Chapter 1
Okonkwo's main characteristics through the first chapter are that he is a very serious and commanding man. He rules with a harsh and heavy hand to make sure that all listen to him.His father was an opposite of him. He was loving, calm, a debtor and coward. Okonkwo feels that since his father showed this side of him that he was weak. His father also lacked the ability to be a hard worker which resulted in him not having any wealth. Therefore he would create great debts because of his constant borrowing of cowries. Okonkwo wants to be the opposite of his father so he is a great fighter, unlike who his father was who was afraid of the sight of blood.
Chapter 2
The night fills the people with a lot of fear and paranoia. They fear the visit of evil spirits. To deal with their fear of snakes they do not call them by there name because they fear that they will come if they hear their name. So to deal with that they call them strings. The cause of conflict with Mbaino is because they killed a girl from Umuofia. The purpose of taking Ikemefuna is to sacrifice him instead of starting a war. Okonkwo overcompensates for his father’s weakness by ruling with a extremely heavy hand. He is too harsh and will beat if his demands are not met. He dislikes his son Nwoye so much because of he is often sluggish when asked to do something and Okonkwo hates that lazy characteristic. The disadvantages of the separate huts for the wives is that this creates separation between individuals but in a way creates a community. Achebe’s manner of introducing the culture is critical yet he does exhibit that there is culture. As well stating some comparisons of their culture to other cultures that are supposedly civilized.
Chapter 3
The priestess of Agbala has the effect of changing one’s judgment of women’s role in this society because women are also possible of being in high positions. As well as being in high positions they are of high regards. Awareness of rank is seen in palm wine drinking through the first wife drinking first and continuing order of wives. Sharecropping works through one person growing crops and keeping a share of the crops. Women also grow crops which are thought to be feminine like coco-yams, beans and cassava. Okonkwo deals with the worst year by realizing how great his inner strength is and knowing that he can achieve anything.
Chapter 4
Okonkwo is a very hard working man, and very aware of a man’s responsibility. On the other hand he is too harsh and quite a stubborn man. The proverb about the chi saying yes is to create positive and a believing chi allows accomplishments to come to you. The relationship between Ikemefuna and Okonkwo is like that between a father and a son. The crime that causes Okonkwo to be reprimanded is to beat his wife on the week where there is supposed to be peace. The values of this culture are that traditions and culture should be respected as much as possible, no matter who denies the rules should suffer the consequences.
Chapter 5
Okonkwo's attitude towards feast is different compared to that of the other village people. He does not seem to excite the same manner as others do and does not show great pleasure. Ikwefi is a woman different from the others. She is a rebel. For not only did she run away from her husband to be with Okonkwo but she is impulsive. In a manner that she speaks what she think and feels. The significance of women having to sit with their legs closed is so that they will not show their private areas. Only another one of the other ways to keep women conserved.
Chapter 6
The role Chielo plays in the village is a very important one. For Chielo is the priestess of Agbala, the oracle of the hills. When there is a important message to be sent out to the people from Agbala, a powerful spirit, she is the one to spread it out to the people. The great significance of this is that women play grand roles which are held of high regards and respect.
Chapter 7
Nwoye has begun to act like a man by doing masculine tasks commanded by his parents, such as splitting wood or pounding food. Okonkwo associates the philosophy of ruling with a heavy hand to exhibit manliness. Keeping check of your women and children makes you a great man. Nwoye proudly accepts his fathers ideals of what it is to exhibit manliness with no question asked. He does as he sees his father do and feels proud of himself for winning his fathers admiration. The village people are excited and drop everything once the locust comes around. They show no signs of fear and show acceptance to the locust.Okonkwo is probably asked not to partake in the killing of Ikemefuna for the boy sees him as his father and this will create or attract negativity in some fashion. For how can a father kill his own son. They have probably chosen to kill the boy because that was the original intent of him. To be taken away from Mbanta for doing wrong, kill this young man in order to prevent war. The song Ikemefuna remembers is not translated for then the song would lose meaning. Something must remain in the native language not all can be translated to English. Okonkow acts the way he does because of his horrible ideals of what a man is. He does not want to be seen as weak and therefore helps kill Ikemefuna when he runs towards him pleading for help.
Chapter 8
Okonkwo admires all the characteristics of Ezinma except that she is a female. He wishes she was female therefore being similar to him. The two different customs of each way of trying to persuade the parents either with cash or goods or presents is treating the women as if though they were some type of animal. They must make the women feel as if though they have no self worth and they do not even deserve the right to choose their own destinies. It is possible that women are though marriageable at their mid-teens because then they are developed, past their childhood. As well as being able to reproduce. The white man is brought into the story by making a fool of a man with leprosy. Thus being a skin condition changing the skin color the man and making him look white. They could suppose that white men have no toes because they might know that they cover there feet with shoes. The attitudes of the men create the white man to be some inferior and alien like creatures.
Chapter 9
Ikwefi prizes her daughter Ezinma so highly because she is the only child she has given birth to which survived. After several young ones she has had none of them live as long as Ezinma has. The attitude that the throwing away of children reflects is that of a negative aspect of culture. For the children either are seen as worthy and if they are not, good riddance. Achebe never seems to validate or disvalidate the belief of ogbanje. For what he does is give details on what is done and not if it is right or wrong.
Chapter 10
The women hold great respect for the traditional ceremony . The egwugwu are terrifying to the women, that it is only a costume but they are more than men now. This ceremony serves to keep fear in the Ibo society and to maintain respect towards higher powers. Controversial issues are also settled using the ceremony because the common people of the tribe believe it to be the only real way to solve a dispute. To refute Usowulu’s argument he says that a pregnant womens lover would not sleep with her at that time in her life. This way of thinking involves whole families where if a family is unhappy with a husband they can ask for forgiveness. This ideals allows for women to always have people to fall back on if they are not being treated well, but at the same time interference can at times negatively affect a relationship.
