Things-Fall-Apart-Book

THINGS FALL APART STUDY GUIDE The story of Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart takes place in the Nigerian village of Umuofia in the late 1880s, before missionaries and other outsiders have arrived. The Ibo clan practices common tribal traditions—worship of gods, sacrifice, communal living, war, and magic. Leadership is based on a man's personal worth and his contribution to the good of the tribe. Okonkwo stands out as a great leader of the Ibo tribe. Tribesmen respect Okonkwo for his many achievements. Even though the tribe reveres Okonkwo, he must be punished for his accidental shooting of a young tribesman. The Ibo ban Okonkwo from the clan for seven years. Upon his return to the village, Okonkwo finds a tribe divided by the influence of missionaries and English bureaucrats who have interrupted the routine of tradition. Only when Okonkwo commits the ultimate sin against the tribe does the tribe come back together to honor custom. Critics appreciate Achebe's development of the conflict that arises when tradition clashes with change. He uses his characters and their unique language to portray the double tragedies that occur in the story. Readers identify not only with Okonkwo and his personal hardships but also with the Ibo culture and its disintegration. Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart not for his fellow Nigerians, but for people beyond his native country. He wanted to explain the truth about the effects of losing one's culture. Published in 1958, the book was not widely read by Nigerians or by Africans in general. When Nigeria became independent in 1960, however, Africans appreciated the novel for its important contribution to Nigerian history. The Life and Work of Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe is one of Africa’s most influential writers. Things Fall Apart, Achebe’s first novel, was published in 1958, just before Nigeria gained independence. The title of the novel echoes W. B. Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming,” which describes history as a succession of gyres, or spirals. Achebe applies the image to Africa as the nineteenth century traditional world of the Igbo people gives way to the colonial forces of the twentieth century. Things Fall Apart is based upon Achebe’s life experience. Born in 1930, Chinua Achebe spent his early childhood in Ogidi, Nigeria, a large village near the famous marketplace of Onitsha. Achebe was a child of both the traditional Igbo world and the colonial Christian world, because his father, Isaiah Achebe, worked as a catechist for the Church Missionary Society. Although Achebe spoke Igbo at home, he studied English in school. At the age of 14, he advanced to the prestigious Government College in Umuahia. In 1948, Achebe was awarded a scholarship to study medicine at the University College in Ibadan. However, he soon refocused his program on literature, religion, and history. Achebe was repelled by the fundamental racism of colonial classics such as Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Joyce Cary’s Mister Johnson. These novels depicted a savage Africa that was humanized only through European colonialism. In reaction, Achebe expanded his own understanding of the Igbo world with a study of oral accounts and written colonial records; he also published his first essays, editorials, and short stories as the student editor of the University Herald. After graduation, Achebe taught for a brief period. In 1954, he took a position with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, and from 1961–1966, he served as the director of external broadcasting. As Nigeria moved toward independence, Achebe’s radio programs helped shape a national identity. During this time, Achebe also wrote his first four novels and became the founding editor of Heinemann Publisher’s “African Writers Series.” Things Fall Apart was followed by No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), and A Man of the People (1966). In 1967, Achebe supported Biafra’s secession from Nigeria and left broadcasting to pursue research at the University of Nigeria. His reflections about the civil war were published as Beware Soul Brother and Other Poems (1971) and Girls at War and Other Stories (1972). His essays were published as Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975); The Trouble with Nigeria (1983); and Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays, 1965–87 (1988). His essays have had a great influence on contemporary thought about Africa and African literature. For example, “The Novelist as Teacher” explains the role of the writer in Africa, and “The African Writer and the English Language” explains Achebe’s use of language. These essays are among his most often quoted essays, and they are included in Morning Yet on Creation Day. Achebe also coedited Don’t Let Him Die: An Anthology of Memorial Poems for Christopher Okigbo (1978), and founded Okike: An African Journal of New Writing. Achebe has also written several children’s books, including Chike and the River (1966), The Drum (1977), and The Flute (1977). He has also edited African Short Stories (1982) and The Heinemann Book of Contemporary African Stories (1992). Finally, Achebe published his fifth novel, Anthills of the Savannah, in 1987. In addition to his research and writing, over the past 20 years Chinua Achebe has worked as a professor of literature, the director of African Studies, and a pro vice chancellor at the University of Nigeria. He has also served as a distinguished visiting professor of literature at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Connecticut, City College of New York, and Bard College. Achebe has lectured extensively throughout Africa and the United States, and he has received numerous awards, including the Nigerian National Merit Award. Chinua Achebe has influenced many African writers through his writing and his work as the chairperson of the Society of Nigerian Authors. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A distinctive culture known as Igbo (or Ibo) evolved in West Africa about 5,000 years ago. In the traditional worldview, the Creator God Chukwu was a remote masculine force who taught the people to survive through the cultivation of yams. The yam stood as an indicator of wealth and a type of currency. The masculine Chukwu was balanced by the Earth goddess Ani, or Mother Nature. The feminine Ani was closer to humankind than Chukwu, for she functioned as the goddess of fertility and the judge of morality. These great masculine and feminine creative forces were augmented by localized deities, spirits, and oracles that were institutionalized by various Igbo communities. Each oracle spoke through a priest or priestess and served as a medium through which the divine was understood. The Igbo further personified the power of God in the concept of the chi. The chi was the personalized god force or invisible power of fate that guided each individual through life. It was the finely tuned chi that simultaneously controlled a person’s fortunes yet allowed the individual freedom to work creatively toward success or failure. Political organizations and beliefs differed among the various groups of Igbo people. Historically, many Igbo villages were representative democracies bound to a group of villages by the decisions of a general assembly. The local life of each village was shaped by age grade associations, title making societies, work associations, religious fraternities, and secret societies. Men and women attempted to achieve prestige and status by accumulating wealth, which was used to purchase titles. Title holding leaders influenced the village assembly, came to decisions through consensus, made new laws, and administered justice. Early on, the Igbo people developed relationships with European traders and missionaries. In 1472, the Portuguese arrived in Igboland in an attempt to discover a sea route to India; in 1508, the Portuguese transported the first West African slaves to the West Indies. The slave trade flourished for three centuries; however, the Igbo also traded copper rods, iron bars, and cowrie shells with the Portuguese and the Dutch over the next two centuries. The slave trade was abolished in 1807, and the Igbo began to trade palm oil with the British. The Anglican Church Missionary Society established a mission in Onitsha in 1857; later the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Fathers and Society of African Missions set up stations east and west of the Niger River. Friendly relations with Britain crumbled after 1875. Although Igboland had functioned as a British trade colony for decades, it was not formally declared a British Protectorate until 1900. In order to “pacify” Eastern Nigeria, the British destroyed much of Igboland and launched extensive military expeditions in 1914. Despite resistance, by 1928 Igbo men were forced to pay taxes, and British colonialism took hold. During the colonial era, British officials sought to govern hundreds of decentralized Igbo villages clustered in various political constructs through a system of indirect rule. Igbo institutions were replaced with a native court system that was administered by appointed warrant chiefs, district officers, court clerks, and messengers who held no traditional status in the village. The Igbo resisted the corruption of the native court system, the destruction of indigenous political life, and increased taxation. The resistance culminated in the Women’s War of 1929–1930. Women throughout Nigeria demanded social reforms, respect for Igbo customs, and women’s rights. In the final analysis, their action forced the British to restructure Eastern Nigeria to comply more closely with traditional village organization. In 1952, a regional government was set up which paved the way for independence. After decades of resistance, Nigeria finally gained independence from Britain in 1960. However, the new nation contained many ethnic groups, including the Hausa and the Yoruba people. The eastern region of Nigeria was inhabited by the Igbo. This area, which was later known as Biafra, unsuccessfully sought independence from Nigeria during the devastating civil war of 1966–1969. Things Fall Apart depicts the tensions within traditional Igbo society at the end of the nineteenth century and the cataclysmic changes introduced by colonialism and Christianity in the twentieth century. Chinua Achebe writes in English; however, in order to recreate the cultural milieu of the Igbo people, he “Africanizes” the language of the novel. Specific Igbo words and complicated names are used freely. Profound philosophical concepts such as chi and ogbanje are explained in the text or glossary and are fundamental to the story. The use of idioms and proverbs also clarifies the conflict, expresses different points of view, and instructs the characters as well as the reader. Things Fall Apart has been translated into 30 languages and has sold 8 million copies. The novel is internationally acclaimed, has become a classic of African literature, and has served as a seminal text for postcolonial literature around the world. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Tribal Society Things Fall Apart was published in 1958 just prior to Nigerian independence, but it depicts pre-colonial Africa. Achebe felt it was important to portray Nigerians as they really were—not just provide a shallow description of them as other authors had. The story takes place in the typical tribal village of Umuofia, where the inhabitants (whom Achebe calls the Ibo, but who are also known as the Igbo) practice rituals common to their native traditions. The Ibo worshipped gods who protect, advise, and chastise them and who are represented by priests and priestesses within the clan. For example, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves grants knowledge and wisdom to those who are brave enough to consult him. No one has ever seen the Oracle except his priestess, who is an Ibo woman who has special powers of her own. Not only did the gods advise the Ibo on community matters, but also they guided individuals. Each person had a personal god, or chi, (Jiat directed his or her actions. A strong chi meant a strong person; people with weak chis were pitied. Each man kept a separate hut, or shrine, where he stored the symbols of his personal god and his ancestral spirits. A hunting and gathering society, the Ibo existed on vegetables, with yams as the primary crop. Yams were so important to them that the Ibo celebrated each new year with the Feast of the New Yam. This festival thanked Ani, the earth goddess and source of all fertility. The Ibo prepared for days for the festival, and the celebration itself lasted for two days. Yams also played a part in determining a man's status in the tribe—the more yams a man has, the higher his status. Trade with other villages was facilitated by small seashells called cowries which were used as a form of currency. Within the village, people were grouped according to families, with the eldest man in the family having the most power. On matters affecting the whole village, an assembly of adult men debated courses of action, and men could influence these assemblies by purchasing "titles" from the tribal elders. This system encouraged hard work and the spread of wealth. People who transgressed against the laws and customs of the village had to confront the egwugwu, an assembly of tribesmen masked as spirits, who would settle