THINGS FALL APART

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THINGS FALL APART

KEY LITERARY ELEMENETS

SETTING

The novel is set during the late 1800s/early 100s in a small village called Umuofia situated in Cheap custom writing service can write essays on THINGS FALL APART

the southeastern part of Nigeria. The time period is important, as it was a period in colonial

history when the British were expanding their influence in Africa, economically, culturally, and

politically. Umuofia is an Igbo village with very well defined traditions. It is a village that is

respected by those around it as being powerful and rich. Each person has a hut or obi that is

located in the center of a compound. Each of the wives has a separate obi with a shed for goats

and an attached chicken coop. The main occupation of the men is sowing and growing yams

since yams are considered the most important crop. The women grew less significant crops like

coco-yams, beans and cassava.

When Okonkwo is banished from his village, he takes his family to his mothers native village

called Mbanta, where he is given two or three plots of land to farm, and a plot of ground on

which to build his compound. The next seven years of Okonkwos life are spent in the village of

Mbanta. He then returns to Umuofia where the rest of the novel takes place.

CHARACTERS

Major Characters

Okonkwo - The hardy and ambitious leader of the Igbo community. He is a farmer as well as a

wrestler, who has earned fame and brought honor to his village by overthrowing Amalinze in a

wrestling contest. Still only in his thirties, he has three wives and several children who all live in

their own homes in his village compound. Okonkwo has resolved to erase the stigma left on him

by his fathers laziness and is very successful growing yams. He has very strong economic and

political ties to the village and is treated with admiration and respect. Okonkwo is a man of

action.

Obierika - Okonkwos close friend, he helps him with the crops during his period of exile, and

keeps him informed of the radical changes taking place in the village. He is a thoughtful man,

who questions the traditions of society. He is also Maduka and Ekukes father.

Ekwefi - Okonkwos second wife, she is the mother of Ezinma, her only living child, whom she

will do anything for even if that means defying tradition.

Ezinma - Ekwefi and Okonkwos daughter, she is born after many miscarriages and is loved and

pampered by her mother. She has a special relationship with Chielo, the woman who acts as the

voice of Agbala, the Oracle. Okonkwo is fond of her and often wishes that she were a boy.

Nwoye - Okonkwos son from his first wife. He is a sensitive young man who, much to his

fathers dismay, joins the Christian missionaries.

Ikemefuna - A boy who is bought as hostage from Mbaino, and who lives with Okonkwo for

three years. He is a clever and resourceful young man yet comes to an unfortunate end.

Chielo - The priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, who carries Ezinma on her

back to the caves, saying that Agbala wants to see her.

Uchendu - Okonkwos maternal uncle with whom he spends seven years of his exile, along with

his family.

Mr. Brown - The Christian missionary who first introduces the tenets of Christianity to the

people to take them away from their superstitious and age-old customs. He is a kind and

understanding man who is accommodating towards the Igbo.

Reverend James Smith - Mr Browns successor, he openly condemns Mr. Browns policy of

compromise and accommodation and attempts to efface all aspects of Igbo culture.

District Commissioner - The man behind the whole affair, who handcuffs the six leaders of the

village and imprisons them. At the end of the novel, he orders his men to take down the dead

body of Okonkwo from the tree, and bury it.

Minor Characters

Unoka - Okonkwos father who during his entire lifetime never lifted his hand to till the earth,

and had passed his time playing the flute. Okonkwo always remembers his fathers failure and

strove to be as different from him as possible.

Maduka - Obierikas son who participates and wins the wrestling contest.

Ogbuefi Ezendu -The oldest man in Umuofia who forewarns Okonkwo not to get too close to

Ikemefuna, since the Oracle had pronounced his death already and then tells him not to

participate in his death. He dies a venerated warrior with three titles to his name.

Enoch - The overzealous Christian who tears off the mask of the egwugu, creating strife in the

community.

Agbala - The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves, she dispenses advice and overlooks all aspects

of life in the village of Umumofia. No one has ever beheld Agbala, except his priestess.

Ojiubo - Okonkwos third wife and mother of several of his children.

CONFLICT

Protagonist The protagonist of the novel is Okonkwo. The novel describes Okonkwos rise and

fall in a culture that is bound by tradition and superstitious. Okonkwo also has his faults, and it is

these faults that lead to his downfall. His impatience and quick temper make him break the rules

of the Week of Peace and eventually is ostracized from his village for his rash behavior. His

headstrong nature and impulsive attitude consequently bring about his own death at the end of

the novel.

Okonkwo is respected for having reached a position of wealth and status, without any support

from family. In fact, most of his ambition and desire stems from the rejection of his fathers

lifestyle that is objectionable to him. Okonkwo refuses to bow down to the tenets of the Christian

missionaries, even when almost the entire village has. His tenacity and tragic flaws that he

cannot see make him a hero despite his unforgiving nature and rigid adherence to tradition.

Okonkwo thus instills a feeling of respect and admiration in the hearts of the readers.

Antagonist The antagonists are the Christian missionaries who wish to invade the content

villages of Africa with their Western concepts and way of thinking and convert the people into

Christianity. The customs of African culture are scorned and degraded. Gradually, many people

are persuaded into converting themselves into Christianity, with a few exceptions, including

Okonkwo. It is the missionaries who are the final cause of the death of Okonkwo. Their behavior

toward the leader of the village is disrespectful and it is understandable that Okonkwo had to

retaliate in the only form he knows, by resistance to Christianity and loyalty to his cultures

traditions. The reader sees the heartlessness of the district commissioner who is only concerned

about the material he has accumulated for the book he wishes to publish

Climax The climactic point in the novel arises when, Okonkwo, without his realizing it, shoots

a young member of his community and kills him. Though this was an accident, Okonkwo has to

abide with the law that deems he should be banished from his village for seven years. This is an

unfortunate situation, since until then Okonkwo has been steadily rising in wealth as well as

status in his community and very soon would have acquired more titles. The calamity however

results in his downfall. He now has to live in exile for seven long years of his life in his mothers

land.

Another parallel climax in the novel is when the missionaries inculcate the lives of the villagers.

Until then the people were governed only by the traditional Ibo culture and were custom-bound,

but the invasion of the missionaries changes the lives of the villagers tremendously.

Outcome The outcome of the novel is Okonkwos return to his village after his exile and his

self-destruction. He discovers that everything has changed when he is not given the kind of

welcome he had expected. Too much has happened since Okwonkos departure and the villagers

have other things to worry about. Okonkwo can no longer dream of becoming head of the village

because he has lost too many years in exile, and when he returns, all of the customs, values and

beliefs of the village have been destroyed.

