kmoses

By: Chinua Achebe
 * //Things Fall Apart//**

__Part One__ Okonkwo was famous throughout the nine villages because of his personal achievements. His fame started when he was eighteen years old and had defeated Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match. As many years passed, his fame had grown. Throughout this time, Okonkwo had also become ashamed of his father. Unoka, Okonkwo's father, was in debt with several different neighbors. When he came across money he would throw parties instead of paying off some of his debts. The only joy Unoka had in his life was when he was playing the flute, and even then you could hear the sorrow in his music. When Unoka died, Okonkwo was not judged by his father's worth. Instead, he was becoming one of the greatest men of his time. Because of his powerful status in the village, Okonkwo was chosen to look after Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna is a boy that was sacfrificed to the villages of Umaofia in order to avoid war. I think it is good that Onkonkwo is not judged by his fathers mistakes. He should not be held back from achieving greatness because his father was a weak man.
 * Chapter One

In the middle of the night the town crier had banged on the //ogene//, which meant there was a message for the village people. The message was that every man was to gather at the market-place tomorrow morning. The night of the message was a dark night and all the village people feared dark nights. They feared evil spirits and dangerous animals that did not come out on the nights of moonlight. As Okonkwo rested in his bamboo bed, he decided that the message meant that the Umuofia villages were going to war. Okonkwo was not afraid of war, and had already collected five human heads from previous battles. In the morning, there were about ten thousand men in the market-place. The men were told how a woman from Umuofia was killed at a market in Mbaino. After much discussion, the men had decided to let Mbaino decide between war or the offering of a young man and a virgin for compensation. Mbaino chose to provide the compensation because they feared Umuofia's power in war and medicine. The virgin went to Ogbuefi Udo because his wife was the woman murdered, and Okonkwo was asked to look after the boy, Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna had lived in Okonkwo's household for three years. Okonkwo's wives and children feared him because he ruled his household with a heavy hand. Okonkwo was cruel because he lived in fear that he would resemble his hated father. Everything his father loved, Okonkwo swore to hate it. While Ikemefuna stayed with Okonkwo, he lived in fear. The boy could not understand what was happening and what he had done wrong. I think Onkonkwo is right to dislike his father, but he shouldn't hate him to an extent that he has to be cruel to his family. Also, I don't think the entire village is cruel, like Onkonkwo, because they offered Mbaino an alternative to war when they could have just attacked their people.
 * Chapter Two

A story is told of how Onkonkwo's father went to the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves to find out why he had such a horrible harvest. The Oracle was called Agbala, and people from all around would consult it for an explanation for recent misfortunes or if they had a dispute with their neighbors. When Unoka went to Agbala he started to explain his situation and was immediately told to stop. The priestess that spoke for Agbala told Unoka that he was weak and needed to work more like a man. Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a condition that caused swelling in the limbs and stomach, and this swelling was an abomination to the earth goddess. Men with this condition were not allowed to die in a house, instead they were carried to the evil forest and were left to die. When Unoka was carried away he took his flute with him. Okonkwo was at a disadvantage because he did not inherit a barn or a title from his father like most of the other men. When Okonkwo started farming he would have to go to his wealthy neighbors and ask to use some of their crops. They respected Onkonkwo because he was a hard worker. One year he took eight hundred seeds from a wealthy neighbor, Nwakibie, and that was the worst year of his life. The first rains of the season had come too late and did not last long. The sun was as fierce as it had ever been and lasted for eight weeks. After the sun had gone away, the rain started to pour down. The rain would fall day to day without any pauses. That year the harvest was sad, and many farmers wept as they dug up their pathetic crops. Onkonkwo thought that since he survived that year he could survive anything. I think it was very hard for Onkonkwo when he first started out on his own, but I don't think his father is to blame. Onkonkwo's father obviously did something right because his son had grown up to become a village leader.
 * Chapter Three