disputes and hand out punishment. Individual villages also attained various degrees of political status. In the novel, other tribes respect and fear Umuofia. They believe that Umuofia's magic is powerful and that the village's war-medicine, or agadi-nwayi, is particularly potent. Neighboring clans always try to settle disputes peacefully with Umuofia to avoid having to war with them. Christianity and Colonization While Christianity spread across North and South Africa as early as the late fifteenth century, Christianity took its strongest hold when the majority of the missionaries arrived in the late 1800s. After centuries of taking slaves out of Africa, Britain had outlawed the slave trade and now saw the continent as ripe for colonization. Missionaries sent to convert the local population were often the first settlers. They believed they could atone for the horrors of slavery by saving the souls of Africans. At first, Africans were mistrustful of European Christians, and took advantage of the education the missionaries provided without converting. Individuals who had no power under the current tribal order, however, soon converted; in the novel, the missionaries who come to Umuofia convert only the weaker tribesmen, or efulefu. Missionaries would convince these tribesmen that their tribe worshipped false gods and that its false gods did not have the ability to punish them if they chose to join the mission. When the mission and its converts accepted even the outcasts of the clan, the missionaries' ranks grew. Eventually, some of the more important tribesmen would convert. As the mission expanded, the clan divided, discontent simmered, and conflicts arose. English Bureaucrats and Colonization After the arrival of the British, when conflicts came up between villages the white government would intervene instead of allowing villagers to settle them themselves. In the novel, a white District Commissioner brings with him court messengers whose duty it is to bring in people who break the white man's law. The messengers, called "Ashy-Buttocks" for the ash-colored shorts they wear, are hated for their high-handed attitudes. These messengers and interpreters were often African Christian converts who looked down on tribesmen who still followed traditional customs. If violence involved any white missionaries or bureaucrats, British soldiers would often slaughter whole villages instead of seeking and punishing guilty individuals. The British passed an ordinance in 1912 that legalized this practice, and during an uprising in 1915, British troops killed more than forty natives in retaliation for one dead and one wounded British soldier. One of the most important results of Europe's colonization of Africa was the division of Africa into at least fifty nation-states. Rather than being a part of a society determined by common language and livelihood, Africans lived according to political boundaries. The divisions often split ethnic groups, leading to tension and sometimes violence. The co-hesiveness of the traditional society was gone. Nigerian Independence British colonial rule in Nigeria lasted only fifty-seven years, from 1903 to 1960. Although Nigerians had long called for self-rule, it was not until the end of World War II that England began heeding these calls. The Richards Constitution of 1946 was the first attempt to grant some native rule by bringing the diverse peoples of Nigeria under one representative government. The three regions (northern, southern and western) were brought under the administration of one legislative council composed of twenty-eight Nigerians and seventeen British officers. Regional councils, however, guaranteed some independence from the national council and forged a link between local authorities, such as tribal chiefs, and the national government. There were three major tribes (the Hausa, the Yoruba and the Igbo) and more than eight smaller ones living in Nigeria. This diversity complicated the creation of a unified Nigeria. Between 1946 and 1960 the country went through several different constitutions, each one attempting to balance power between the regional and the national bodies of government. On October 1, 1960, Nigeria attained full status as a sovereign state and a member of the British Commonwealth. But under the Constitution of 1960 the Queen of England was still the head of state. She remained the commander-in-chief of Nigeria's armed forces, and the Nigerian navy operated as part of Britain's Royal Navy. Nigerians felt frustrated by the implication mat they were the subjects of a monarch living over 4,000 miles away. In 1963, five years after the publication of Achebe's novel, a new constitution would replace the British monarch with a Nigerian president as head of state in Nigeria. Literary Traditions Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart just before Nigeria received its independence. He intended the book for audiences outside Africa; he wanted to paint a true picture of precolonial Africa for those people who had no direct knowledge of traditional African societies. As a result of the Nigerians' acquisition of independence, the Nigerian educational system sought to encourage a national pride through the study of Nigerian heritage. The educational system required Achebe's book in high schools throughout the English-speaking countries in Africa. The book was well received. Chinua Achebe has been recognized as "the most original African novelist writing in English," according to Charles Larson in The Emergence of African Fiction. Critics throughout the world have praised Things Fall Apart as the first African English language classic. STYLE Tragedy Things Fall Apart chronicles the double tragedies of the deaths of Okonkwo, a revered warrior, and the Ibo, the tribe to which Okonkwo belongs. In literature, tragedy often describes the downfall of a great individual which is caused by a flaw in the person's character. Okonkwo's personal flaw is his unreasonable anger, and his tragedy occurs when the tribe bans him for accidentally killing a young tribesman, and he returns to find a tribe that has changed beyond recognition. The Ibo's public demise results from the destruction of one culture by another, but their tragedy is caused by their turning away from their tribal gods. Setting Things Fall Apart is set in Umuofia, a tribal village in the country of Nigeria, in Africa. It is the late 1800s, when English bureaucrats and missionaries are first arriving in the area. There is a long history of conflict between European colonists and the Africans they try to convert and subjegate. But by placing the novel at the beginning of this period Achebe can accentuate the clash of cultures that are just coming into contact. It also sets up a greater contrast between the time Okonkwo leaves the tribe and the time he returns, when his village is almost unrecognizable to him because of the changes brought by the English. Conflict In Things Fall Apart, the Ibo thrive in Umuofia, practicing ancient rituals and customs. When the white man arrives, however, he ignores the Ibo's values and tries to enforce his own beliefs, laws, and religious practices. Some of the weaker tribesmen join the white man's ranks, leaving gaps in the clan's united front. First, the deserters are impressed with the wealth the white man brings into Umuofia. Second, they find in the white man's religion an acceptance and brotherhood that has never been afforded them due to their lower status in the tribe. As men leave the tribe to become members of the white man's mission, the rift in the tribe widens. Social and psychological conflict abounds as brothers turn their backs on one another, and fathers and sons become strangers. Narration Achebe develops Things Fall Apart through a third-person narrative—using" "he" and "she" for exposition—rather than having the characters tell it themselves. Often speaking in the past tense, he also narrates the story with little use of character dialogue. The resulting story reads like an oral tale that has been passed down through generations of storytellers. Imagery While the characters in Things Fall Apart have little dialogue, the reader still has a clear image of them and is able to understand their motives. Achebe accomplishes this through his combination of the English language with Ibo vocabulary and proverbs. When the characters do talk, they share the rich proverbs that are "the palm-oil with which words are eaten." Achebe uses the proverbs not only to illustrate his characters but also to paint pictures of the society he is depicting, to reveal themes, and to develop conflict. Vivid images result, giving the reader a clear representation of people and events. Point of View Critics praise Achebe for his adept shifts in point of view in Things Fall Apart. Achebe begins the story from Okonkwo's point of view. Okonkwo's story helps the reader understand the Ibo's daily customs and rituals as well as celebrations for the main events in life: birth, marriage, and death. As the story progresses, however, it becomes more the clan's story than Okonkwo's personal story. The reader follows the clan's life, gradual disintegration, and death. The novel becomes one of situation rather than character; the reader begins to feel a certain sympathy for the tribe instead of the individual. The final shift occurs when Achebe ends the story from the District Commissioner's viewpoint While some critics feel that Achebe's ending lectures, others believe that it strengthens the conclusion for the reader. Some even view it as a form of functionalism, an African tradition of cultural instruction. Plot and Structure Divided into three parts, Things Fall Apart comprises many substories. Yet Achebe holds the various stories together through his use of proverbs, traditional oral tales, and leitmotif, or recurring images or phrases. Ibo proverbs occur throughout the book, providing a unity to the surface progression of the story For example, "when a man says yes, his chi says yes" is the proverb the tribe applies to Okonkwo's success, on the one hand, but is also the proverb Okonkwo, himself, applies to his failure. Traditional oral tales always contain a tale within the tale. Nwoye's mother is an expert at telling these tales—morals embedded in stories. The stories Achebe tells throughout Things Fall Apart are themselves tales within the tale. Leitmotif is the association of a repeated theme with a particular idea. Achebe connects masculinity with land, yams, titles, and wives. He repeatedly associates this view of masculinity with a certain stagnancy in Umuofia. While a traditional Western plot may not be evident in Things Fall Apart, a definite structure with an African flavor lends itself to the overall unity of the story. Foil Achebe uses foil—a type of contrast—to strengthen his primary characters in Things Fall Apart, illuminating their differences. The following pairs of characters serve as foils for each other: Okonkwo and Obierika, Ikemefuna and Nwoye, and Mr. Brown and the Reverend Smith. Okonkwo rarely thinks; he is a man of action. He follows the tribe's customs almost blindly and values its opinion of him over his own good sense. Obierika, on the other hand, ponders the things that happen to Okonkwo and his tribe. Obierika often makes his own decisions and wonders about the tribe's wisdom in some of its actions. Ikemefuna exemplifies the rising young tribesman A masculine youth, full of energy and personality, Ikemefuna participates in the manly activities expected of him. In contrast, Nwoye appears lazy and effeminate. He prefers listening to his mother's stories over making plans for war. He detests the sight of blood and abhors violence of any kind. Mr Brown speaks gently and restrains the overzealous members of his mission from overwhelming the clan. He seeks to win the people over by offering education and sincere faith. The Reverend Smith is the fire-and-bnmstone preacher who replaces Mr. Brown. He sees the world in black and white; either something is evil, or it is good. He thrives on his converts' zeal and encourages them to do whatever it takes to gain supporters for his cause. Master List of Major Characters Okonkwo—the protagonist; a strong, proud, hardworking Igbo Obierika—Okonkwo’s confidant; he refuses to participate in killing Ikemefuna Ikemefuna—a boy taken from Mbaino as a compensation for murder Ani—the Earth goddess who calls for Ikemefuna’s death Unoka—Okonkwo’s father; he loves to play the flute and appears to be lazy Nwoye—Okonkwo’s eldest son; he takes the Christian name Isaac Ekwefi—Okonkwo’s second wife; mother of Ezinma Ezinma—Ekwefi’s only daughter Agbala—Oracle of the Hills and Caves Chielo—Agbala’s priestess; she is a widow with two children Nwoye’s mother—Okonkwo’s first wife; she is very strong Ojiugo—Okonkwo’s youngest wife, who is beaten during the Week of Peace Uchendu—Okonkwo’s uncle; his mother’s brother and the elder in Mbanta Ezeudu (Ogbuefi Ezeudu)—an elder and a friend of Okonkwo Nwakibie—an important man in Umuofia; he helps Okonkwo begin his farm Ndulue—a respected elder who dies shortly before his beloved wife Ozoemena Ozoemena—Ndulue’s wife; she dies shortly after her husband Mr. Brown—a European missionary based in Umuofia Mr. Kiaga—an Igbo missionary in charge of the congregation in Mbanta Mr. Smith—a zealous, rigid missionary who takes over for Mr. Brown District Commissioner—the British official in charge of Igboland Enoch—a zealous Christian Okoli—a convert to Christianity