With the invasion of the Christians, the villagers find themselves at a loss. With their sweet

words and strong beliefs, the missionaries manage to dissuade the villagers from their own

religion and customs. The Christians even begin living in the evil forest, in order to prove to the

villagers that all their beliefs about its evilness are baseless. Twins and outcasts were allowed to

enter into their church.

The missionaries also provide many good services to the villagers. They build a church, a

hospital, a school and also a court and trading store for the villagers. Yet ultimately the core of

their culture has been subjugated to Western ideology and the traditional economy as well as

social well being of the village is gone forever.

PLOT (Synopsis)

The novel deals with the rise and fall of Okonkwo , a man from the village of Unuofia. Okonkwo

was not born a great man, but he achieved success by his hard work. His father was a lazy man

who preferred playing the flute to tending the soil. Okonkwo was opposed to his fathers way of

life, and always feared failure. In order to prove his ability, he had overthrown the greatest

wrestler in nine villages, set himself up with three wives, two barns filled with yams and a

reputation for being a hard worker. The reader learns that he was also one of the egwugwu--the

masked spirits of the ancestors. His importance is proved when he is sent as an emissary to

Mbaino in order to negotiate for hostages, and he returns successfully with a boy, Ikemefuna and

a virgin.

Okonkwo has his faults, one of them being his impatience of less successful men and secondly

his pride over his own status. His stern exterior conceals a love for Ikemefuna, who lives with

him; an anxiety over his son Nwoye, who seems to take after his father; and an adoration for his

daughter Ezinma. His fiery temperament leads to beating his second wife during the Week of

Peace. He even shoots at her with his gun, but luckily he misses. This shows his short temper and

a tendency to act on impulse, a tendency that backfires on him later on in the novel. The boy,

Ikemefuna, is ordered to death by the Oracle of the Hills and Caves. Though Okonkwo is upset,

he shows his fearlessness and impartiality by slaying the boy himself. His final fault against his

tribe is when he unintentionally shoots a boy and kills him; for this he is banished from the

village for seven years and has to live in his mothers village of Mbanta. This is a great

disappointment for him although he is consoled and encouraged by his uncle, Uchendu.

The reader now hears of the arrival of the Christian missionaries, who take over the village of

Mbanta, as well as Umuofia, set up a church and proceed to convert the tribesmen to

Christianity. At first, they face much resistence, but gradually many of the tribesmen including

Okonkwos own son, Nwoye, are converted and follow the path of Christ. After his period of

exile, Okonkwo returns to Umuofia with his family and finds it totally changed. The missionaries

have done a lot for the village. Umuofia is prospering economically, but Okonkwo is firm in his

refusal to charge his religion.

The missionary Mr. Brown is overzealous in his methods. A Christian named Enoch enters a

meeting of the tribe in which the egwugwu is present, and he unmasks one of them. This causes

great anger, and the villagers make a decision to destroy the church, which they eventually do.

This action incites the wrath of the District Commissioner, who invites Okonkwo along with five

other men and overpowers and imprisons them. These elders are humiliated in the prison. On

their return, another meeting is held. The commissioner sends some men to stop the proceedings,

and Okonkwo, in a fit of fury, beheads one of them. The tribe is disturbed and they let the other

men escape. Finding no more support from his tribesmen, Okonkwo hangs himself. His world

has fallen apart.

His tribesmen even refuse to cut him down and bury him since taking ones own life is a

violation of the earth goddess, and his men would not bury such a man. His friend Obierikas

words describe the tragedy most powerfully That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia.

You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog.

Okonkwos suicide is symbolic of the self-destruction of the tribe, for he was a symbol of the

power and pride that the tribe had and with its demise, the tribes moral center and structure gave

way to a more dominant one. With his death, the old way of life is gone forever.

THEMES

Major Themes

The major theme of the novel is that British colonization and the conversion to Christianity of

tribal peoples has destroyed an intricate and traditional age-old way of life in Africa. The

administrative apparatus that the British imposed on the cultures of Africa were thought to be

just as well as civilizing although in reality they had the opposite effect of being cruel and

inhumane practices that subjugated large native populations to the British. In conjunction with

the colonizing practices, Western missionaries endeavored to move native peoples away from the

superstitious practices that they perceived as primitive and inhumane and convert them to

Christianity.

Another important theme that is explored in this book is the fallibility of a man like Okonkwo,

who is ambitious and hardworking who believes strongly in his traditions. He wishes to achieve

the highest title in his village but ultimately his rash and impetuous behavior leads to his fall. The

reader also sees how Okonkwo refuses to break away from his traditional and religious values,

which results in his own death. He refuses to conform to the forces of domination and therefore,

one feels respect and admiration for such a strong individual.

Minor Themes

One of the minor themes that Achebe addresses in this book is the complex and subtle rites and

traditions that make up Igbo culture. Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in response to

representations of Africans as primitive or as noble savages by European writers. In his novel,

Achebe explodes these Western constructions by presenting a society that is as complex and

dynamic as any culture in Western society. His characters are also complex beings rather than

stereotypes. It is in fact the white colonialists and missionaries who appear to be one-

dimensional.

Along with the major theme of the destruction of African culture due to colonization, the readers

also see how orthodox traditions and customs rule the people of the society. Absolute loyalty and

obedience to the tribal religion is inculcated into the minds of the people from their childhood.

Strict adherence to the laws, as well as gender roles create a community that is extremely close

knit, but once this bond is broken, tribal ways give way easily and fall apart. This breakdown of

society is seen as tragic as people suffer and communities become divisive.

MOOD

The title of the book as well as the epigram sets the tone of the novel quite accurately. It comes

from a W.B. Yeats poem called The Second Coming. Yeats was a late 1th century Irish poet,

essayist, and dramatist. The actual verse that Achebe uses as his epigram is

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

Chaos and disruption pervade good portions of the novel as well as a sense of life being

diminished and changing in ways that cannot be controlled. Throughout the novel, the mood is

usually somber and tragic although there are moments of great celebration and joy during village

ceremonies such as weddings and the Week of Peace. The villagers have strong faith and deep

beliefs and do not allow any kind of laxness with their customs. Yet during the festival seasons

or during the wrestling contests, the people lose some of their inhibitions and enjoy themselves.

The novel focuses on the downfall of Okonkwo and often conveys a sense of loss and tragedy.