An old man was talking about Onkonkwo's rise from poverty and misfortune to being one of the leaders of the clan. Everybody respected Onkonkwo, but were surprised by his cruelty towards less successful men. When a man without a titl had contradicted one of his ideas, Onkonkwo quickly called him a woman without even looking at the man. Everybody who witness the name-calling sided with the titleless man, and Onkonkwo was quick to apologize. Onkonkwo had earned his fame and did not recieve it through luck. That is why he was chosen to look after Ikemefuna for a while. Nobody thought that Ikemefuna would stay with Onkonkwo for three years, but after they decided where he would stay the people forgot about him. At first Ikemefuna was very afraid, and even tried to run away. After some time passed, Ikemefuna became more comfortable and was very popular in Onkonkwo's household. Although he never showed it, even Onkonkwo became fond of the boy. One year during the Week of Peace, Onkonkwo had broken the peace and was punished. He was so angry when his youngest wife was not home in time to cook his afternoon meal that he beat her heavily when she did arrive home. It was unheard of to beat another person during the Week of Peace, so Onkonkwo was punished with the sacrifice of one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth, and one hundred cowries. Some of the older men of the village thought that the punishment for breaking peace had become too mild. After the Week of Peace was over, the villagers had begun planting their crops. Onkonkwo allowed Nwoye, his oldest son, and Ikemefuna to help him prepare the seed-yams. Ikemefuna now felt like part of the family. Nwoye and Ikemefuna spent a lot of time teaching each other new things and sharing their favorite stories. I think that Onkonkwo is really quick to violence, and this might cause problems for him later on. Also, I think its good that Ikemefuna is finally starting to feel at home. It would be a lot harder for him to live with Onkonkwo if he was always afraid.
 * Chapter Four

The Feast of the New Yam was an occasion for giving thanks to Ani, the earth goddess and source of all fertility. Everybody in Umuofia was in a happy, festive mood except for Onkonkwo. He did not like the idea of sitting around for days when he could be happily working on his farm. Onkonkwo's wives had invited all of their relatives so his guests would make a fairly large crowd. The feast was now three days away and Onkonkwo's wives were hard at work cleaning and drawing patterns on the walls of the huts. Onkonkwo, on the other hand, was aimlessly wandering around and looking for a way to outlet his anger. Onkonkwo came across a banana tree that was missing a few leaves and he had found a way to release his anger. He demanded to know who had killed his tree, and when his second wife confessed to cutting the leaves, Onkonkwo brutally beat her. He then decided that he wanted to go hunting and asked Ikemefuna to fetch his gun. Onkonkwo's second wife had mumbled something about his poor hunting skills, and he heard her. Onkonkwo then aimed the gun at his wife and pulled the trigger. His wife had been unharmed but she was very shaken up. Although Onkonkwo tried to shoot his wife, the Feast of the New Yam was celebrated with great joy in his household. The next day was the wrestling match between the villages. Onkonkwo's daughter, Ezinma, was really excited to attend the match. Ezinma's mother had told her that they needed to finish cooking before they could go to the match. When she served Onkonkwo his meal, she asked if they could go to the match and he said yes. I can't believe that Onkonkwo was so angry that he beat his wife for no reason and attempted to shoot her. I think that the village elders should acknowledge his violence and try to do something about it. Thus far, nobody seems to be bothered by his violent outbursts.
 * Chapter Five

The whole village, including Onkonkwo, is in attendance for the wrestling match. The match was to take place in a large circle where seven drummers were currently playing their drums. The contest started with teams of three boys who were fifteen and sixteen years of age. This was not the real match, but it set the scene for when the real match began. The last match of the day was the most exciting because it was between the best wrestlers in the nine villages. The competitors were of equal talent, but it was a fierce contest. In the end, Okafo defeated Ikezue by using a move the village people had never seen before. I like this chapter because it shows how the village people are alike. They may have different beliefs for some things, but they all seem to really enjoy the annual wrestling match.
 * Chapter Six