who kills the sacred python and dies Chukwu—the supreme Creator God of the Igbo traditional religion Minor Characters Akueke—Obierika’s daughter; her marriage is negotiated Amalinze—called the Cat; a great wrestler who is thrown by Okonkwo Anene—Ekwefi’s first husband Chika—Agbala’s priestess during Unoka’s time Ezeani—the priest of the Earth goddess Ezeugo—a powerful orator Maduka—Obierika’s son; a great wrestler Obiageli—Nwoye’s sister Ogbuefi Udo—his wife is murdered by the people of Mbaino Okagbue—the medicine man who destroys Ezinma’s iyi-uwa Okeke—the interpreter for Mr. Smith Okoye—a neighbor who unsuccessfully tries to collect a debt from Unoka Osugo—a man without titles Glossary Note: The “o” in Igbo words is pronounced “aw” as in “awesome.”agadi-nwayi—an old woman agbala—a woman, the term is an insult to a man because it implies weakness Amadioha—the god of thunder and lightning bride-price—a dowry paid by the groom’s parents to the bride’s parents chi—the god-force within each person; an individual’s character, destiny, or fate cowries—shells used as money diala—a freeborn individual efulefu—a worthless man egwugwu—leaders dressed as masked spirits representing the ancestors ekwe—a wooden drum eneke-nti-oba—a bird eze-agadi-nwayi—an old woman’s teeth foo foo—a pounded yam dish harmattan—a dry wind from the north iba—a fever Iguedo—Okonkwo’s village ikenga—a wooden carving containing a man’s personal spirit ilo—the village playground or common where meetings are held inyanga—showing off; bragging isa-ifi—a ceremony determining a woman’s faithfulness to her fiancé after a long separation iyi-uwa—a sacred stone that links the ogbanje child with the spirit world jigida—a string of waist beads kite—a bird that arrives during the dry season kola nuts—nuts offered to guests as a symbol of hospitality kotma—a court man or court messenger kwenu—a greeting ndichie—the elders who meet in a judicial council nna ayi—our father nno—welcome nso-ani—a taboo or religious offense nza—a small bird obi—the living quarters of the head of a family obodo dike—the land of the brave ochu—murder or manslaughter ogbanje—a child who dies and returns to his/her mother’s womb to be reborn ogene—a gong osu—a person dedicated to a god; a slave and an outcast otu omu—a women’s council that controls the marketplace by imposing fines on anyone who disturbs the peace Oye—one of the four market days ozo—one of the titles a man could achieve palm wine—a fermented beverage made from palm tree sap tufia—a curse udu—a type of drum umuada—a gathering of daughters in a family umunna—the extended family Umuofia—Okonkwo’s clan, consisting of nine villages uri—part of a betrothal ceremony where the bride-price is paid CHINUA ACHEBE BIOGRAPHY Chinua Achebe is a world-renowned scholar recognized for his ability to write simply, yet eloquently, about life's universal qualilies. His writing weaves together history and fiction to produce a literary broadcloth that offers visions of people enduring real life. Critics appreciate his just and realistic treatment of his topics. Achebe writes primarily about his native Africa, where he was born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe in 1930. He grew up in Ogidi. Nigeria, one of the first centers of Anglican missionary work in Eastern Nigeria. His father and mother, Isaiah and Janet Achebe, were missionary teachers. Achebe's life as a Christian and member of the Ibo tribe enables him to create realistic depictions of both contemporary and pre-colonized Africa. He blends his knowledge of Western political ideologies and Christian doctrine with folklore, proverbs, and idioms from his native tribe to produce stories of African culture that are intimate and authentic. Achebe left the village of Ogidi to attend Government College in Umuahia. and later. University College in Ibadan. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from University College in 1953. He worked first for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as a writer and continued radio work in various capacities until 1966, when he resigned from his post as Director of External Broadcasting. Dissatisfied with the political climate that would later prompt the Biafran War, he began traveling abroad and lectured as the appointed Senior Research Fellow for the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Continuing his teaching career, Achebe accepted a position with the University of Massachusetts. Amherst, in 1972. He was a visiting Professor of English at that institution until 1976 and again in 1987-1988. He also spent a year as a visiting professor at the University of Connecticut. In the intervening years. Achebe returned to his native country to teach at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Achebe has written extensively throughout his adult life. His numerous articles, novels, short stories, essays, and children's books have earned prestigious awards. For example, his book of poetry Christmas in Biafra was a winner of the first Commonwealth Poetry Prize. His novels Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah won, respectively, the New Statesman-Jock Campbell Award and finalist for the 1987 Booker Prize in England. Achebe continues to write and participate in scholarly activities throughout the world, while making his home in Annandale, New York, with his wife, Christie. They have four children and teach at Bard College. THINGS FALL APART SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS CHAPTER 1 New Characters: Okonkwo: famous in the nine villages of Umuofia for his personal achievements Amalinze: the Cat; the greatest wrestler in Umuofia Unoka: Okonkwo’s father; he is a lazy debtor Okoye: Unoka’s neighbor who attempts to collect a debt Ikemefuna: a young boy who is given to Umuofia by a rival village Summary Okonkwo is a man of great personal achievements. After he threw the great wrestler Amalinze the Cat, at the age of 18, his fame spread. He is a wealthy farmer with three wives, many children, two barns full of yams, and two titles. He has also proven his prowess in two intertribal wars. Because he is so well respected, Okonkwo is chosen to adopt the ill-fated lad Ikemefuna, who is given to the community of Umuofia by the village of Mbaino in order to avoid war and bloodshed. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, loves to drink palm wine and play the flute. He is poor, and his wife and children barely have food to eat. Unoka never repays his loans, and the people laugh at him. When Unoka dies, he holds no title, and he is heavily in debt. Okonkwo is ashamed of him. Unoka welcomes his neighbor Okoye by breaking open the kola nut, which is a symbol of hospitality. The men talk about the rains, the upcoming feasts, and the impending wars. Okoye reminds Unoka that he will soon take the Idemili title, which is the third highest title in the land. This is an expensive ceremony. Okoye speaks indirectly through proverbs and then finally asks Unoka to return the 200 cowries he borrowed more than two years ago. Unoka bursts out laughing and tells Okoye that the walls of his house are covered with strokes marking debts of 100 cowries he owes to various people in the community. Unoka tells Okoye that he will pay him someday but that he will pay his big debts first. Analysis Okonkwo is famous because of his “solid personal achievements.” (p. 3) This statement is central to understanding the protagonist. Okonkwo believes he is clearly cut out for great things, for “As the elders said, if a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings.” (p. 6) Okonkwo strives to succeed in the traditional Igbo world, and he stands in stark contrast to Unoka, his poor, lazy father. Okonkwo is afraid of failing and appearing weak like his father. He disdains feminine activities such as playing the flute, and he gravitates to the masculine energy in Igbo society by amassing material wealth in yams. Both Okonkwo and Unoka stand in contrast to Okoye. Okoye is also a musician who plays an instrument called the ogene, or a gong. However, Okoye is not a failure like Unoka. He owns a large barn full of yams; he has three wives; and he is preparing to take the expensive Idemili title. This title will allow him to participate more fully in political matters of the community. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo attempts to succeed; however, unlike Okoye, he never achieves the balance between the feminine and masculine energies. The first chapter involves the reader in Achebe’s “Africanized” English. Musical instruments such as the ekwe, udu, and the ogene are introduced. The reader can decipher the meaning of the Igbo words by using context clues. Other Igbo words such as egwugwu represent concepts that the Western reader cannot understand through the context alone. The Igbo terms and concepts are defined in the novel’s glossary. The reader is also introduced to several proverbs, for “Among the Igbo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.” (p. 5) A careful reading of the Igbo words and concepts as well as the many Igbo proverbs sprinkled throughout the text provide an in-depth understanding of the novel. Finally, the Igbo culture and the main character are introduced in contrast to Unoka, who chooses to be an individual or an agbala by following feminine energy. The litany of Okonkwo’s achievements sets up the opposition between father and son and introduces a narrative and a culture defined by duality. CHAPTER 2 New Characters: Ogbuefi Ezeugo: a powerful orator who accuses Mbaino of murder Ogbuefi Udo: a man of Umuofia; his wife is murdered by the people of Mbaino Nwoye: Okonkwo’s 12-year-old son, who appears to be lazy Summary The ogene, a kind of gong, pierces the night in Umuofia. Umuofia is a community of nine Igbo villages related to one another in political matters. Every man is called to meet at the marketplace where Ogbuefi Ezeugo, a powerful orator, shouts the greeting “Umuofia kwenu,” and 10,000 men respond “Yaa.” In anger he explains that the wife of Ogbuefi Udo has been murdered in Mbaino, a rival village. An ultimatum is given to the people of Mbaino. They may choose war, or offer a young man and a young virgin to Umuofia as compensation for the murdered woman. Umuofia is feared by its neighbors, and Okonkwo is sent to Mbaino as an emissary of war. He returns with a young girl and a 15-year-old boy named Ikemefuna. The elders, or the ndichie, decide the girl should replace Ogbuefi Udo’s murdered wife. Ikemefuna, however, belongs to the clan. Because Okonkwo is a prosperous village leader, he is asked to look after Ikemefuna. The boy is terrified as he is handed over to Okonkwo’s senior wife. Okonkwo works on his farm from morning until night, and he rarely feels fatigued. He rules his household with a heavy hand. However, Okonkwo’s three wives and eight children are not as strong, and they suffer. Okonkwo constantly nags and beats Nwoye, his 12-year-old son, because he appears to be lazy. Therefore, Nwoye is developing into a sad-faced youth. Analysis Okonkwo is depicted as a prosperous and warlike man. Okonkwo’s homestead, or compound, illustrates his prosperity. His own living area is called an obi, and his three wives have separate houses behind the obi. The compound includes a barn with large stocks of yams, or sweet potatoes. There is also a shrine where Okonkwo keeps the symbols of his personal god and ancestral spirits. He has captured numerous human heads throughout the wars of Umuofia. Okonkwo displays his warlike nature on important occasions like funerals by drinking his palm wine from the first human head he captured in battle. Okonkwo also plays an active role in village politics. He serves as the emissary to Mbaino because he is so well respected. Although Okonkwo appears to rule his family with an iron fist, his life is controlled by a deep-seated fear of failure; fear is also his motivation for working so hard. Okonkwo is afraid he will resemble his father, who did not earn any titles and died a miserable debtor. Okonkwo is also fearful that his eldest son, Nwoye, will be lazy like his grandfather, Unoka. Therefore, the character of Okonkwo is developed not only in contrast with Unoka, his father, but also in contrast with Nwoye, his son. CHAPTER 3 New Characters: Agbala: Oracle of the Hills and Caves; a kind of god Chika: the priestess to Agbala in Unoka’s time Ani: the Earth goddess; the owner of the land Ifejioku: the god of yams Nwakibie: a successful man who has taken all the titles except one in the clan Anasi: one of Nwakibie’s wives Ogbuefi Idigo: a villager at Nwakibie’s homestead Obiako: a palm-wine tapper who suddenly gives up his work Akukalia: a villager at Nwakibie’s homestead Igwelo: Nwakibie’s elder son Summary People like Unoka consult Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, during times of misfortune. Chika, Agbala’s priestess, tells Unoka his harvest depends upon hard work. Unoka sows yams on exhausted farms, and he does not work like a man. Unoka has a weak chi, or personal god. He is ill-fated, and evil fortune follows him. Therefore, Okonkwo does not inherit a barn, a title, or a young wife from his father. Okonkwo works for Nwakibie, a highly successful man with nine wives and 30 children, who has taken all the titles in the clan except one. Okonkwo meets with Igbo men named Idigo, Akukalia, and Igwelo at Nwakibie’s obi. They drink from a pot of palm wine and discuss village affairs. The men speak in riddles and proverbs