When the reader reads about the egwugwu, the marked representatives of the ancestral spirits,

the mood conveyed is extremely dramatic and even frightening.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CHINUA ACHEBE

Born in 10, Chinua Achebe occupies a significant place among non-native writers of English;

he is perhaps the most influential writer to have come out of Africa since the late 150s. He is

one of the most important of the African writers and has done much to promote writing in

English by editing the African Writers series, published by Heinemann, that gives voice to many

diverse voices in Africa.

Achebe was born in the Igbo (formerly spelled Ibo) town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria. His

father was a missionary instructor in catechism where Achebe started his education at the Church

Missionary Societys school. For two years the language of instruction was Igbo and it was not

until later when he was eight, Achebe started learning English. Because of this late introduction

of English in his life, he was able to develop a pride in his culture and also appreciate his native

language. While his fathers library was full of books in English, his mother instilled in him a

love for traditional storytelling. Nigeria was still a British colony during much of Achebes youth

and because his family spoke English, they held much power in the town.

Achebe was educated at Government College, Umuahia and then at University College, Ibadan,

where he studied liberal arts. His first stories were published during this period and later become

the collection published in 17 called Girls at War and Other Stories; afterwards he was able to

visit Britain and the United States. Growing nationalism in Nigeria in the forties and fifties also

had a tremendous influence on Achebe who changed his English name Albert to the Igbo name

Chinua, which is an abbreviated expression for May a chi fight for me. After graduating

college in 15, he began his career in radio with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, and

soon became Director of External Broadcasting. It was in London while he was attending the

BBC Staff School that he submitted his novel Things Fall Apart to a publisher. It was published

by Heinemann in 158 and fame came practically overnight. Returning to Nigeria, he continued

to work for NBC and developed programs that aimed to develop a national consciousness about

Nigerian culture and affairs. Because of his creative work, he was invited first by the University

of Nigeria, Lagos, and for short periods by the American Universities of Massachusetts and

Connecticut to teach.

It is evident that Achebe is a writer who has conscious literary aims and political motives. Well

versed in the poetics of Western literature, he utilizes many Western literary genres. In this

novel, he relies upon the genre of the English novel, but at the same time manages to weave

native elements of African culture such as story telling and proverbs into the narrative. He also

employs structural elements of classical Greek tragedy in which a flaw in the protagonist

ultimately leads to his downfall. Ultimately, all his books share the theme of two cultures in

conflict with each other that of the West and Africa. The exploitation and colonization of Africa

by the West is never overshadowed by the formal aspects of his work. It is the pivotal theme that

gives his writing such a deep and lasting impression on the reader.

Chinua Achebes novels and critical pronouncements have profoundly influenced his readers

understanding of Africans and their lives and have formed the basis for many discussions of the

African novel. Many great English novelists like Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene and E.M.

Forster have influenced him, but Achebe transcends these influences and writes with an authentic

African consciousness, interpreting his own traditions and culture in a language that is essentially

native, the Igbo-derived English. In fact, one of Achebes greatest achievements is the creation of

a prose style that, while incorporating African usage and thought patterns, is fluid, lucid and is in

impeccably good English. It is a product of a sophisticated mind thoroughly educated in English

language and literature as well as his own native culture.

To his credit, Achebe has written four other major novels since Things Fall Apart. In 160, he

wrote the sequel, No Longer at Ease. In 164, he wrote Arrow of God and in 166, A Man of the

People. All were written within a comparatively brief span of eight years. His first novel Things

Fall Apart is considered to be a literary classic and read all over the English-speaking world. It

has been translated into many languages and won him a major literary prize the year after it was

published. Apart from these, he has produced a few essays of critical and sociological interest,

like English and the African Writer, The Novelist as a Teacher and The Role of the African

Writer in a New Nation. Achebes work reflects his preoccupation with the sociological and

humanistic aspects of his nation, both in past and the present times.

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It is justified to call Chinua Achebe the father of the African novel in English. His influence

both as a creative writer, political activist, and a critic has been immense. In particular, his use of

African English, drawing on proverbs, tales and idioms of traditional Igbo culture has provided

a legitimate literary voice of post-colonial Africa to emerge.

Politics and writing share a symbiotic relationship and Achebe believes that the writer should be

at the head of the big social and political issues of contemporary Africa. Many writers from

former European-dominated colonies share his view that the writers role in these new emergent

nations should be linked to the social and political welfare of the country. As he claims, I am a

protest writer and that any good story, any good novel, should have a message....

Since the sixties, Achebe has been doing more teaching and lecturing and less fiction writing,

although he has published books for the young and has concentrated exclusively on educating

them. He also wrote Anthills of the Savannah, which was a finalist for the Booker Prize in

England in 187. Much of his later writing since the seventies has been wrapped up in the

political turmoil of Nigeria which has undergone a series of upheavals and coup detats by

various political factions. In the sixties, Achebe was targeted for persecution by one of the non-

Igbo lead governments as a dissident and so he fled with his family to Eastern Nigeria, which

had declared itself an independent state called Biafra. After a bloody civil war, Biafra was

defeated and Achebe exiled himself to Europe and then America.

Achebe has received many honors, and his fame has spread not only in Africa, but all over the

Commonwealth, Europe and America. He has been made a Fellow of the Modern Languages

Association of U.S.A. and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates by the Universities of Sterling

and Southampton. He has also won the coveted Neil Gunn Fellowship awarded by the Scottish

Arts Council.

At present, Chinua Achebe lives with his wife in Annandale, New York where they both teach at

Bard College. They have four children.

LITERARY INFORMATION

The importance of this text can be seen in its worldwide distribution as an authentic narrative

about the horrors of the colonialist experience from the eyes of the colonized. This daring

perspective brought to the world the figure of Okonkwo, a powerful and respected village elder

who cannot single-handedly repel the invasion of foreign culture into his village. The book has

been taught in a variety of contexts from cultural history to anthropology to literature and world

history classes. Its application to such a number of fields reveals its historical importance in the

world.

Things Fall Apart is a tragic and moving story of Okonkwo and the destruction of the village of

Umuofia by the colonialist enterprise. This novel reveals colonialism as a traumatic experience

common to all former colonial territories. The administration that was implemented endeavored

to shift the people away from the superstitious and what they saw as primitive practices of their

culture to the supposedly more civilized precepts of Christianity. Achebe does not gloss over

the cruelty and superstition that prevailed in Igbo culture; in fact, he even shows that it was

partly many of the elders rigid adherence to traditions that seemed inhuman and outdated that

paved the way for the disintegration of the tribe and their ultimate fall.

