Okonkwo was stubborn as well as proud. Really with the coming of the Europeans with their religion, their guns and their thirst for land, Okonkwo's tribe had its days number. An indigenous population could not survive such a foreign influx intact. Okonkwo was destined to self destruct regardless of the European arrival. I think they just helped to speed up the process. Okonkwo had far too many sins upon his head, even for his own culture to keep going as normal. The Igbo way of life is detailed through the novel. If you check out the GradeSaver summary, you will see it.