Okonkwo, a wealthy, respected warrior, is a member of the Umuofia clan, a lower
             Nigerian tribe. In his youth, he brought honor to his village when he defeated Amalinze
             the 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 went
             hungry. He was a skilled musician with the flute, and he loved to converse in elaborate
             phrases. Unoka died of a shameful illness. Those suffering from swelling stomachs and
             limbs are left in the Evil Forest to die. The clan's earth goddess abhors the disease. He
             never took a title, and he left numerous heavy debts unpaid. Okonkwo has taken five
             human heads in battle. During important occasions, he drinks palm-wine from his first
             One night, the town-crier rings the ogene, a gong. He requests that all the clansmen gather
             in the market in the morning. At the gathering, Ogbuefi Ezeugo, a noted orator, states that
             someone from the village of Mbaino has murdered "a daughter of Umuofia" while she was
             in their market. She was Ogbuefi Udo's wife. The crowd expresses anger. Okonkwo
             travels to Mbaino to deliver the message that they must give a virgin and a young man to
             Umuofia or go to war. Umuofia has a fierce reputation for its skill in war and magic.
             Mbaino agrees to Umuofia's terms. The elders give the virgin to Ogbuefi Udo as his wife.
             They do not know what to do with the fifteen year old boy, Ikemefuna, so Okonkwo
             instructs his first wife to care for him.
             Okonkwo fears looking weak like his father. When he was a child, another boy called
             Unoka agbala. The word means "woman" as well as a man who has not taken a title.
             Therefore, he is extremely demanding of his family. He thinks his twelve year old son
             Nwoye is lazy, so he beats and abuses the boy constantly. Okonkwo is wealthy enough to
             support three wives and eight children. Each wife has her own hut, ...