Summary “Thing fall apart”

Summary “Thing fall apart”
Chapters: 1-6
Maria Fernanda Gonzalez Obregon
Group: 46

In this story we learn about the Ibo tribe. The main character, Okonkwo is a tall, huge and famous man. He is known throughout the nine villages. He has a lot of power, everyone respects him; he is a wealthy farmer and has 3 wives. He supports his three wives and eight children; each wife has her own hut.

But his father, Unoka, who died ten years ago, was a thin and a debtor man. Everyone laugh at him. He was very poor and had lots of debts. 
Unoka once visited an Oracle and the Oracle told him that he failed because of his laziness. Unoka died of a shameful illness. Those suffering from swelling stomachs and limbs are left in the Evil Forest to die.
Okonkwo hated everything that Unoka had loved; his had a lot of fear of being like his father, fear of failure and weakness.

Once, Ezeugo gives an announcement that someone from the village of Mbaino murdered the wife of an Umuofia tribesman when she went to the market. Okonkwo went to Mbaino and said that they have to give a virgin and a young man for what they did. When they give the fifteen-year-old boy, Ikemefuna they decided to turn him over to Okonkwo.  Ikemefuna is homesick and scared at first, but later he becomes popular with Okonkwo’s children, he even become like an older brother to Nwoye. Okonkwo really likes the kid,  Ikemefuna soon begins to call Okonkwo “father.”
It is shown how Okonkwo is extremely demanding of his family. He is starting to see that Nwoye, his son is becoming lazy. 

Okonkwo did not have the start in life that others had; Unoka was never able to have a successful harvest. Okonkwo asked wealthy clansman, Nwakibie, to give him 400 seed yams to start a farm, and he gave him eight hundred. Later, a friend of his father gave him another four hundred. Unfortunately Okonkwo just kept one third of the harvest. That year’s devastating harvest left a profound mark on Okonkwo.  

During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo sees that his youngest wife is not in the house and she did not prepare the afternoon meal. When she came back he beats her. It was the first time in many years that someone had broken the sacred peace, everyone was very surprised. The priest says to Okonkwo that he has to sacrifice a nanny goat and a hen and pay a fine.
After the Week of Peace, the villagers begin to clear the land in preparation for planting their farms.

The Feast of the New Yam is an occasion to give thanks to the earth goddess, Ani. Okonkwo never becomes very enthusiastic during this time.
Okonkwo becomes angry, and he beat his second wife, Ekwefi. Then he decides to go hunting, he is not a good hunter, so Ekwefi says something about guns that never shot. He gets angry, he shoots with the gun but he did not hurt her.
Here we can see how all the wives take care of each other.
The day after the feast is the annual wrestling contest; Ekwefi, in particular, enjoys the contest because Okonkwo won her heart when he defeated the Cat. Ezinma, Ekwefi’s only child, is Okonkwo´s favorite but rarely demonstrates his affection.

The wrestling match takes place on the village ilo. It was the first time people saw such a large crowd. The wrestling begins between boys of 15 or 16 years old. Maduka, wins one match. As the wrestling continues, Ekwefi speaks with Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves.  The last match was between the leaders of the teams: Okafo wins.