rich in meaning. Finally, Okonkwo explains he has cleared a farm, but he has no yams to plant. He says he is not afraid of hard work. Nwakibie has refused similar requests because young farmers often neglect the yam saplings. He says, “Eneke the bird says that since men have learnt to shoot without missing, he has learnt to fly without perching.” (p. 16) Like Eneke the bird, Nwakibie has learned from experience. However, Nwakibie is impressed with Okonkwo and gives him 800 yams. Okonkwo receives an additional 400 yams from one of his father’s friends in Isiuzo. That year Okonkwo sows the 400 yam seeds he has saved from his previous harvest. However, a severe drought burns the yams. When the rains return, Okonkwo plants the rest of his seed-yams. After the drought, rain pounds the earth. The harvest is like a sad funeral, and farmers weep as they dig up the rotting yams. One man hangs himself from a tree in desperation. Okonkwo remembers that tragic year the rest of his life. Unoka tells him that a proud heart can survive a general failure. As Unoka grows old and sick, his love of talk increases. It tries Okonkwo’s patience. Analysis The religious concepts of the Oracle and the chi are introduced in this chapter. The Oracle straddles the religious and mundane worlds of the Igbo people and functions as a center of divination. The Oracle explains events and offers advice. Unoka is an example of an individual who consults an oracle. The chi is the personal god-force, the fate, or the destiny of an individual. A person’s fortunes in life are more or less controlled by the chi. An individual’s chi may be malicious or benevolent. A person with a good chi is successful. A person with a bad chi will achieve success only by working very hard. Unoka is a failure according to Igbo norms. He has a weak chi, or poor character. By using the term chi throughout the novel, Achebe retains the unique Igbo sense of this religious concept. The yam is also introduced as the king of crops—a man’s crop. It stands as an indication of wealth and a type of currency in Igbo society. The masculine yam is contrasted with the women’s crops, which include cocoyams, beans, and cassava. Nwakibie, a prosperous Igbo farmer with a huge store of yams, is held up as an ideal Igbo. He has acquired much wealth and many titles. Men like Nwakibie play an important role in the community by helping younger men start farms through sharecropping. Okonkwo strives to become like Nwakibie, but due to the drought, his harvest is a failure. He survives the difficult year only because of his iron, inflexible will. Unoka’s reminder that individual failure is more bitter than the general failure of the community may serve as a curse on Okonkwo. CHAPTER 4 New Characters: Osugo: a man who has taken no titles Ojiugo: Okonkwo’s youngest wife Ezeani: Ani’s priest Ogbuefi Ezeudu: oldest man in the village Nwayieke: old woman who lives near the udala tree Summary Okonkwo is successful because he works hard. However, he is rude to unsuccessful men. For example, he calls Osugo a woman because he has not taken any titles. Okonkwo continues to rule his family with an iron hand. Ikemefuna, the hostage from Mbaino, has stayed with Okonkwo for three years. Nwoye’s mother, Okonkwo’s first wife, is kind to the boy and treats him as one of her own children. Ikemefuna gradually overcomes his fear and becomes inseparable from Nwoye. Okonkwo is fond of Ikemefuna, and the boy calls him father. The ancestors know that crops will not grow without the blessing of Ani, the Great Earth Goddess. Therefore, before planting their crops, the Igbo observe a week in which no one says a harsh word and no work is done. During the Week of Peace, Ojiugo, Okonkwo’s youngest wife, provokes him to a fiery rage. Ojiugo visits a friend who braids her hair; she does not return to cook the afternoon meal. Okonkwo forgets it is the Week of Peace and beats her. Ezeani, Ani’s priest, tells Okonkwo that he has committed a great evil. Ojiugo is wrong, but Okonkwo is wrong too. The crime he has committed could ruin the whole clan. Okonkwo has insulted the Earth goddess, and she could refuse to provide food. Ezeani commands Okonkwo to bring one female goat, one hen, a length of cloth, and 100 cowries to Ani. Okonkwo complies. Although Okonkwo is inwardly repentant, he will not admit his crime in public. The people say he has no respect for the clan, the gods, and the ancestors. Throughout the week the people talk about the nso-ani, or the crime that Okonkwo has committed. Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the oldest man in the village, says that the punishment for breaking the Week of Peace has become very mild. After the Week of Peace, the people clear the bush to make new farms. Kites, or birds, appear from different directions. The people cultivate yams, which are a symbol of manliness and the king of the crops. The young plants are protected from the heat with rings of sisal leaves. When the heavier rains arrive, women plant maize, melons, and beans between the mounds of yams. The women weed the farms three times. When Nwoye and Ikemefuna try to prepare seed-yams, Okonkwo finds fault with their efforts and threatens them. Okonkwo particularly wants his eldest son, Nwoye, to be a great farmer and a great man. Analysis In Achebe’s portrait of the Igbo people, daily life is controlled by religious forces. Although Okonkwo’s chi may not be destined for greatness, his chi says “yes” to success because Okonkwo works so hard. The clan of Umuofia judges Okonkwo by the work of his hands; however, they also condemn Okonkwo’s disrespect toward others. The powerful Earth goddess, Ani, is a feminine force representing the spirit of fertility. As an agrarian society, the people of Umuofia depend upon their relationship with the Earth goddess. Yet, Okonkwo shows no fear of Ani. He commits a serious crime by beating his wife during the Week of Peace. This act reveals Okonkwo’s impulsive and violent nature. His failure to observe the traditional peace is a foreshadowing of his failure to succeed in the traditional world in spite of his personal achievements. Okonkwo does not respect the feminine energy in the Igbo world, and he does not respect his wife. Although Okonkwo regrets his crime and makes amends, he cannot admit his mistake publicly because he is afraid of appearing weak like his father. Okonkwo loses the balance of the masculine and feminine energies and is overcome by irrational, violent anger. He is also unable to show his affection for his adopted son, Ikemefuna, or his eldest son, Nwoye. In his desire to be strong and successful, Okonkwo is harsh to both Nwoye and Ikemefuna. He continues to stamp out the laziness he detects in Nwoye. Although Ikemefuna is beginning to feel comfortable in Okonkwo’s homestead, he is identified as a sacrificial offering. The author clearly refers to the boy as a doomed, ill-fated lad given to Umuofia to atone for murder. CHAPTER 5 New Characters: Ekwefi: Okonkwo’s second wife Ezinma: Okonkwo’s daughter of his second wife; Ekwefi’s only daughter Obiageli: Okonkwo’s daughter of his first wife; Nwoye’s sister Nkechi: Okonkwo’s daughter of his third wife Summary The Feast of the New Yam is a big event. It is held every year before the harvest to honor the ancestral spirits and Ani. Ani is the most important deity in Igbo cosmology because she is the source of all fertility. In addition to playing an active role in the daily lives of the people, she judges morality and conduct. Okonkwo is edgy as his family prepares for the feast because he would rather be working in the farm. He accuses Ekwefi, his second wife, of killing a banana tree. He beats Ekwefi and leaves her crying with Ezinma, her only daughter. The beating serves as an outlet for Okonkwo’s anger. Okonkwo picks up his rusty gun, and Ekwefi mutters something about guns that never shoot. Okonkwo hears the remark and pulls the trigger. His shot misses Ekwefi. Although the incident is upsetting, it does not dampen the spirit of the festival. The relatives of Okonkwo’s wives arrive for the first day of feasting. Wrestling matches between villages are held on the second day of the New Yam Festival. Ekwefi loves wrestling matches. Years ago, when she was the village beauty, Okonkwo won her heart by throwing the Cat in a wrestling match. Then, she ran away from her first husband to live with Okonkwo. Since then, Ekwefi has suffered much; she only has one daughter, whose name is Ezinma. Obiageli, the daughter of Okonkwo’s first wife, has been making inyanga, and she is showing off with her pot. She balances it on her head, folds her arms in front of her, and begins to sway like one of the women. When she breaks her pot, she laughs. However, as she gets closer to the homestead, Obiageli begins to cry. Ikemefuna signals the other children not to tattle on Obiageli. The drums announce the wrestling matches and fill the air with excitement. Ezinma takes her father a dish to eat in his obi. Okonkwo is eating his first wife’s meal. Obiageli sits waiting for her mother’s empty bowl. Ezinma places her mother’s dish before him and sits with Obiageli. Okonkwo is especially fond of Ezinma because she is a beauty like her mother. However, he only shows his fondness on rare occasions. Ezinma asks to carry her father’s chair to the wrestling match. Okonkwo refuses. Nkechi, the daughter of Okonkwo’s third wife, brings in his third and final dish of food. Analysis Like the Week of Peace, the Feast of the New Yam honors the ancestors and gods of the community. However, the feast presents another opportunity for Okonkwo to display his angry nature; he again offends the Earth goddess by taking a shot at his second wife, Ekwefi. Ekwefi is introduced as the wife who left her first husband because of her love of Okonkwo. Again, Okonkwo’s actions disregard the feminine energy in Igbo society and result in violence. He is angry because he cannot work. In this chapter, the author attempts to present a realistic portrait of a polygamous household, which is the key unit of agricultural production in Igbo society. In reality, many children are needed to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops; therefore, most men marry more than one wife. Historically, many wives enhanced a man’s status and often increased the prestige of the first wife. The senior wife was the head of the household; she shared every title her husband acquired, and she managed her husband’s younger wives. In many cases, the junior wives enjoyed security and prosperity in a large household. The Igbo women lived in their own houses, cooked for themselves, and raised their own children. In some cases women sold their crops in the marketplace and kept the proceeds. Igbo law also allowed an unhappy wife to leave her husband. In this chapter, Ikemefuna is introduced as a sensitive youth who protects one of his sisters. It is significant that Ikemefuna stops the younger brothers from tattling on Obiageli because he is aware of what Okonkwo might do if he knows the truth. The girls in the family, Obiageli, Ezinma, and Nkechi, serve their father food in a specific order because they are the daughters of Okonkwo’s first, second, and third wives. These girls are actually half-sisters. Okonkwo’s first wife is never given a name. She is always called “Nwoye’s mother” because she is identified with her eldest son. Ezinma seems to be a model daughter; however, she cannot carry her father’s chair to the wrestling match because this is a boy’s job. The Igbo culture clearly defines male and female roles. Things Fall Apart is fiction; nevertheless, this chapter provides a window on the daily lives of the Igbo people at a particular point in time and explains an important religious festival. CHAPTER 6 New Characters: Maduka: the son of Obierika Chielo: a priestess of Agbala Okafo: a wrestler Ikezue: a wrestler Summary The whole village turns out for the wrestling match involving the nine villages of Umuofia. The drummers face the elders and a huge circle of spectators. There are seven drums arranged according to size in a long wooden basket. Three men beat the drums feverishly as if they are possessed by the spirits of the drums. Several young men keep order by beating the crowd back with palm branches. Finally, the two wrestling teams dance into the circle. The younger boys wrestle first, and the crowd roars as the third boy throws his opponent. Maduka, the son of Obierika, wins, and three young men from his team run forward and carry him on their shoulders through the cheering crowd. Ekwefi and Chielo stand next to one another in the crowd. Chielo cannot believe that Ekwefi was nearly killed by Okonkwo. Chielo is an ordinary woman who also serves as the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. She is very friendly with Ekwefi. She loves Ezinma and calls her “my daughter.” It is hard to believe that this ordinary woman is the same person who prophesies when the spirit of the god Agbala is upon her. Two teams with 12 men on each side wrestle. The last match is between the leaders of the teams. These men are the best wrestlers in all the nine villages. Okafo and Ikezue wrestle one another until the muscles on their arms, thighs, and backs stand out and twitch. It seems like an equal match, but Okafo uses a surprise maneuver and throws his opponent. Okafo is swept off his feet by his team and carried home as the villagers sing his praises. Analysis The wrestling match provides another example of life among the Igbo people. Achebe attempts to recreate the match of the New Yam Festival, which is one of the most exciting events in Igbo society. Historically, wrestling was an important sport among the Igbo because the matches allowed young men to gain recognition by demonstrating their strength and skill. The younger boys set the scene for the older, more experienced wrestlers. The match in this chapter reminds Okonkwo of his own accomplishments. The community involvement in the wrestling match illustrates the solidarity among the people in the nine-village consortium of Umuofia. The drummers provide the beat and the background, and the drums serve as the pulse of the people. The excitement of the wrestling match, which involves the entire community, contrasts with the shadowy world of Chielo, the priestess of Agbala. Chielo is introduced as an ordinary woman against the backdrop of the wrestling match. She is a friend of Ekwefi and Ezinma; however, she is also the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. This is the same Oracle Unoka consulted about his poor harvests. Agbala is a minor god and a center of divination; the Oracle links the world of the living with the world of the dead. Historically, the Igbo people offered sacrifices, prayers, and invocations through the priest or priestess of the Oracle. Achebe implies that Chielo is not an ordinary person when she serves as Agbala’s priestess. CHAPTER 7 Summary The elders seemed to have forgotten about Ikemefuna, who has been living in Okonkwo’s household for three years. Ikemefuna is a positive influence on Nwoye. He is described as a yam tendril in the rainy season. Ikemefuna and Nwoye listen to Okonkwo’s stories about war and violence. Nwoye remembers the stories his mother used to tell of the tortoise, the bird eneke-nti-oba, and the quarrel between Earth and Sky. Nwoye knows his father wants him to be a man, so he pretends he does not like women’s stories. Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the oldest man in the village tells Okonkwo that Umuofia has decided to kill Ikemefuna because the Oracle of Hills and Caves has pronounced the boy’s death. However, Ezeudu cautions Okonkwo saying, “. . . I want you to have nothing to do with it. He calls you father.” (p. 40) When the elders gather, Okonkwo tells Ikemefuna he is going home. Nwoye cries, and Okonkwo beats him severely. Ikemefuna is confused because his old home has grown distant. The men of Umuofia travel down a narrow footpath through the heart of the forest. Ikemefuna carries a pot of palm wine on his head and walks in their midst. He feels uneasy at first, but he is reassured because Okonkwo walks behind him. Ikemefuna feels as though Okonkwo is his father. He was never fond of his real father. Ikemefuna remembers his mother and his younger sister, and he wonders if his mother is still alive. One of the men clears his throat and growls at Ikemefuna. It sends a cold shiver of fear down the boy’s back. Okonkwo has withdrawn to the rear of the party. Ikemefuna feels his legs give way under him. The man raises his machete, and Okonkwo looks away. He hears the blow. Ikemefuna’s pot falls and breaks. Ikemefuna cries, “My father, they have killed me!” (p. 43) Ikemefuna runs toward Okonkwo. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo draws his machete and kills Ikemefuna. Nwoye knows that Ikemefuna has been killed. Something has snapped inside him, and he feels limp. He had the same feeling during the harvest season when he heard infants crying in the bush. Nwoye has heard that twins are put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the Evil Forest. A deep chill overcomes him when Okonkwo returns after killing Ikemefuna. Analysis Ikemefuna is compared to a yam tendril in the rainy season because he is full of the sap of new life. Although Okonkwo does not display his emotions publicly, he loves his adopted son Ikemefuna. This is evident because Ikemefuna carries his stool and calls Okonkwo father. Ezeudu, the eldest man in the village, a leader, and an authority figure, explains the Oracle’s command to kill Ikemefuna. Neither Ezeudu nor the Oracle give any reason for requiring Ikemefuna’s death. However, Ezeudu clearly tells Okonkwo not to take part in the ritual killing. Okonkwo does not listen to Ezeudu’s warning. He joins the party, and he provides comfort and assurance for his unsuspecting adopted son on the journey through the forest. However, Okonkwo does retire to the rear of the party when Ikemefuna receives the first blow. He does not expect the injured boy to run to him. Okonkwo deals the death blow to Ikemefuna as part of a ritual sacrifice because he is afraid of appearing weak. Ikemefuna’s journey is reminiscent of the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. However, here, no animal is substituted for Ikemefuna as a ram is substituted for Isaac. The incident may be Achebe’s attempt to address ritual sacrifice in Christian terms. In any event, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, a skillful hunter and sensitive musician. Ikemefuna has achieved the balance of the masculine and feminine energies in Igbo society that escapes Okonkwo. Okonkwo’s ritual killing of this balance may represent his own self-destruction. Okonkwo loves Ikemefuna, yet he kills him; Okonkwo also loves Nwoye, yet he devastates his son by killing Ikemefuna. Nwoye is haunted by other unexplained deaths. The Igbo believe that twins are abnormal and leave the infants to die in the bush; otherwise, the entire community might suffer. The cries of infants abandoned in the forest and the ritual killing of Ikemefuna chill Nwoye’s spirit. Nwoye is sensitive, and he does not understand these customs. CHAPTER 8 New Characters: Obierika: Okonkwo’s friend and confidant Ofoedu: a villager who comes with a message Ogbuefi Ndulue: the oldest man in Ire Ozoemena: Ogbuefi Ndulue’s first wife Akueke: Obierika’s daughter Obidrika: a brother of Obierika Machi: the eldest brother of Obierika Dimaragana: a man who would not lend his knife for cutting up a dog Umezulike: a man who taps Okonkwo’s palm trees Ibe: a young suitor of Akueke Ukegbu: the father of Ibe Amadi: a leper who often passes by Obierika’s compound Summary Okonkwo does not eat for two days after Ikemefuna’s death; he drinks palm wine day and night. He cannot forget Ikemefuna, and he admonishes himself for becoming a shivering old woman. Okonkwo visits his friend Obierika and asks him why he refused to kill Ikemefuna. He asks Obierika if he questions the authority of the Oracle who said that the boy must die. Obierika explains that he is not afraid of blood, but the Oracle did not ask him specifically to carry out its decision. Obierika says that if he had been Okonkwo, he would have stayed at home. Okonkwo’s action will not please the Earth goddess; it is the kind of thing for which she wipes out whole families. Obierika says that if the Oracle declared that his own son should be killed, he would neither dispute the decree nor help carry out the ritual murder. Ofoedu, a villager, arrives with a message. He says that Ogbuefi Ndulue, the oldest man in Ire, has died. It is very strange. Ozoemena, Ndulue’s first wife, has died on the same day. It was always said that Ndulue and Ozoemena had one mind. He could not do anything without telling her. Ogbuefi Ndulue was a strong man in his youth and led Umuofia to war. Okonkwo does not understand why a strong man would share his thoughts with his wife. The men also talk about Umezulike, the man who taps Okonkwo’s palm trees. Obierika says that sometimes he regrets taking the ozo title because men of this title cannot climb tall trees; they can only tap short trees while standing on the ground. Okonkwo argues that it is good that the ozo title is esteemed. In other clans, like Abame and Aninta, the ozo title is worth very little. Obierika recants and says that he is just joking. Then Ibe arrives with his father, Ukegbu, and his uncle. Ibe wants to marry Obierika’s beautiful daughter, Akueke. Obierika and his brothers negotiate Akueke’s bride-price. Obidrika, Obierika’s brother, presents a bundle of 30 short broomsticks to Ukegbu. Ukegbu consults his family and returns 15 sticks to Obierika. Machi, Obierika’s eldest brother, claims that they do not want to go below 30. He adds 10 sticks to the 15 and returns the bundle to Ukegbu. Akueke’s bride-price is finally settled at 20 bags of cowries. Obierika’s wives and his son, Maduka, serve food and palm wine. Later, the men eat and drink and criticize the customs of their neighbors. In Abame and Aninta men haggle over a bride-price; they climb trees and pound foo-foo for their wives. Their customs are upside-down. Obierika’s eldest brother says, “But what is good in one place is bad in another place.” (p. 51) In some areas a suitor offers bags of cowries until his in-laws say stop. Okonkwo heard that in some places a man’s children belong to his wife’s family. Obierika says there was a story of white men, the color of chalk. The only white man they know is Amadi, a leper who passes by Obierika’s compound. Analysis It is the season of rest. Okonkwo is a man of action and not thought; he is frustrated because he cannot work, and he is haunted by the murder of Ikemefuna. Obierika chastises Okonkwo and questions the morality of his participation in the ritual sacrifice. He says he would have respected the Oracle, but he would not have participated in killing his own son. Obierika is more balanced than Okonkwo because he understands how to temper the rules and regulations of the traditional Igbo religion. Obierika is like Ezeudu who warned Okonkwo not to kill his son. Obierika will provide insight throughout the rest of the novel; he may serve as the author’s mouthpiece. Okonkwo is also worried about Nwoye, who seems weak like his grandfather Unoka. Whenever Okonkwo thinks about his father’s weakness and failure, he thinks about his own strength and success. Okonkwo continues to juxtapose his own achievements with the inadequacies of his father and son. In Okonkwo’s mind, a weak man is like a woman. Therefore, Okonkwo cannot understand why a strong man like Ogbuefi Ndulue has shared his thoughts with Ozoemena, his first wife, throughout his life. This elderly couple died as they had lived—together. They are a symbol of the balance of the masculine and feminine energies in life. It is this balance that Okonkwo cannot achieve. The dual death of Ndulue and Ozoemena clearly identifies this moral code for Okonkwo; his inability to understand the code dramatizes the discrepancy between his understanding and the values of the clan as a whole. The conversation about the palm wine tappers provides some comic relief and allows Obierika to question Igbo customs. At the same time, the bride-price negotiations provide another backdrop illustrating Igbo life. In Igbo society, discussions leading to marriage involve the extended family, and serious negotiations are necessary because every adult is responsible for building a family and strengthening the lineage. Because a woman leaves her homestead when she marries, her family receives a bride-price to compensate for their loss. In the discussion about customs, Obierika again questions assumptions about culture. The men are aware that customs in one area are not accepted in another. Even Okonkwo realizes that the world is wide. However, the final passage is an ironic foreshadowing. The Igbo laugh about the white man; they are certainly not worried about pale men the color of chalk. CHAPTER 9 New Character: Okagbue Uyanwa: a famous medicine man Summary Okonkwo finally sleeps. He questions his uneasiness about killing Ikemefuna. As a mosquito buzzes in his ear, he remembers a story his mother used to tell him. When Mosquito asked Ear to marry him, she fell on the floor laughing. Ear thought Mosquito looked like a skeleton and insinuated that he would not live much longer. Mosquito was humiliated. To this day, any time Mosquito passes by, he tells Ear that he is still alive. Later in the chapter, Ekwefi tells Ezinma another story. The snake-lizard gave his mother seven baskets of raw vegetables to cook; they yielded three baskets of cooked vegetables. As a result, the snake-lizard killed his mother. Then, he brought another seven baskets of raw vegetables and cooked them himself; again they yielded three baskets of cooked vegetables. The snake-lizard was distraught, so he killed himself. During the night, Ekwefi, Okonkwo’s second wife, tells him that Ezinma is dying. She is shivering on a mat beside a huge fire. Okonkwo collects bark, leaves, and grass to make a medicine to cure her fever, or iba. Ezinma is her mother’s only child and the center of her world. Their relationship is a companionship of equals. Ekwefi has suffered; she has borne 10 children, but nine of them died in infancy, after which, she sank into despair and resignation. After the second child died, a diviner told Okonkwo it was an ogbanje, or a changeling child who dies and returns to its mother’s womb to be reborn. Okonkwo called in another diviner, Okagbue Uyanwa, who was a medicine man famous for his knowledge of ogbanje children. When Ekwefi’s third child died, he mutilated the body with a razor and dragged it into the Evil Forest so it would never return. Ekwefi loves Ezinma, but everyone knows she is an ogbanje. Ekwefi believes Ezinma is going to stay on Earth because a medicine man had dug up her iyi-uwa, or the sacred stone that linked her to the spirit