In Things Fall Apart, Achebe carefully makes the readers aware that the traditional Igbo culture

that Okonkwo claims to represent varied from clan to clan and was very dynamic. Okonkwos

flaw is his rigidity. Achebe is critical of any culture that is stagnant. Where preservation of the

clan or group is the first priority, obsession with cultural traditions can be dangerous.

In truth, Things Fall Apart, was not only educating his African readers but Western readers as

well. Achebes achievements in fact was that he communicated meaningfully both with his

Western readers, who were for the most part ignorant of the material he was handling, and with

those who knew it very intimately. He is perhaps the only African writer to have bridged this gap

with complete success as well as delicacy and tact.

Post Colonialist Literature

An interesting trend of literature that has emerged in the past thirty years is post colonialism. It is

not just a trend but can also be considered a literary style. This kind of writing emerged after the

de-colonization of various African, Asian and South American nations by erstwhile European

colonial powers Portugal, Spain, France, Germany and Britain and hails from those nations that

were colonized. The colonizing experience that the colonized (i.e. the natives) and the colonizers

undergo is narrated in such texts. The colonized mainly speak of the trauma, humiliation and

slave mentality induced in their psyche. The colonizers write of their own experience which,

according to them, is no less traumatizing. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe writes of the actual

moment of colonization with the arrival of missionaries and the administrative apparatus of

Britain at the turn of the century. In No Longer at Ease, the legacy of colonization is brought out.

His other works describe issues connected with colonization. His peculiarity is that he works in

the genre of the English novel although his concerns are mainly African. Another celebrated

Nigerian writer is Wole Soyinka, who uses theater as a more traditional form to vent his views

on the same issues.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Africa has been seen by the Western world as a dark continent and very little was known about

its land or people. Geological explorations showed that the Sahara desert was initially a fertile

area, overflowing in lush vegetation, animal and men. Climatic changes were responsible for the

formation of the desert. Africa, therefore, came to be known as an inhospitable place, in spite of

areas of with great rivers, thick forests and vast green-lands. This was mainly because the greater

part of the continent was separated from Mediterranean civilization and was not open to outside

influences.

The people in Africa learned to live in harmony with Natures changes. They developed a culture

based on religion and nature. They worshipped many different gods and goddesses who

represented elements of the natural world. They had priests who were capable of physical and

psychic healing, oracles who could foretell the future, and spirits of ancestors who controlled

traditions, gave orders and guided the tribe at time of crises. This system of control worked very

well for centuries.

But changes occurred with the exploration and eventual economic and social exploitation of

Africans by the Western colonizing mission. First came the slave trade where Africans were

picked up from the West Coast of Africa and shipped off to distant places where they were sold

off as slaves. This disrupted tribal life and also impoverished the land, for now there were no

able-bodied men to carry on the hard work of crop-raising.

Then came the expansion policies of many countries, like Portugal, Holland, Germany and

Britain who all began to carve out areas of Africa in order to build colonies for themselves. This

was a major factor in destroying what was left of African civilization. Finally came the activities

of Christian missionaries, who did not care to understand the religion of the people of Africa,

whom they considered uncivilized and savage, and proceeded to convert them to Christianity.

Today African countries are self-ruled due to the widespread movement among countries in the

0th century to seek independence from colonial rule. Although these were bloody conflicts, the

end result was the formation of a country with an agenda that was African rather than European.

Chinua Achebe, in his novel, has brought to the reader a very realistic picture of traditional

Africa as well as its demise with the onset of colonialism. In Things Fall Apart, he has attempted

to vindicate the ways of tribal life in Nigeria - in particular among the Igbo tribe to which he

belongs by showing the reader the rich and complex traditions that made up African society

before the invasion of the continent by Europeans.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES

PART ONE

CHAPTER 1

The novel begins with the introduction of Okonkwo, a young man famed throughout for his

strength as well as other personal achievements. At the age of eighteen, he had brought honor to

his village by overthrowing Amalinze, the cat. Okonkwo was a tall man, with bushy eyebrows

and a wide nose. He had risen to his present state of prominence because of his ambitious nature

and hatred of failure. His father, Unoka had always been a failure and a debtor. He was more

interested in playing his flute than working in the fields. Because of this, his family never had

enough to eat and he became a source of shame to Okonkwo. Once when a neighbor called

Okoye had come to him to request him to return his money, Unoka had laughed at him and said

that he would first pay the others whom he owed more money.

After his fathers death, Okonkwo, though young, won fame as the greatest wrestler. Since then,

he has become a wealthy farmer, with two barns full of yams. He also had three wives and two

honorific titles and was a great warrior. Everybody respected him in the village for his

achievements.

CHAPTER

Okonkwo had just prepared for bed when the town criers voice is heard. The message is that

every man of Umuofia is to meet at the market place the following morning. He wonders

whether Umuofia will go to war and thinks how fearful his father was of war and how he himself

has been a great warrior in the past, bringing home his fifth human head.

The next morning, the marketplace is full of people, and Ogbuefi Ezeugo, a powerful orator,

informs them that a daughter of their village had been murdered by some men from Mbaino, the

adjoining village, when she visited its market. An ultimatum is given to Mbaino, asking them to

choose between war and an offering of a young man and a virgin as compensation. Okonkwo is

sent to negotiate. Umuofia is highly feared by its neighbors for its power; therefore Mbaino

chooses the latter proposal and Ikemefuna, a young lad of fifteen and a virgin are sent to

Umuofia. The girl is sent to the murdered womans husband to replace her and Okonkwo is

requested to keep the lad for the time being while the villagers decide what to do with him.

Okonkwo hands over the lad in the care of his most senior wife, mother of his oldest son, Nkoye.

Ikemefuna is frightened, as he does not understand why he has been separated from his family.

Okonkwo fears being called weak and therefore he rules his house with a stern hand. Everybody

fears his explosive temper. Okonkwos house has a large compound. He has his own hut, or obi

and each of his three wives also have their own huts. They also have a medicine house or shrine

where the wooden symbols of Okonkwos personal gods are kept. Okonkwo works in his farm

for long hours and he expects others to do the same.

CHAPTER

This chapter reveals more details of Okonkwos fathers failings and his justification for

despising him as he does. At a disadvantage, Okonkwo had not inherited a barn from his father

like other young men and had to start with nothing. Once on a trip to the consult the Agbala, the

Oracle of the Hills and the Caves to find out the reason for his miserable harvest, Unoka was told

that it was because of his laziness and not because he had offended the gods.