Ikemefuna had lived with Onkonkwo for three years, and during that time Nwoye had seen him as an older brother. The boys had developed over time and no longer wanted to spend the night in the hut of Nwoye's mother. Instead, Nwoye and Ikemefuna would spend their nights watching Onkonkwo tap his palm tree for evening wine. Onkonkwo was proud of his son's development, and knew it was all because of Ikemefuna. Hoping that Nwoye would one day rule a successful household, Onkonkwo encouraged the boys to sit with him in his //obi//. Onkonkwo and the two boys were working on the outer red walls of the compound when the locusts came. The elders said that the locusts would appear every year for seven years and then disappear for a lifetime. When they appeared, the whole villages was happy because everybody knew that locusts were good to eat. In his //obi//, Onkonkwo sat with the two boys eating their locusts. Then, Ogbuefi Ezeudu came in and requested a word with Onkonkwo. He had told Onkonkwo that the village has decided to kill Ikemefuna and that he should have nothing to do with his death. The next day, a group of elders arrived at Onkonkwo's household. After they left, Onkonkwo told Ikemefuna that tomorrow he was going home. Nwoye burst into tears and was beaten heavily. Ikemefuna had forgotten about his home and was very glad that he would get to see his mother and sister again. The next day, the men returned and left with Ikemefuna and Onkonkwo. As the men walked, Ikemefuna had thought about his family. He wasn't even sure if his mother and sister were alive. Also, he could hardly remember a time when he didn't see Onkonkwo as his father. When the man behind Ikemefuna took out his matchet, Onkonkwo had look away but he still heard the blow. Onkonkwo heard him cry and immediately took out his matchet and finished him. He did not want the other men to think that he was weak. When Onkonkwo arrived home, Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna was dead. he did not cry, but something inside him had given up. I don't understand why Onkonkwo didn't try to save the boy. Everybody liked him and he was very helpful around the compound. Also, I don't think that Onkonkwo should have lied to him about going home. It might have been better off if he didn't know where he was going.
 * Chapter Seven

Onkonkwo could not taste any of his food for two days after Ikemefuna's death. He called for Nwoye to sit with him in his //obi.// His son was now afraid of him, so as soon as he notice Onkonkwo falling asleep he left the hut. Nwoye could not sleep at night. He tried hard not to think about Ikemefuna but all the memories would not go away. After a third day of not being able to eat, Onkonkwo went to visit his friend, Obierika, to keep his mind off of the dead boy. Obierika told Onkonkwo that his daughter's suitor was coming and he wanted him to be there when he arrived. After the men had talked for a while, Onkonkwo left for a short time. When he returned there were seven men in Obierika's hut. It was around dusk when the two parties had finally reached an agreement of twenty bags of cowries for Obierika's daughter. After the agreement was reached, the men discussed the unbelievable customs of far away lands. I think that Onkonkwo should be more sensitive towards his son because he knew that Ikemefuna was like a brother to him. Also, they way they sell off their daughters is really selfish. Clearly, it is rare that a persons feelings are taken into account when decisions are made in their village.
 * Chapter Eight

For the first time in three nights, Onkonkwo slept easily. In the morning, he was woken up by someone banging on his door. It was Ekwefi, and she came to tell Onkonkwo that Ezinma was dying. Ezinma was the center of Ekwefi's world. She had given birth to ten children, but nine of them had died during infancy. After the death of her second child, Onkonkwo had gone to the medicine-man to see what the problem was. The medicine-man said that it was a wicked child who, when it died, entered back into the mother's womb to be born again. He told Onkonkwo to not let her sleep in her hut the next time she is pregnant. So, Ekwefi listened and gave birth to her third child with her mother in a different village. After it died, Onkonkwo called in a more famous medicine-man. He said that Ekwefi was to sleep with Onkonkwo in his //obi.// Finally, Ezinma was born. Although it was typical for her kind to be sick, Ezinma had not been sick since the medicine man dug up her //iyi-uwa//. When her //iyi-uwa// was dug up, her bond with the //ogbanje// world had been broken and everybody knew she would live. Now that Ezinma was sick again, Onkonkwo gathered grasses, leaves, roots, and barks from medical trees and shrubs. He mixed these items with some water and allowed the stew to boil over a fire. When he felt it was done, he told Ezinma to sit next to the pot and he put a mat over her and the pot. When the mat was removed, Ezinma was drenched in perspiration. Her mother told her to lay on a dry mat, and soon after she was asleep. I liked this chapter because it showed that Onkonkwo can actually care about other people besides himself. Also, I like it because it shows a really strong bond between a mother and her daughter.
 * Chapter Nine