world. He had asked Ezinma where the stone was buried, and she led him through the bush. Finally, she pointed to a spot in the homestead. Okonkwo and the medicine man had dug a huge pit and found the iyi-uwa. Since then, Ezinma had not been sick. Okonkwo’s other wives say Ezinma has a fever, but Ekwefi does not hear them. Okonkwo prepares the medicine, and Ekwefi tends the medicine pot. He brings a low stool and a thick mat. Ezinma sits on the stool next to the steaming pot, and Okonkwo throws a thick mat over her head. She struggles to escape from the overpowering steam, but she is held down. Finally, she emerges drenched in perspiration. Ekwefi dries her off, and Ezinma sleeps. Analysis The stories about the mosquito and the snake-lizard provide comic relief and a backdrop of daily life in the homestead during the intense story about Ezinma. Mosquito was humiliated by Ear, so he buzzes every time he gets close to her. The snake-lizard also explains daily life when he learns what happens to cooked vegetables. However, both stories also explain relationships that are out of balance. The feminine Ear rejects the masculine Mosquito. The snake-lizard is completely off balance and commits murder and suicide over cooked vegetables. Perhaps the snake-lizard killed himself because he unjustly murdered his mother. These stories may provide parallels to Okonkwo’s gender imbalance. The religious concept of ogbanje is also illustrated in this chapter. An ogbanje is a child who dies and then reenters its mother’s womb to be born again. The constant birth and death of the child torments its unfortunate parents. The concept is an example of a religious belief that explains natural phenomena. The iyi-uwa is a symbol of the child’s link with the spirit world. By digging up this smooth pebble wrapped in a dirty rag, the medicine man breaks Ezinma’s bond with the world of the ogbanje. His quiet, patient voice lends calm to the scene, but also contrasts with the intensity of his mission. This chapter also shows Okonkwo as both a loving and angry father. He cares for Ezinma by collecting materials to make her medicine, but he also threatens her if she does not locate her iyi-uwa. CHAPTER 10 New Characters: Mgbafo: a woman who is beaten by her husband Odukwe: Mgbafo’s eldest brother Uzowulu: Mgbafo’s husband Summary Trials are held in the center of Umuofia. Only the men participate; the women observe as outsiders. The titled elders sit on stools, and a powerful gong sounds. The people hear the terrifying, guttural voices of the egwugwu, or the nine masked spirits of the clan. Each egwugwu represents one of the villages in Umuofia. The leader is named Evil Forest; he is the eldest egwugwu, and smoke pours out of his head. All the other egwugwu sit in order of seniority after him. He looks terrible. His body is made of smoked raffia, and his huge wooden face is painted white except for his round hollow eyes and large charred teeth. He has two powerful horns on the top of his head. Uzowulu is a wife-beater who put his case before the spirits of the ancestors. He has married Mgbafo properly and offered money and yams as bride-price. He does not owe his in-laws anything, yet they beat him and took away his wife and children. He wants his wife back, or he wants the bride-price returned. Mgbafo’s brothers refuse. Odukwe, Mgbafo’s brother, confirms the story. He says Uzowulu is a beast because he has beaten Mgbafo every day for nine years. He beat her when she was pregnant, and he beat her when she was ill. The brothers agree that the children belong to Uzowulu, but they are too young to leave their mother. They say Mgbafo will return if Uzowulu recovers from his madness; however, if he beats Mgbafo again, they will cut off his genitals. The nine egwugwu confer in their house. The metal gong and the flute sound. Evil Forest settles the dispute. He tells Uzowulu to go to his in-laws with a pot of wine and beg his wife to return. He says it is not bravery when a man fights a woman. Evil Forest tells Odukwe that if Uzowulu supplies wine, Mgbafo should return with him. One elder wonders why such a trifle is put before the egwugwu. The people say that Uzowulu will not listen to any other decision. Then two other groups present a great land case to the egwugwu. Analysis This chapter introduces and defines the concept of egwugwu. The egwugwu are elders who wear masks and dress as ancestors. They represent the spirits of the ancestors and speak in a strange gutteral language. When the egwugwu appear, the women and children scream and run away. The trial attempts to represent the judicial system among the Igbo people. The masked spirits of the ancestors judge civil and criminal disputes and serve as a center of political power. The decision of the egwugwu reflects the moral code of the people of Umuofia. Although the egwugwu are a secret society of men impersonating spirits, they are understood as sacred spirits by the people. It is necessary to understand the role of the egwugwu in order to comprehend the conflict and resolution of the plot of Things Fall Apart. The trial of Uzowulu clearly identifies wife-beating as deviant behavior in the Igbo moral code. The decision denouncing Uzowulu also provides a clear judgment on Okonkwo’s violent attacks on his wives. Okonkwo is a paradox. He seems to esteem Igbo values since he is working so hard to succeed in Igbo society, yet he himself beats his wives. Okonkwo’s wives and the reader notice that the second egwugwu has a springy walk and that Okonkwo is not among the men in the audience. The second egwugwu is Okonkwo; therefore, Okonkwo himself sits in judgment against wife-beating. In his recreation of Igbo life, Achebe does not emphasize the political role of women. In the traditional Igbo world, women not only regulated markets, but they also settled civil and marital disputes. In this chapter, the male egwugwu are the authority figures who settle the case against Uzowulu. However, historically, Igbo women would have shamed the wife-beater by “sitting” on him or singing rude songs and making obscene gestures. Many critics feel the omission of female authority in Igbo society is a weakness in Things Fall Apart. The reader encounters women who cook, braid their hair, and run away from egwugwu. Female characters are not portrayed as powerful market women or judges. Some critics feel that a balanced portrayal of women and their roles in Igbo society would be more realistic and historically accurate. CHAPTER 11 New characters: Nwayieke: woman who is notorious for her late cooking Anene: Ekwefi’s first husband Summary Ekwefi tells Ezinma a story about the Tortoise. It was a time of famine, and all the birds were invited to a feast in the sky. Tortoise, a great orator, convinced the birds to take him along. He told them to select new names for the feast. Tortoise took the name “All of you.” The men in the sky thought Tortoise was the king of the birds and declared they had prepared the feast for “all of you.” Since that was Tortoise’s new name, he ate the best portions of food and drank two pots of palm wine. The birds ate the leftovers. They were very angry and left Tortoise in the sky without wings to fly. Tortoise sent a message with Parrot asking his wife to put soft things around his homestead so he could jump down from the sky without danger. However, Parrot was very angry; he told Tortoise’s wife to put hard things around the homestead. When Tortoise jumped from the sky, he crashed. He did not die, but his shell broke into pieces and a great medicine man had to mend his shell. This story explains why the Tortoise has a bumpy and cracked shell. The night is very dark, and Ekwefi and Ezinma hear the high-pitched voice of Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, prophesying. She says Agbala wants to see Ezinma in the hills and caves. Chielo carries Ezinma on her back. Ekwefi follows Chielo, but she cannot see anything in the darkness. As Ekwefi runs after the priestess, it seems as if Chielo is running too. Then Chielo stops. She is only a few feet ahead of Ekwefi. Ekwefi is terrified, and Chielo screams. Ekwefi lets Chielo increase the distance between them. They travel all the way to the farthest village in the clan. Then, Chielo turns around. It is a long journey. Ekwefi is afraid Chielo might see her as the day dawns. She is numb like a sleepwalker. Finally, Chielo heads for the hills. She and Ezinma enter a cave through a tiny hole. Ekwefi waits, and Okonkwo appears behind her. As they stand there together, Ekwefi remembers how she had married her first husband, Anene, because Okonkwo was too poor to marry. Then two years later, she ran away to marry Okonkwo. She is grateful for his support at the end of this haunting journey. Analysis On the surface, the story of Tortoise explains why the turtle’s shell is cracked. Traditional folklore again explains natural phenomena, and storytelling illustrates the close relationship between Ezinma and her mother. However, the animal fable may send a political message, and the story may be understood as an allegory of resistance. Tortoise is like a colonial power, and the birds are like colonized people. Tortoise uses language to deceive the birds. Parrot uses language to deceive Tortoise. The conflict is resolved when Tortoise falls upon his own weapons. Perhaps the author is indicating that both language and arms are necessary for oppressed people to resist domination. It is against this backdrop of storytelling that Chielo transports Ezinma to the god Agbala, who is the Oracle of the Hills and Caves. Chielo speaks in a shrill, high-pitched voice, and she has superhuman strength as she carries Ezinma all night long throughout the nine villages and then back to the hills and caves. Chielo is possessed by the spirit of Agbala, and she is completely different from the ordinary woman she was in the marketplace. Chielo cannot provide the human sympathy, compassion, and companionship Ekwefi needs on the journey because she is devoid of humanity in this situation. In contrast, Okonkwo emerges as a humble husband and father in this chapter. Okonkwo does not challenge the Oracle; he simply supports his wife and daughter. The encounter emphasizes the relationship between the spirit world and the world of the living. The night’s experience also gives Ekwefi an opportunity to reminisce about her youth and her love for Okonkwo. CHAPTER 12 New Characters: Nwankwo: a man in Obierika’s household who is sent to buy a goat Mgbogo: a woman who is home with a fever Udenkwo: a woman who is home with her infant Ezelagbo: a woman whose husband’s cow is let loose Summary Okonkwo has not slept during the night because he is worried and anxious. However, he does not show his feelings. He has gone to the shrine, but he realizes that Chielo has traveled through the nine villages. He waits at home and returns to the shrine four times. Finally, he finds Ekwefi. While he waits with her, Chielo crawls out of the shrine on her belly like a snake. Ezinma is sleeping on her back. The priestess does not look at Okonkwo or Ekwefi. She returns to the compound and silently places Ezinma on her bed. The next day Obierika, Okonkwo’s friend, celebrates his daughter’s uri, or betrothal. This ceremony marks the payment of the bride-price. Ibe, the suitor, brings palm wine to the umuada, or the gathering of the daughters in the family. The central figures are the bride and her mother, but many other women help cook for the whole village. Chielo, the priestess, participates like an ordinary woman. However, as the feast is being prepared, a cow escapes from its corral. Five women stay behind with the cooking pots, while the other women chase the cow back to its owner. The women charge the owner of the cow with a heavy fine. They also identify the women who have not participated in this social action as they are required. Mgbogo is ill, and Udenkwo has just given birth, so they are excused. Obierika’s in-laws arrive carrying 50 pots of palm wine. Then Ibe, the groom, arrives with the elders of the family. The bride, her mother, the women, and the girls of Obierika’s family shake hands with the guests. Then Obierika presents kola nuts as a symbol of hospitality to his in-laws. His eldest brother breaks the first kola nut and says, “. . . let there be friendship between your family and ours.” (p. 82) The in-laws respond, “You are a great family of prosperous men and great warriors.” (p. 82) The two families celebrate with a great feast. The young men sing praise songs, and Okonkwo is lauded as the greatest wrestler and warrior alive. The young girls and the bride dance. Finally, Ibe takes his bride home to spend seven market weeks with his family. The in-laws sing songs and pay their respects to prominent men like Okonkwo as they leave. Analysis In the beginning of the chapter, Okonkwo is depicted as a humble father powerless in the face of his god. He submits to Agbala’s will, and he patiently travels to the hills and caves four times in order to assist his wife Ekwefi and his daughter Ezinma. This portrait is contrasted with Okonkwo at the end of the chapter where he is praised as a great wrestler, warrior, and prominent leader. The betrothal of Obierika’s daughter illustrates the author’s view of a woman’s role in Igbo society. A woman who increases her husband’s lineage is respected because children are considered a reincarnation of the ancestors and protection against poverty in old age. The uri is a woman’s ceremony and contrasts