emotional journeys. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. New York, NY: Anchor House, 1994. Print.Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Classic Bantam Edition. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1981. Print.