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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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