with the trial of Uzowulu, which is a man’s ceremony. However, Achebe has been criticized for his treatment of women in the novel. Some critics feel his female characters are portrayed like possessions who are bought and sold by polygamous men. The incident concerning the cow may be an attempt to portray the otu omu, a women’s council that controls the local marketplace by imposing fines on anyone who disturbs the peace. However, in his re-creation of Igbo life, Achebe does not emphasize the political role of women. In the traditional Igbo world, women not only regulated markets, but also settled civil and marital disputes. CHAPTER 13 Summary Ezeudu, one of the oldest men in the clan, is dead. The last time Ezeudu visited Okonkwo, he told him not to participate in Ikemefuna’s death because the boy called him father. Ezeudu was a great man, and he is given a warrior’s funeral. The drums of death are beaten, and the guns are fired. Warriors painted with chalk and charcoal assemble in age groups wearing smoked raffia shirts. Several ancestral spirits or egwugwu appear from the underworld speaking in unearthly voices. Some egwugwu, like Evil Spirit, are violent and have to be restrained. There is another dreaded egwugwu who is always alone. He is shaped like a coffin; a sickly odor hangs in the air, and flies travel with him. Even the greatest medicine men retire when he passes. He has one hand and carries a basket full of water. Other egwugwu, however, are harmless. Another one is so old, he leans heavily on a stick. He walks to the corpse, gazes at it awhile, and then disappears into the underworld. It is a great funeral, and everyone in the clan participates. The men shout, fire guns, beat drums, and clash their machetes. They celebrate the life of Ezeudu, who has taken three titles. This is a rare achievement because there are only four titles in the clan. Only one or two men in any generation ever achieve the fourth and highest title. When they do, they become lords of the land. Before Ezeudu is buried, the tumult increases tenfold. Drums beat violently, and men leap up and down in a frenzy. The drums and dancing reach fever pitch. Then an anguished cry comes from the center of the fury. Everyone is silent like a spell has been cast. Ezeudu’s 16-year-old son lies dead in a pool of blood. He has been dancing the traditional farewell to his father with his brothers and half-brothers. Okonkwo is responsible; his gun has exploded accidentally, and a piece of iron has pierced the boy’s heart. Nothing like this has ever happened in Umuofia before. It is a crime against the Earth goddess to kill a clansman. There are two types of crimes, male and female. Okonkwo has committed a female crime because the murder is an accident. Nevertheless, he is forced to flee from the clan. He may return after seven years. Okonkwo collects his belongings, and his wives and children weep bitterly. Obierika stores his yams, and Okonkwo and his family flee to his motherland. It is a little village called Mbanta, just beyond the borders of Mbaino. The next day, a crowd of men from Ezeudu’s quarter storm into Okonkwo’s compound dressed in war regalia. The men set fire to his houses, demolish his walls, kill his animals, and destroy his barn. There is no malice in their hearts; they are simply messengers administering the justice of Ani, the Earth goddess. They are cleansing the land that Okonkwo has polluted with the blood of a clansman. Obierika, Okonkwo’s greatest friend, is among the men who raze his compound. Obierika is a man who thinks about things. He mourns his friend’s calamity and wonders why a man should suffer so grievously for an offense he has committed inadvertently. He remembers his wife’s twins, whom he had thrown away, and he wonders what crime the infants committed. Yet, the earth goddess decreed that twins were an offense of the land and must be destroyed. If the clan did not exact punishment for an offense against the great goddess, her wrath would be unleashed upon everyone, not just the offender. Analysis Ezeudu is an example of a great Igbo who has taken three titles. The Igbo system allows talented men to proclaim their prestige and power by purchasing titles. The process requires a general consensus of the community, and the titles allow men greater participation in political and religious life. Great men who achieve the highest title undergo a ritual death and resurrection during their lifetime. As the great elder Ezeudu physically passes over the threshold of death into the afterlife, the community is reminded that the spirit world is not far removed from the land of the living. The egwugwu illustrate the domain of the ancestors, for the spirits of the dead travel freely between the two worlds, especially at festivals and funerals. It is ironic that Ezeudu, the elder who told Okonkwo to refrain from killing Ikemefuna, now loses a son to Okonkwo. Defending himself from appearing weak, Okonkwo deliberately killed Ikemefuna. At Ezeudu’s funeral, however, Okonkwo accidentally kills Ezeudu’s 16-year-old son. This is considered involuntary manslaughter, which is a female crime. The male crime would have been premeditated murder. Nevertheless, the killing of Ezeudu’s son is the last in a long list of offenses Okonkwo has committed against the Earth goddess and the traditional moral order of the Igbo people. Okonkwo beat his youngest wife, Ojiugo, during the Week of Peace; he took a shot at his second wife, Ekwefi, before the Yam Festival; and he participated in the ritual murder of his adopted son, Ikemefuna. Okonkwo also beat his son Nwoye and disdained unsuccessful men in the community. Okonkwo has committed many offenses; now he is banished to his mother’s homeland because he accidentally killed a clansman. It is ironic that Okonkwo, a man who committed many acts of violence, is punished for an accident. Obierika helps Okonkwo by storing his yams; he also participates in razing Okonkwo’s compound to the ground. Again, Obierika illustrates the complexity of the Igbo moral code. Obierika is described as a man who thinks about things. In some ways, he presents a foil to Okonkwo, who is an unreflective man of action. Although Obierika feels that Okonkwo’s banishment is extremely harsh punishment, he accepts Ani’s mandate. However, Obierika questions the traditional order as he did after Ikemefuna’s death. He mourns Okonkwo’s banishment and remembers the twins he abandoned in the forest. Some critics believe Achebe uses Obierika as the center of consciousness at this point. As Part One of the novel ends, Okonkwo has failed because he has not been faithful to the moral code of traditional Igbo life. His crimes stem from a lack of balance between masculine and feminine energies; as a result he cannot balance his personal achievements and quest for success with his responsibilities to the community at large. Okonkwo may be a victim of his ill-fated chi. His downfall may also represent the disintegration of traditional Igbo life and serve as a foreshadowing of the profound change Igbo society will undergo at the hands of the British colonial powers. PART TWO CHAPTER 14 New Characters: Uchendu: Okonkwo’s uncle; his mother’s brother Amikwu: the youngest of Uchendu’s five sons Njide: Uchendu’s eldest daughter Akeuni: Uchendu’s daughter who has borne and thrown away many twins Summary Part Two takes place in Mbanta, the home of Okonkwo’s mother. Okonkwo’s crime of killing Ezeudu’s son is involuntary manslaughter, a female ochu. Okonkwo is banished by Ani, the Earth goddess, to Mbanta for seven years. Uchendu, Okonkwo’s mother’s brother, arranges the rites of purification. Okonkwo is given land for his homestead and farm. He works hard, but work no longer holds any pleasure for him. The passion to become one of the lords of the clan has ruled his life. He almost achieved it, and then everything was shattered. His personal god, or chi, is not made for great things. Okonkwo is bowed with grief and sorrow. The entire extended family, or the umunna, meets to celebrate the isa-ifi ceremony for Amikwu, Uchendu’s youngest son. Amikwu is marrying a new wife, and this ceremony determines the faithfulness of a woman who has been separated from her fiancé for a long period of time. Njide, Uchendu’s eldest daughter, asks the bride how many men she has lain with since Amikwu expressed his desire to marry her. She said she has not lain with any other men. Amikwu takes the young bride to his home, and she becomes his wife. Uchendu takes the opportunity to speak. He confirms that Okonkwo is an exile condemned to live in a strange land for seven years. He also confirms that a man and his children belong in their fatherland. Yet, he reminds Okonkwo that his mother is buried in Mbanta. Uchendu asks Okonkwo why the Igbo people give their children the name “Nneka” or “Mother is Supreme.” Okonkwo does not know the answer. Uchendu then asks Okonkwo why a woman is buried in her parent’s home with her own kinsmen. Again, Okonkwo does not know the answer. Uchendu tells Okonkwo that he is like a child. He explains that when a father beats a child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut. He said that a man belongs to his fatherland when life is good, but when there is sorrow and bitterness, a man finds refuge in his motherland. Mother is there to protect the child. That is why the Igbo say, “Mother is Supreme.” (p. 94) Uchendu tells Okonkwo he is not the greatest sufferer in the world. He explains that some men lose all their yams, and some are banished for life. Uchendu had six wives; they are all dead now except one. He has buried 22 children, yet he has not hung himself. His daughter Akeuni has also suffered because she has abandoned many twins. Uchendu explains that Okonkwo’s duty is to comfort his wives and children; otherwise, his family will die in exile. Okonkwo must accept his cousins as his kinsmen. Uchendu concludes his message to Okonkwo, saying, “I have no more to say to you.” (p. 95) Analysis This chapter illustrates the maternal lines of land entitlement among the Igbo, for Okonkwo is entitled to land in his mother’s village. The backdrop for the chapter is the betrothal and marriage customs of the Igbo people. This is the third marriage described in the novel. The ceremony focuses on proving the fidelity of the new wife; there is no such ritual to ascertain the groom’s fidelity. The marriage provides an opportunity for Uchendu to speak. Uchendu’s dialogue with Okonkwo illustrates Okonkwo’s inability to grasp the concept of the feminine principle in the Igbo world view. Okonkwo basically rejects the feminine principle represented by Mbanta and refuses the comfort of his motherland. He also rejects the civil culture the feminine principle regulates. Okonkwo’s main objective in life is to become a respected leader in the clan. Work is his passion and life-spring, and now work holds no meaning for him. Okonkwo seeks to amass wealth, demonstrate personal achievement, and acquire prestigious titles. He has earned two titles and was chosen as an egwugwu representing clan’s ancestors. Okonkwo is bitter about his exile in Mbanta because he is delayed in achieving his goals. Although Okonkwo works hard, he realizes that a man cannot rise above the destiny of his chi. Therefore, he wallows in depression and self-pity and is rebuked by Uchendu. While Okonkwo experiences the bitterness of exile, he has the opportunity to take refuge with the feminine principle and learn the supremacy of a mother’s nurturing love. Uchendu tells Okonkwo and the entire extended family that “Mother is Supreme.” (p. 94) This truth sets the tone for Part Two of the novel. However, Okonkwo never internalizes this truth. CHAPTER 15 New Character: Nweke: a young man who accompanies Obierika Summary Two years after Okonkwo’s banishment to Mbanta, his friend Obierika comes to visit him. He is accompanied by two young men carrying heavy bags of cowries. Obierika tells Okonkwo that the clan of Abame has been wiped out. Fugitives from Abame explained that a white man appeared. The Oracle explained that the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among them. The Igbos of Abame killed the white man and tied his iron horse to a sacred tree. He said a word that resembled Mbaino. Perhaps he had been traveling to Mbaino and lost his way. Sometime later, three white men led by a band of ordinary men like the Igbo of Umofia came to the clan. They saw the iron horse and went away. Nothing happened for many weeks. Then on the market day when the whole clan was gathered together, the men surrounded the market. They shot and killed just about everyone in the clan. Uchendu says the men of Abame were fools because they should not have killed a man who said nothing. He tells a story about a mother bird and her daughter to illustrate his point. Okonkwo agrees that the men should have been more vigilant; they had been warned of danger. Obierika expresses fear because the Igbo have heard stories about armed white men who sell Igbos into slavery. Nwoye’s mother cooks a fine meal; Ezinma brings a bowl of water for the guests to wash their hands, and Nwoye serves wine. Obierika finally explains that the heavy bags contain money from Okonkwo’s yams. Obierika sold the large yams and some of the seed-yams; he gave other yams to sharecroppers. Obierika promises to sell the yams every year until Okonkwo returns. Okonkwo is overwhelmed by his friend’s goodness and cannot thank him enough. Obierika jokes and says, “Kill