Unoka was so ill-fated that even his death was an undignified one. He died of a swelling in his

stomach and his limbs, a type of disease that resulted in his banishment. Therefore, he was

carried into the forests and left to die. This made Okonkwo feel even more ashamed of his father.

Another story reveals Okonkwos first signs of ambition and the desire to outlive his fathers

legacy. While still young and supporting his mother and sisters, Okonkwo approached a wealthy

man, Nwakibie, to earn his first seed yams. Nwakibie gave them to him, knowing him to be

trust-worthy and hard working. It was Okonkwos bad luck that there was a great drought that

year followed by very heavy rains. Both of which contributed to the failure of the seasons

harvest. But Okonkwo was a fighter and he survived that year.

CHAPTER 4

Okonkwo was respected by all for his industry and success. Although Okonkwo is brusque

towards less successful men, he deserves his success because he has worked so hard for it. It is

because of the respect that the tribe has for him that Okonkwo is sent to negotiate with the enemy

when the tribe seeks remuneration and that the young boy Ikemefuna is sent to live with him. In

the beginning the boy was afraid, and missed his family. But being a boy of a lively nature, he

gradually becomes a part of Okonkwos household. Okonkwos son Nwoye was always with him

wherever he went. Okonkwo also becomes fond of him, but he never shows his emotions, as he

considers affection to be a womanly sign of weakness.

During the Week of Peace, a period before planting time, no one is allowed to speak harshly to

another. However, Okonkwo is provoked to anger by his third wife, who did not get home early

enough to prepare the evening meal, and in his rage, Okonkwo beats her. He is called by the

priest of the earth goddess to make amends for his actions as they can destroy the crops of the

entire village. He is told to make an offering to the shrine of the Goddess. He agrees to pay for

his crime by giving one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries. Although

Okonkwo inwardly regrets his actions, he never admits to his error.

When Okonkwo goes to his fields to plant the harvest, he takes Nwoye and Ikemefuna with him

but he rebukes them if they are slow in understanding what he wants them to learn quickly

When the rains begin great care has to be taken of the young plants. The children then sit around

the cooking fire telling stories, or they sit with their fathers, roasting and eating maize. It is

during the period of rest that the friendship between Ikemefuna and Nwoye becomes even

stronger.

CHAPTER 5

The Feast of the New Yam is now approaching. It takes place just before the harvest and is an

occasion of thanksgiving to the earth goddess, Ani. The night before the feast, the old yams are

disposed of and on the new year, all the cooking pots are thoroughly washed before being used

for the new crop. Yam foo-foo and vegetables soup is prepared. Guests are invited to partake of

the food. The walls of the house are decorated with designs and the women and children anoint

and decorate themselves. Okonkwo is not very enthusiastic about the feast. He would rather

work in his fields. His suppressed resentment regarding the feast explodes when he thinks that

somebody has cut one of his banana trees. When he discovers that the culprit is his second wife,

Ekwefi, he beats her and then shoots at her with his gun but fortunately, he misses. In spite of

Okonkwos outburst, the festival is celebrated with great joy by his family.

On the second day, there is a wrestling contest in which Okonkwo participates. Okonkwos wives

prepare the evening meal and the food is served by each of their daughters. One of his daughters,

Ezinma, discusses the forthcoming wrestling contest. Okonkwo is particularly fond of this

daughter, but as usual does not show his love for her.

CHAPTER 6

The wrestling contests are to be held on the second day of the festival. Everyone from the village

gathers to watch these contests, as they are great sources of pride for the villagers. It begins with

boys of fifteen or sixteen who provide some entertainment before the more serious matches. One

of the winners is the son of Obierika, a friend of Okonkwo. Ekwefi, Okonkwos second wife,

loves the wrestling matches and remembers how she fell in love with Okonkwo when he beat the

great wrestler, Cat. Although she was married at the time, she left her husband once she found

out Okonkwo had enough money to marry her.

Ekwefi meets Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, the oracle, who asks about her daughters health.

The last match is between Okafo and Ikezue, the leaders of the teams. The earlier year, there had

been a draw as they had the same style of fighting but this time, a fierce match ensues and Okafo

wins the match. The people sing his praises, carrying him on their shoulders.

CHAPTER 7

Ikemefuna has been living in Okonkwos household for three years now. He is like an elder

brother to Nwoye and has taught him how to be more manly. Okonkwo is glad that Nwoye is

developing fast into manhood and he encourages both boys to be masculine and violent. He tells

them stories of conquest and violence and they all make derisive comments about women.

Nwoye participates in these activities yet still enjoys his mothers stories more than his fathers

yet he tries to please him and so goes to his hut at night.

Months pass, and then the locusts arrive in the village. This arrival is an unexpected one, but the

people rejoice because locusts are considered to be very tasty and delectable. When the locusts

swarm in and cover the entire area, the villagers slowly creep out and collect as many locusts as

they can catch during the night. They are then roasted and spread to dry. It is then eaten with

palm oil.

On that same day, Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the oldest man in the village comes to see Okonkwo and

proceeds to inform him that Ikemefuna is to be killed and that Okonkwo should participate in the

killing. When Ikemefuna is told that he is to return home, he realizes that he is going to be killed

but passively goes along with it. Nwoye is so upset that his father has to beat him. The next day,

the villagers, along with Okonkwo and Ikemefuna march towards the forests. Once inside, a man

raises his machete and strikes Ikemefuna. When Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo, he also draws his

machete and cuts him down.

Nwoye is terribly upset by the death and feels similar to the time when he had been crossing the

forest and heard a thin wail of an infant. Nwoye had known that twins who were born were

considered evil and were hidden in earthware pots and thrown into the forest. Hearing the wail,

something had given way inside him. Hearing of Ikemefunas death, the same feeling rises in

him.

CHAPTER 8

Okonkwo is unable to forget Ikemefuna and drowns himself in palm-wine to mitigate his sorrow.

When his daughter Ezinma brings him food, he finds himself wishing that she were a boy. He

berates himself for being so weak and lamenting Ikemefunas death. Finally, after three days he

rouses himself from his sorrow and goes to meet his friend Obierika. Obierikas son Maduka had

won in the wrestling combat and is a promising lad and worthy of his fathers pride. Obierika had

refused to accompany the rest of the village in killing Ikemefuna. On being asked why, he replies

that he had something better to do, and that this deed would not please the Earth because of the

mens actions. But Okonkwo disagrees with him. At that point, Ofoedu enters with the news that

an elder, Ogbuefi Ndulue of Ira village had died but the drums had not been beaten because his

trusted wife Ozoemena, hearing of her husbands death, had died too. According to custom,

Ndulues funeral was to be held off until his wifes burial. The two men disapprove of the close

relationship that this man had with his wife and wonder how such a warrior in battle could be so

weak in his marriage. They also discuss the loss of prestige that goes with one of the titles for

tapping wine out of palm trees.