The village people had gathered at sundown for a communal ceremony. It was clear that the ceremony was for men by the way the crowd was seated. Titled men and elders sat on their stools and women looked on from the outside. They were gathered for a trial of a women, Mgbafo, against her husband, Uzowulu. When the gong and the flute played, the //egwugwu// emerged from their house. Each of the nine //egwugwu// represented a village of the clan, and their leader was the Evil Forest. When the trial started, Uzowulu presented his case. He explained that he didn't owe anything to his in-laws because his wife ran back home. Also, it is the law of the clan that they should return her bride-price. Then, one of Mgbafo's brothers presented his side of the story. He explained that Uzowulu beat his sister everyday for the entire nine years she lived with him. He even beat her when she was pregnant, causing a miscarriage. Then he said that she would return if he promised to never beat her again. After hearing from both sides, the //egwugwu// went away to make a decision. When they returned, the nine //egwugwu// told Uzowulu to beg for his wife to return, and that it is not bravery when a man fights a woman. They also told Mgbafo's brothers to let her return if he comes to beg for her. Soon the trial was over, and another was beginning. I think that their justice system is not that different from ours today. The //egwugwu// are wise and make fair decisions.
 * Chapter Ten

It was a dark night, and Onkonkwo's wives were telling their children stories in their huts. Ekwefi had just told Ezinma a story about the mischievous Tortoise who fooled the birds. Ezinma had started to tell a story when Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, entered Onkonkwo's compound. Chielo insisted that Agbala wanted to see Ezinma in his house in the hills and the caves. Ekwefi wanted to go along with them, but no woman ever went into the caves besides the priestess. Ezinma was crying when Chielo carried her away on her back. Fearful for her daughter, Ekwefi followed quietly behind them. Chielo had carried Ezinma all the way to Umuachi, the farthest village in the clan. They had then turned around and walked back to the ring of hills. When Chielo took Ezinma into the underground caves, Ekwefi waited for them outside. Then, Onkonkwo had appeared out of the night. He had also followed them because he thought Ekwefi would go into the caves. She told him that she was waiting for them to come back out, and Onkonkwo waited with her. Ekwefi then realized that her daughter was safe. This chapter surprised me because Onkonkwo didn't even get mad when Ekwefi followed Chielo and Ezinma. Also, it was surprising that Onkonkwo actually cared about his wife going into the sacred caves. There have been some clear changes in Onkonkwo's character throughout the book.
 * Chapter Eleven

The next day, all the village people were in a festive mood. Obeirika was celebrating his daughter's //uri//, which is when her suitor brings palm-wine for the entire village. This was a woman's ceremony because the event was centered around the bride and her mother. After breakfast, all the women went over to Obeirika's compound to help the bride's mother cook for the entire village. Ekwefi had told Onkonkwo's other wives to inform Obeirika's wife that she would be late. She had just started her day because she was up all night waiting for Ezinma's return. Everybody was busy at Obeirika's compound. There were temporary cooking tripods set up all around and all the women were preparing different foods. There was a cry let out because a cow had been let loose. Five of the women stayed with the food, while the other women went to help get the cow back to its owner. Soon after the village people arrived, the in-laws arrived with fifty pots of palm-wine. After some time of discussion, the women entered the inner compound and the feast began. When it started to get dark outside, they lit fires and singers went around singing praise to all the men. As the musicians played, the women danced all around the compound. Soon it was time for the guests to leave. On the way out, Onkonkwo had presented them with the gift of two cocks. I think this chapter is interesting because the entire villages got together to celebrate one marriage. Also, its interesting how the suitor is responsible for bringing wine to the entire village.
 * Chapter Twelve