Chapter 11
The moral of the fable of the tortoise is to prevent people from becoming to selfish. That your horrible selfish act will catch up to you. It tells people to not trick others for your own good because in the end you will be the one who suffers a loss. Dignity, generosity, and selflessness are all reflected in this fable. The incident of the priestess shows what respect the people have if they don't stop her from taking the child. The people of the Ibo tribe place tradition on a very high level of respect and remain very true to it. Gods are leaders that are whole-heartedly followed with no questions asked.
Chapter 12
Unity is extremely emphasized in the ceremony as the whole village comes together to celebrate a wedding. Everyone gathers around and either is there to participate or just be there to maintain a concistency to the traditions. Also the family of each person wedding compliments one another on their good qualities and talk about how they will again unite later on in the future. It is a great manner to expose your truthfull ways and show that your conscience is clear.
Chapter 13
The one-handed man talks of how if he were not the person he was he would ask him to come back and redeem himself. Ezeudu was not a coward or poor but the man asked that if he died a natural death then he not come back to haunt somebody. While saying this he shows that he was an honorable man that had accomplished a lot throughout his life. This incident is serious because Okonkwo has killed one of the fellow clansmen. To kill one of your fellow clansmen is greatly punished act that will cause him to be exiled. To start a new away from Umuofia.
Chapter 14
The significance of comparing Okonkwo to a fish out of water is to exhibit clearly how he has been taken out of his elements. He does not have his yams or other great things anymore, they were left in his fathersland. Now he needs to live a new and different life. For once he had developed his rythm of life but now must establish a new rythm for himself. His lack of understanding for wome reflect on making him appear like a child. A young naive child who has not lived yet and must learn so much. He needs to understand who is important and why.
Chapter 15
The story of Abame summarizes the experience of colonization because it was simple what they did. It is not difficult to understand. The colonizers would come into the land. First appearing peaceful trying to persuade with sweet acts to obtaing what they most desire. Then once something does not work out for them then they would use force if necessary. This was so even if it meant destroying towns and killing all.
Chapter 16
The missionary tells the Ibo that he will bring more “iron horses” and some of the Ibo people will use them. Once he said this some of the Ibo became interested. The manner in which the Christians went about in converting the Ibo was not how they were supposed to because although they were devout Christians they still opposed the religion. Nwoye has become a Christian because the beliefs of Christianity greatly appeal to him. He doesn’t like the idea of sacrificing people and Chrisitanity allows for the prevention of sacrifices.
Chapter 17
Between the Christians and the Ibo there are many differences one being that the missionaries believe in one god as opposed to the Ibo who believe in various gods. Also, sacrifices to gods is practiced by the Ibo tribe while the missionaries do not promote any type of killing. The Evil Forest was supposed to be a sly way of ridding the Ibo of the missionaries because all of the villagers knew that it was taboo to live in the forest but once the Christians didn’t die the Ibo began to be convinced by the missionaries. What the metaphor is basically stating is since Okonkwo is considered to be living fire the only thing he can produce is ashes which in reality are useless just as his son Nwoye is.
Chapter 18
The reason as to why Achebe did not mention the outcaste was so they can actually serve a purpose and explain how the missionaries were able to convert some villagers so easily. Since they had nothing else to live for or represent they converted to Christianity seeing as it welcomed them with open arms. The osu had not experienced before ever in their lifes and for them it is something wonderful and new for who has ever been so kind. The kind acts of the missionaries would cause the resentment and bitterness to melt away.
Chapter 19
The main threat that Christianity poses to the villagers is the idea of welcoming those outcasts with open arms. Also it gives the “sinners” a place to run to and not be confound to exile. The missionaries provide them with a scapegoat if the villagers are to be unhappy.
Chapter 20
The courts are a different method of handling disputes unlike the Ibo way which focuses on utilizing fear to prevent any sins from occurring. Different methods that were once done now can not be performed. These acts can not be performed for if they are done they would be greatly punished by the district commissioners commands and rules. The idea of having courts challenges the punishment of gods in the Ibo society as people have second chances and do not have to live in fear of being killed for doing something wrong.
Chapter 21
Many of the Ibo people welcome the British because they have provided the building that has become a trade store. In this trade store things are sold. These things that are sold are things that once people could not get value for. Some of those things are kernel or other sort of things. Thus if wealth is brought in so then let the missionaries bring the wealth. For if they are accepted so is the wealth.
Chapter 22
Reverend Smith is more of an ignorant person than Brown. This is becuase of his black and white philosophy which causes him to be blind and not able to understand how to conver people.He constantly contradicts the Ibo people’s beliefs and stirs up many conflicts between the two cultures as opposed to Brown who knew he could convert the villagers without any type of agression of confrontations. The manner in which he thinks makes him believe that only what he believes is what matters. Because of the way he acts he does things that make him lose people who had already been won.
Chapter 23
The District Commissioner says that the purpose of their colonizing was to make the village people happy. That with their works they will make the people happy by providing structure. They will pacify there evil ways of killing one another for petty beliefs. That with the help of their visit they will change them into something greater and happier.
Chapter 24
It is understandable that Okonkwo acted the way he did for it is not his fault. He had grown weary of the fact that his culture was changing, maybe even dying because of people like the court messenger. So although he acted impulsively it was only understandable that he acts like this for he wants to fend for his own.
Chapter 25
Okonkow hanging himself was omthing shocking. For this was the last act he had done, and it had to be killing himself. An act seen as dishonorable and desecrating to the land. I was sad because of the ending of the bookd. I believe I was sad because not only has a great man died but also some great pieces of the Ibo culture.
