Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo, a wealthy, respected warrior, is a member of the Umuofia clan, a lowerNigerian tribe. In his youth, he brought honor to his village when he defeated Amalinzethe Cat in a wrestling contest. The Cat was undefeated for seven years. Okonkwo's father,Unoka, feared the sight of blood, and he wasted money. His wife and children often wenthungry. He was a skilled musician with the flute, and he loved to converse in elaboratephrases. Unoka died of a shameful illness. Those suffering from swelling stomachs andlimbs are left in the Evil Forest to die. The clan's earth goddess abhors the disease. Henever took a title, and he left numerous heavy debts unpaid. Okonkwo has taken fivehuman heads in battle. During important occasions, he drinks palm-wine from his firstOne night, the town-crier rings the ogene, a gong. He requests that all the clansmen gatherin the market in the morning. At the gathering, Ogbuefi Ezeugo, a noted orator, states thatsomeone from the village of Mbaino has murdered "a daughter of Umuofia" while she wasin their market. She was Ogbuefi Udo's wife. The crowd expresses anger. Okonkwotravels to Mbaino to deliver the message that they must give a virgin and a young man to
Okonkwo is very fond of Ezinma because she looks like Ekwefi, who was once the villagebeauty. Nwoye leaves his father's compound and travels to a school to learn reading and writing. , they are hand-cuffed and thrown in jail where they suffer insults and physical abuse. He warns the clan that they may have to spill clansmen's blood if they face the white men in battle because some have joined their church. The annual wrestling contest comes the day after the feast. He invites them into his hut to listen to men'sstories. Okonkwo urges Mbanta to drive the church out with violence. The elders give the virgin to Ogbuefi Udo as his wife. The village first suffered a bad drought and then a relentlessdownpour of rain. Ekwefi's first nine children died in infancy. Obierika stores Okonkwo's yams in his barn. Okonkwo fears looking weak like his father. They ask that they move aside because they only wish to destroy the church to cleanse their village of Enoch's horrible sin.
Common topics in this essay:
Evil Forest,
Ezinma Ekwefi's,
Finally Ezinma,
District Commissioner,
Ikemefuna Okonkwo,
James Smith,
Mother Supreme,
Mbanta Ezeudu's,
Ekwefi Ezinma,
Ani Okonkwo,
evil forest,
nine villages,
okonkwo returns,
okonkwo's family,
earth goddess,
ancestral spirits,
join church,
ezinma ekwefi's,
rounds nine villages,
help okonkwo,
villagers understand,
church wins converts,
ezinma ekwefi's child,
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