Feeling better after their talk, Okonkwo goes home, and then returns in time to help Obierika

bargain for the marriage-price of his daughter. The daughter, Akueke has been suitably dressed

for the occasion. The dowry is bargained upon and settled at twenty bags of cowries. Food is

then brought in and the men make small talk. The first mention of the white man is made, but it

is more in jest as the word for leper means white skin.

CHAPTER

Okonkwo finally sleeps well after three nights but is roused out of his sleep by Ekwefi, his

second wife, who tells him that his daughter, Ezinma is dying. He goes out to collect leaves and

bark to ease the childs fever.

Ezinma is the center of her mothers world as Ekwefi has suffered a great deal, having lost nine

children in infancy. They had tried all they could to discover what the problem is but all the

medicine man could say was that she kept giving birth to an ogbanje, a child who dies young

because an evil spirit possesses it and re-enters the mothers womb to be born again. By the time

Ezinma was born, Ekwefi had lost her will and accepted her fate with resignation. When she

lived for six years, her mother realized that she may stay and loved her with all her might. She

thought that her troubles had ended when Ezinmas iyi-uwa was unearthed, but now she is ill

again. The iyi-uwu was supposed to break the connection between the objanje world and

Ezinma.

Okonkwo brings in a bundle of grass, leaves, roots and barks of medicinal trees, puts them in a

pot and boils them. Once it is cooked, he rouses Ezinma and makes her sit beside the steaming

pot to inhale the steam. A mat is thrown over her head. When the mat is removed, she is bathed

in perspiration. Soon she falls asleep after lying on a mat.

CHAPTER 10

A very dramatic public ceremony is described in detail that involves meting out justice. On the

village commons, folks gather, with elders sitting on stools and the rest of the village men behind

them. Nine stools are placed for the egwugwu to sit. Egwugwu represent the spirits of their

ancestors and are respected members of the community who can dispense justice in trials.

Women stand on the edges of the circle, looking in the direction of the egwugwu house. A gong

is loudly blasted and the guttural voice of the egwugwu is heard. When he makes his appearance,

it is very dramatic as he wears a fearful looking mask and pretends to scare the women. Along

with him, nine other masked men emerge. Okonkwos wives notice that one of the egwugwu

walks with a springy step such as Okonkwo does. They also notice he is absent from where the

elders sit.

The leader of the egwugwu called Evil Forest speaks some words, and they sit in order of

seniority. The hearing then begins. It involves a man named Uzowulu whose wife was taken

away by him by her family. He wishes that either she return or they pay him his bride-price. The

womens brother argues that she has been rescued because she is beaten every day and that she

will return on the promise that he never hit her again.

After discussion among the egwugwu, Evil Forest returns with a verdict. He tells Uzowulu to

bring wine to his wifes family and beg his wife to return to him. He also expresses disgust at

Uzowulus cowardice in beating women and askes him to accept his brother-in-laws offer.

Afterwards, one elders discusses the trivial nature of this case and another says that Uzowulu

would accept any decision other than the egugwu. Next a land dispute is discussed.

CHAPTER 11

One night, Ezinma and her mother are sitting in their hut having their supper. Ekwefi is telling a

story about a tortoise and birds which explains why the tortoise shell is uneven. When she

finishes, Ezinma begins her story. Half way through, she has to break off because they could

hear Chielo, the priestess of Agbala prophesying, and calling to Okonkwo. Chielo then enters the

hut and insists on talking Ezinma with her since Agbala wanted to see her. Carrying Ezinma on

her shoulders, she takes off into the hills. Ekwefi follows her doggedly, though the path is very

dangerous and risky. Finally they reach the caves and Chielo enters with Ezinma. Ekwefi is

frightened of what might be happening inside. Behind her, she hears a footstep, and finds

Okonkwo, who has followed behind her. Both of them wait together outside the cave for Chielo

to reappear, and Ekwefi is grateful for his presence.

CHAPTER 1

Okonkwo and Ekwefi wait for Ezinmas exit from the cave but it is not until the early morning

hours that Chielo appears with Ezinma. She doe not acknowledge either of them, but simply

walks straight to Ezinmas hut and puts her to bed. The parents follow behind.

That day there is a festive air in the neighborhood as Obierika is celebrating his daughters uri, a

part of the betrothal ceremony, where the bridegroom brings the palm-wine for the brides

family, her kin, and extended family. Every family carries some food to the wedding house and

the brides mother is responsble for preparing the food for everyone. Tripods are exacted for the

fire, and food is being prepared by the women.

Ekwefi is tired from the night before and waits until Ezinma wakes up and eats breakfast.

Okonkwos other wives leave to help prepare the food.

Oberieka is preparing two goats for the soup and admiring another that has been brought in as a

gift. As the women prepare the meal, they hear that a cow has gotten loose somewhere. They

leave a few women with the food and go to find and return it back to its owner. All the women

must do this and there is a head check to see if everyone is present. Aftewards, the owner is fined

heavily

By afternoon, two pots of palm-wine arrive from the in-laws house. Later, the in-laws arrive

each carrying a pot of wine. In all, fifty pots are received which is a respectable number. Kola

nuts are offered and the betrothal is finalized. A great feast is laid out and everyone partakes in it

happily. In the night, the young men start singing, the bride dances and everyone is gay.

CHAPTER 1

In the middle of the night, the sound of a drum and a cannon announces the death of Ogbuefi

Ezendu, the oldest man in the clan. Hearing this, Okonkwo remembers his last words to him

about Ikemefuna and shudders.

The whole village attends the funeral as Ogbuefi was a man with three titles, an achievement that

was rare. Since he was a warrior, the funeral abounds in warriors, dressed in raffia skirts. Once in

a while an egwugwu spirit makes its appearances from the underworld. Some of them are quite

violent and terrifying and often threatening. The most terrifying one is shaped like a coffin, and a

sickly odor emanates from him.

The funeral is very befitting of a noble warrior. Before the burial the warriors dance, drums are

sounded and guns are fired. A frenzied feeling fills the air as people bemoan the loss of Ogbuefi.

The air is full of the smell of gunpowder. In the midst of this ceremony, a cry of agony is heard.