one of your sons for me.” (p. 100) When Okonkwo replies that would be inadequate, Obierika responds, “Then kill yourself.” (p. 100) Okonkwo asks his friend to forgive him. Analysis The changes that occur while Okonkwo is in exile in Mbanta reflect the dawn of the colonial period in Nigeria. In the nineteenth century, the Igbo traded palm oil for European goods. However, friendly relations with the British eventually crumbled, and pockets of violence erupted along the Niger River. In order to “pacify” Eastern Nigeria, the British destroyed much of Igboland and launched extensive military expeditions. Although the Igbo people resisted, the twentieth century saw the dawn of British imperialism. The fictional incident of the white man with an iron horse is directly drawn from the murder of J. F. Stewart on November 26, 1905. This historical event led to the destruction of the village of Ahiara, which in turn led to the pacification of the Igbo people in areas around Onitsha. The destruction of Abame reflects this historical event in the novel. This chapter also illustrates Obierika’s loyal friendship. Not only does Obierika act as a steward of Okonkwo’s fortune in yams, he also acts as a link between Okonkwo’s clan and Mbanta. It is Obierika who keeps Okonkwo abreast of the events in Umuofia during his exile. Obierika provides invaluable information for Okonkwo and the reader. The joking between the friends at the end of the chapter provides foreshadowing of the denouement of the novel. It is interesting that Okonkwo does not view Obierika’s empathy and kindness as feminine weakness in this case. CHAPTER 16 Summary Two years later, Obierika visits Okonkwo again. He has seen Nwoye among the missionaries in Umuofia. They have built a church and won a handful of converts. The converts are considered to be efulefu, or worthless men, by the Igbo community. The missionaries have also come to Mbanta. One is a white man who speaks through an interpreter. He preaches about a new God, the Creator of all the world. He says this God judges the dead. Good men who worship the true God live forever. Evil men who worship wood and stone are thrown into an eternal fire. An old man asks if the Christian God is the goddess of the Earth, the god of the sky, or Amadiora. He asks about protection from the anger of the neglected gods and ancestors. The missionary says the Igbo deities are deceitful and teach the people to kill one another and destroy innocent children. He preaches about one true God who created the earth, the sky, and all humankind. The Igbo gods are simply wood and stone. The men of Mbanta break into derisive laughter. They think the missionary is mad; otherwise, he would never say that Ani, Idemili, Ogwugwu, and Amadiora are harmless. Then the missionary bursts into song. The interpreter explains each verse. He sings about a brother who lives in darkness, fear, and the ignorance of God’s love. He sings about a sheep on the hills away from the tender shepherd’s care. Then, the interpreter speaks about the Son of God named Jesu Kristi. A man challenges him— first he preaches about one God; then he teaches about his son. One Igbo reasons that God must have a wife, and the crowd agrees. The interpreter’s response is confused. He is from a different region and speaks a different dialect. Instead of referring to himself as “myself,” he refers to himself as “my buttocks.” (p. 102) This makes everyone laugh. When the missionary continues preaching about the Holy Trinity, Okonkwo thinks he is mad. However, Nwoye has been captivated by the poetry of the new religion. It touches something in the marrow of his bones. The hymn about brothers who sit in darkness and fear seems to answer a vague and persistent question that has haunted his soul. It is the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of Ikemefuna, who was killed. When Obierika sees Nwoye among the Christians in Umuofia, Nwoye tells him he no longer knows his father, Okonkwo. Analysis The arrival of the Europeans alters the fabric of economic, political, and social life; Christian missionaries simultaneously offer respite to the disenfranchised among the Igbo and attack the foundation of traditional Igbo religion. The Anglican Church Missionary Society established a mission in Onitsha in 1857; later the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Fathers and the Society of African Missions set up stations east and west of the Niger River. Christianity offered a message of love to those who did not succeed in the Igbo world. The first converts included those who felt disenfranchised: the anguished mothers of twins, who had been forced to abandon their children; the osu, who were despised as descendants of religious slave cults; and the men who did not earn titles and achieve traditional wealth and status. Although Christianity offered respite to the marginalized, the new faith tore apart the fabric of traditional Igbo life. The missionaries preached the mystery of the Trinity but could not understand the Igbo concept of a multidimensional God. The Christians reenacted the Last Supper but could not accept the rituals performed by the egwugwu, or masked elders, who ritually represented the ancestral spirits of the village. In addition to the religious dogma, the missionaries condemned polygamy and other traditional Igbo customs. CHAPTER 17 New Characters: Mr. Kiaga: Igbo interpreter for the missionaries Nneka: the wife of the prosperous farmer Amadi Summary When the Christians ask the Igbo for a plot of land to build a church, the elders offer them the Evil Forest, which is filled with sinister forces. The Igbos know the gods and ancestors of Mbanta have a limit; they expected the missionaries to be punished by the seventh market week. However, the missionaries live on, and they build a new house for their teacher, Mr. Kiaga. Nwoye is secretly interested in the new faith, and he listens when the missionaries preach in the open marketplace. He learns some of the simple stories. Mr. Kiaga tells the people to come every seventh day to worship the true God. Nwoye hears their loud and confident singing. One of the new converts is Nneka, who is heavy with child. She is the wife of Amadi, a prosperous farmer. Nneka has had four previous pregnancies. Each time she bore twins, and the infants had been thrown away. Her husband and family consider her rubbish. Okonkwo hears about Nwoye’s interest in Christianity and beats him savagely. Uchendu orders him to release the boy, and Nwoye leaves his homestead forever. He tells Mr. Kiaga that he has decided to go to Umuofia, where the missionaries have set up a Christian school. Okonkwo wants to take his machete and wipe out the vile Christians, but he tells himself that Nwoye is not worth the fight. He wonders about the curse of his son. He blames the great misfortune of his exile and now his despicable son’s behavior upon his chi. Nwoye’s crime is an abomination. He has abandoned the gods of his ancestors. Okonkwo is deeply worried that all his male children will follow Nwoye’s steps. A cold shudder runs through him at the terrible prospect. It is the prospect of annihilation. He sees himself and his father crowded around their ancestral shrine; they are waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice and find nothing but the ashes of bygone days. He envisions his children praying to the white man’s God. If such a thing happens, he will wipe his descendants off the face of the earth. Okonkwo wonders how he could have begotten a son like Nwoye who is such a degenerate and so clearly resembles his father, Unoka. Analysis Okonkwo has hoped to achieve immortality by taking the highest title in the land. The ozo title achieves ritual death and resurrection for an individual during his lifetime. Okonkwo has not been able to achieve this title. Therefore, as a departed ancestor, he will expect his sons to pour libations or offerings to him before drinking palm wine. He will expect a piece of kola nut to be offered in his name as his sons ask for his protection and guidance. Okonkwo also will expect his descendants to offer animal sacrifices in his name. In this way, Okonkwo will achieve immortality, and his memory will live on. If Nwoye and the rest of his children turn away from the traditional Igbo religion, Okonkwo will never achieve immortality and live on in the memory of his children. His children will never offer him traditional sacrifices. Okonkwo sees things falling apart. The new religion is destroying the fabric of Igbo life. Okonkwo is angry and afraid because his belief system, his values, and his entire way of life are being challenged by the white man and the new religion. If this religion takes hold, the Igbo will not live on after death. CHAPTER 18 New Characters: Okeke: a man in Mbanta; interpreter for Mr. Smith Mr. Brown: the white missionary Okoli: a convert who kills the sacred python Summary The clan is not too worried about the church. The Christians rescue twins from the bush but never bring them to the village. Some converts are beaten after boasting that the Igbo gods are dead. Otherwise, there is little interaction between the church and the clan. Mr. Kiaga is quite harmless, and anyone who kills a convert will be forced into exile. If the Christians become more troublesome, they will simply be driven out of the clan. The little church is absorbed in its own troubles. The Christians protest admitting the osu or the outcasts of society. Mr. Kiaga explains that there is no slave before God, and the osu need Christ. He is a source of inspiration and confidence for the young church. Therefore, several osu shave off their long, dirty hair, and some become strong adherents of the new faith. Most of the osu in Mbanta join the church. One osu named Okoli has so much zeal, he kills a sacred python. No one actually sees him do it, but the leaders of Mbanta are furious. Okonkwo wants to expel the Christians from the village. Others are afraid to get involved. Okonkwo feels the Christians are pouring filth over them daily. He thinks Mbanta is a womanly clan. Such a thing would never happen in Umuofia. The villagers decide to ostracize the Christians so they will not be held accountable for their abominations. Nevertheless, the Christians are confident. Mr. Brown, the white missionary, pays regular visits to the community. During holy week, the women scrub the church. Some go to the stream to get water; some go to the red-earth pit to get earth; and others go to the quarry to get chalk. However, all of the women are chased back; some of them are whipped. Mr. Kiaga is perplexed. The villagers explain that the Christians have been outlawed because Okoli killed the sacred python. Okoli denies it. He soon falls ill; by the end of the day, Okoli is dead. This proves that the Igbo gods are alive. Analysis Each diala, or freeborn individual, has the right to climb to the top of Igbo society. The only barrier to achieving success is the payment of membership fees in order to secure titles and enter various societies. However, the osu is a contradiction of the Igbo egalitarian ideology. The osu is a slave cult dedicated to a deity, and an individual osu is a slave dedicated to a god. An osu cannot marry or be married by a free Igbo. He lives close to his shrine, and he carries the mark of his forbidden caste—long, tangled, and dirty hair. An osu cannot attend meetings, and he cannot take any of the four titles in the clan. When he dies, he is buried in the Evil Forest. The slave plays an indispensable ritual role and poses a dilemma for the freeborn. The osu serve a deity and carry the sins of a freeborn individual. Therefore, the osu functions as a special priest, but he is not accorded high status. Furthermore, the freeborn do not know how to interact with the osu without offending the deity he serves. As a result, all osu are hated, despised, and feared because they remind the freeborn of their guilt. As outcasts, they are treated with horror and contempt. Generally, there is no relationship between the freeborn and the osu. These outcasts are among the first Igbos to accept Christianity, Western education, and economic opportunities offered by the colonial powers. As a result, the osu are among the best-educated Igbos in the colonial world. This chapter illustrates the tension created by the osu in the infant Christian congregation in Mbanta. The zeal with which the osu receive the new religion exacerbates the relationship between the Igbo Christians and the traditional Igbo community. The situation of the osu is related to other internal issues that may have contributed to the breakdown of traditional Igbo life. Achebe does not romanticize the past. In fact, some critics feel he is pointing out weaknesses in traditional Igbo society; others feel Achebe reveals his own Christian bias as a Westernized male writing in 1958. For example, Achebe may identify the treatment of the osu, the abandonment of twins, ritual sacrifice, and disdain for unsuccessful men as weaknesses within traditional Igbo society. On the other hand, he may identify these elements as aspects of Igbo society that provoke the Europeans to “pacify” and “civilize” the Igbo “savages.” The Igbo people are flexible and capable of change. For example, the people phase out the custom of collecting heads in battle, yet Igbo society does not fall apart because this custom is discontinued. Students must reflect on one of the fundamental questions of the novel: Does the Igbo culture fa