Ezudus son is found lying dead in the crowd shot by Okonkwo who fired his gun and

accidentally hit pierced the young boys heart.

Okonkwo knows that killing a member of ones own tribe is a crime against the Goddess of the

Earth and therefore he is banished from his village for seven years. He and his family escape to

the village of his mother called Mbanta. After daybreak, the men, dressed in garbs of war, set fire

to his house, not due to vindictiveness, but to cleanse the land that Okonkwo had polluted.

Obierika, his friend, mourns his friends calamity.

CHAPTER 14

Okonkwos mothers brother Uchendu receives Okonkwo and his family and listens to the entire

story, arranging the requisite rites and sacrifices, and giving him a plot of ground to build his

compound. Each of Uchendus sons contribute three hundred seed yams so that Okonkwo can

start his farm. Okonkwo and his family work hard on the land but they do so half-heartedly for

Okonkwos major passion, to become one of the lords of the clan, has been destroyed, and this

has broken Okonkwos spirits.

The isa-ifi ceremony, where Uchendus youngest son Amikwu, is to marry takes place. This is

the final ceremony of confession and the bride is made to sit in the middle of a big circle of

people and be asked questions about her virginity. This ceremony will determine whether she has

been faithful to her fianc' during their courtship. Only then can she become the wife of Amikwu.

The next day, Uchendu calls Okonkwo and his sons together and makes Okonkwo understand

that he has come to his mothers land for refuge, and that he cannot continue to be displeased

with his present circumstances nor should he sulk or despair about his fall from power. He tells

Okonkwo that if he denies the support of his motherland, then this will displease the dead. He

makes him realize that though man is considered the head of a family, it is the mother who is

supreme and therefore it is she who will give him renewed energy to start over again. He asks

Okonkwo to comfort his family and prepare them for their return to Umuofia in seven years. He

ends his talk by saying that worse things could have happened than being exiled to his

motherland for seven years.

CHAPTER 15

During Okonkwos second year of exile, Obierika comes to visit him, bringing with him two

young men carrying sacks of cowries. Okwonko takes him to meet his uncle and while they are

talking, Obierika tells them that the clan of Abame has been wiped out. The story follows that a

white man had come to their village on a bicycle, or what the villagers call an iron horse, and

although they had been frightened of him at first, they eventually tied his vehicle to the sacred

tree and killed him based on what the Oracle had said about white men who would destroy them.

After some months, more white men had come and after seeing the bicycle tied to the tree they

left. Months later, when the clan was at the market, white men with guns came and proceeded to

shoot all the villagers, except the old and the sick, who had fled. Now the village is deserted.

A discussion occurs between Uchendu and Okonkwo about the foolishness of killing a man who

has not said anything or whom they do not know. Although stories have circulated about the

white men and their kidnapping of people for slaves, they have never believed them, even though

Uchendu says, There is no story that is not true. A meal is then set for the guests, and before

leaving, Obierika gives Okonkwo the money from his yams that he has sold. He says he will

continue to do this until Okonkwo returns to the village or something drastic occurs.

CHAPTER 16

By the time Obierika pays his next visit two years later, the missionaries have already invaded

Umuofia, built their church and begun their task of converting the people to their religion. He

also tells Okonkwo that he has seen Nwoye among these people, but Okonkwo refuses to discuss

his sons whereabouts. After talking with Nwoyes mother, Obierika learns of how the

missionaries have converted many people in Mbanta also. One day six men arrived in Mbanta,

one of them white. The white man used an interpreter to preach to them about everyone being

brothers and sons of God and that they should worship the true god, not the false gods of wood

and stone. He also spoke about Jesu Kristi, the Son of God. The people of Mbanta were annoyed

by this and began to move away, but when the missionaries burst into song, they once more

became interested. Okonkwo had left the scene in disgust, but Nwoye had been struck by these

talks and started mingling with them.

CHAPTER 17

The missionaries remain in Mbanta for a few days as they want to speak to the titled men. They

ask for a plot of land to build their church, and are given a portion of the Evil Forest, the

dumping ground for the potent fetishes of great medicine-men when they died.

The missionaries begin building a church on that land and the people consider the missionaries to

be fools as they have accepted the cursed land. But much to their surprise they build their Church

without any difficulty and thrive in the Evil Forest, attracting new converts daily. Nwoye, at first,

dares not go too close to them as he is afraid of his fathers wrath but as the converts grow he

gains more and more confidence. The missionaries are successful in converting a handful of

people to Christianity, among them is a pregnant woman called Nneka. Since she had been only

bearing twins, that have all been destroyed, her family is not too upset about her joining the

missionaries. Finally Nwoye is spotted among them, and Okonkwo is very angry with him. He

ends up beating the truth out of him and is stopped by Uchendu. Nwoye leaves and never returns.

Okonkwo is furious and then realizes that he is not worth getting angry over as Nwoye was too

womanly and foolish. He wonders how many other sons he will lose to this new religion.

CHAPTER 18

The church continues to carry on its activities and even begin rescuing the twins from the forest.

Eventually rumors begin to circulate that the church has set up its own government. Although the

two communities have remained separated from one another for a while, now several converts

come into the village and threaten that they will burn the shrines of false gods. Several clan

members beat the converts and then a long period of silence occurs between them while the clan

ignores their activities.

However, a problem arises when the outcasts or the osu of the village begin entering the church,

seeing that the new religion welcomes twins. These outcasts live in the Evil Forest and cannot

marry a free person or cut their hair. When the other converts raise a hue and cry about their

appearance at the church, Mr.Kiaga explains that nobody is a slave before God, and that all men

are created free and equal. Some converts wish to go back to their clan, but Mr.Kiaga is firm and

the converts accept this tolerant doctrine. The outcasts are also accepted.

A year later when one of the outcasts is rumored to have killed the royal python, the most

revered animal in Mbanta, an assembly is formed to decide the course of action. In the end they

decide to ostracize the Christians. The Christian community, which has now become a large

group, are considered outlawed and are debarred from entering the market or collecting water.

Okoli denies that he has killed this sacred animal and Mr.Kiaga tries to solve the problem, but by

the end of the day, Okoli has died. The villagers believe that the Gods have taken their revenge

and therefore they do not have any reason left for harassing the Christians.

CHAPTER 1

Finally, seven years are coming to a close and Okonkwo feels that these years of his life have

been wasted although he has achieved a good status in his mothers land. He realizes how

powerful he would be in Umuofian society by now if he had stayed there. In Okonkwos last year

of exile, he sends money to Obierika to build two huts in his compound. His own obi he will

build himself.

He commands his wives to prepare a huge feast as a token of gratitude towards the people of his

motherland. Okonkwo thanks the people for allowing him to remain there during his period of

exile. Uchendu thanks Okonkwo for the feast and then the oldest member of the clan addresses

the crowd, especially the younger members who are most vulnerable to the new religion taking

hold. He reveals his distress at the breaking down of their culture and the infiltration of

Christianity. He fears that the clan will not survive in the future.

CHAPTER 0

Okonkwo realizes that in the seven years he has been gone, he has lost his place among the nine

masked spirits who administer justice and has also lost the opportunities to take up titles for

himself. But he is determined to plan his return with a lot of fanfare and to make up for his lost

time. He has even planned to initiate his sons into the ozo society. During his period of exile, his

land in Umuofia has prospered and his daughter, Ezinma has grown into a beautiful young

woman. She has refused various proposals of marriage in Mbanta as she knows that her father

wants her to marry in Umuofia. Okonkwos only tragedy has been his first son, Nwoye.

Yet on his return, Okonkwo realizes that Umuofia has now changed. The church has completely

established itself and even worthy men, like Ogbuefi Ugonna, a man with two titles, have joined

it. He has even received Holy Communion, the first clansman to do so. The church has also

established a government where a court has been built and cases are judged. They use local

inhabitants to be court messengers, people who do the dirty work of the government such as

arresting offenders and punishing them. A prison has also been built where those who break the

white mans rules are sent and where one man has been hanged because he murdered another

clansman in a land dispute. Okonkwo is appalled by these changes, and wonders how Umuofia

could have let these changes occur, especially when these people do not even speak the Igbo

language nor listen to reason. Oberieka says that any violence would pit clansman against

clansman and therefore they have allowed the church to gain power.

CHAPTER 1

Along with his religion and government, the white man has also brought about some economic

changes. A trading store has been built and there has been much exportation of palm-oil and

palm-nut kernel. Money flows freely in Umuofia. This attracts many of the Igbo and quells their

resistance to the European influence.

Mr.Brown, a white missionary, is the only person who makes the effort to understand the Igbo

form of worship. He requests the members of the Church not to degrade those individuals who

still want to hang on to their old ways even though he tries to convince the people to send their

children to his school. Eventually people of all ages begin to attend his school. Among them is

the son of Akunna, one of the great men of the village. Akunna and Mr.Brown often meet, and

exchange views on their beliefs. Heavy work eventually takes its toll on Mr. Browns health and

he is forced to return home. Before leaving he goes to Okonkwos home to tell him that his son

Nwoye, who is now Issac, has gone to a teaching school in a distant town. Okonkwo however is

very angry and throws him out of his house.

Okonkwos return is not as memorable as he had envisaged, because too many things have

changed in his village. Okonkwo mourns for his clan, which he saw breaking up and falling

apart. This phrase is another reference to the title of the book.

CHAPTER

After Mr. Browns departure, the arrival of his successor, Reverend James Smith, is marked by

his rigid adherence to Christian doctrine and his intolerance of Igbo culture. He does not believe

in compromise or accommodation, and supenda a woman whose husband mutilated her dead

child, thinking it an ogbanje. His fanaticism leads to a great conflict between the church and the

clan in Umuofia during a sacred ceremony to honor the Goddess of the Earth.

On this occasion, Enoch, who is a very zealous convert, dares the egwugwu to touch a Christian.

Although the egwugwu have tried to avoid the Christians, this comment makes one of them

strike Enoch with his cane. Enoch is very angry and tears off the egwugwus mask. This is

considered to be a great crime as it is believed that the spirit is killed by the unmasking. The next

day, the egwugwu from all the villages assemble to discuss what needs to be done. They then go

to Enochs compound and burn it. Enoch takes shelter in the church and the leader of the

egwugwu gets into an argument with Mr. Smith who tries to stop them from entering the church.

The egwugwu assure Mr. Smith that no harm will come to him but they will destroy the church

that has been the cause of so many problems. Ignoring Mr.Browns request to stop, they proceed

to destroy the church, leaving behind only a pile of earth and ashes.

CHAPTER

Now Okonkwo is happy because he feels that his clan has come together again and believes that

things will soon return to normal. Even though no one was killed, Okonkwo believes that

Umuofia acted in a manner commensurate to their former selves. They acted like warriors.

Two days later, the District Commissioner returns from his trip abroad and meets with Mr.

Smith. After hearing his version of the calamity, he calls the leaders of the clan for a meeting and

asks them to explain their side of the story to him and to twelve other government officials.

Before anything could be said, the leaders are handcuffed and taken to prison where their heads

are shaved. They are made to sit in silence for two days without any kind of food, water and

toilet facilities. On the third day, they finally discuss among themselves whether or not to pay the

fine. A guard hears them and beats them all with a stick.

A fine of two hundred and fifty bags of cowries is demanded for their release. Fearing the kind

of destruction that occurred in Abame, the villagers decide to collect the money to pay the white

men for the release of their leaders.

CHAPTER 4

Okonkwo and his fellow prisoners are finally released and they return home. They are angry and

do not speak to anybody they meet. That night a crier announces a meeting the next morning and

Okonkwo brings out his warrior dress, vowing to take vengeance himself if the clan does not. He

lies awake the whole night thinking of his revenge.

The next day a meeting is called. People come from villages far away. Okonkwo is ready to

defend his use of violence despite what other elders may say. He is tired of making concessions

and being exploited. The first person to speak is Okika who incites the crowd and relays to the

people the heinous crimes committed by the white men, in the name of God. He makes gestures

towards taking action and talks of rooting out the evil. At that moment, five court messengers are

seen approaching the meeting. One steps forward and says that the white man has ordered this

meeting stopped. Okonkwo immediately removes his machete and beheads the messenger in

charge. Nobody tries to stop the other messengers from escaping. Seeing this kind of fear among

the people, Okonkwo is very disappointed and walks away realizing that his clansmen will never

go to war.

CHAPTER 5

On arriving at Okonkwos house after hearing of the murder of the one of his men, the District

Commissioner finds a band of men waiting for him. On questioning them about Okonkwo, he

gets an elliptical comment from Obierika who then leads him to the back of Okonkwos

compound, where the body of Okonkwo hangs from a tree. The villagers had not taken his body,

because according to their custom, it is wrong for a man to take his own life, and tPlease note that this sample paper on THINGS FALL APART is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on THINGS FALL APART, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on THINGS FALL APART will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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