All of the village was asleep when it was announced that someone had died. Men stirred in their bamboo beds, waiting anxiously to hear who it was that passed on. Finally, it was announced that Ezeudu, who lived in Onkonkwo's village, was the man that died. Ezeudu was a great man, so everyone was in attendance for his funeral. He was given a funeral for a warrior, which included the death drum, firing guns and cannons, and dancing on rooftops. Ezeudu was given three titles in his lifetime, and this was a rare accomplishment. He was buried after dark with only a glowing brand to light the ceremony because of his great accomplishment of three titles. Before the burial ceremony, the funeral frenzy had really increased. More guns were being fired and the drums were beat at a faster tempo. Soon, a cry of agony was let out and everything became silent. In the center of the crowd was Ezeudu sixteen-year-old son lying in a pool of blood. Onkonkwo's gun had exploded and a stray piece of iron hit the boy in the heart. It was a crime to kill a clansman, so Onkonkwo had to flee to a different clan. In seven years, Onkonkwo was free to return back to his clan. So, Onkonkwo and his family collected their valuable items that night and fleed to a village called Mbanta. Mbanta was the village that Onkonkwo's mother lived in, so he hoped to be welcome there. The next day, men from Ezeudu's quarter went to Onkonkwo's abandoned compound and destroyed everything that was left. I don't understand why Onkonkwo was exiled because he didn't purposely commit the crime. Maybe the clanspeople should rethink the way they have funerals so things like this don't happen in the future.
 * Chapter Thirteen

__Part Two__ Onkonkwo was accepted into his mother's village. His mother's younger brother, Uchendu, helped Onkonkwo to get started in the new village. Onkonkwo was given a place to build his compound, and pieces of land where he could farm. Also, Uchendu's five sons gave Onkonkwo three hundred seed-yams each for the upcoming planting season. They told him that the season would begin after the first rainfall. When the rain finally came, it was tremendous. Then, the sun shined for days and it caused the grass to turn brown. After that, the thunder came and was soon followed by hail storms. Onkonkwo worked hard on his new farm, but he didn't feel the pleasure of working like he used to. When he didn't have any work to do, he just sat there silently in a half-sleep daze. Uchendu noticed that Onkonkwo was unhappy and decided to talk to him. He had all his sons and daughters gather along with Onkonkwo so he could address the problem. He explained to them that it was natural that Onkonkwo returned to his motherland because a child seeks their mother when they need comforted. He also told Onkonkwo that he shouldn't allow himself to be sad and the situation could be worse than being exiled for seven years. I think it was good that Uchendu confronted Okonkwo because he needs to be strong for his family again.
 * Chapter Fourteen

After two years of being exiled, Onkonkwo's friend, Obierika, came to visit him. Onkonkwo was very happy to see his friend once again. After visiting for a short time, the two men went to meet Uchendu. They were talking about friends from different villages, when Obierika told a story about a village called Abame. He told them how a white man riding an iron horse entered the village. The village people, afraid for their land, killed the white man and tied the iron horse to a sacred tree. Nothing happened for a while, until three more white men came to the village, saw the iron horse tied to the tree, and then disappeared. Soon after that, white men surrounded the village and killed everyone. Onkonkwo and Uchendu agreed that they village people should have never killed the first white man. When Obierika arrived he had two bags full of cowries. He told Onkonkwo that he had sold his seed-yams and that was the money he made from them. He also told him that he would continue to do that every year until Onkonkwo returned. Onkonkwo was very thankful for the money. I think the story about the white men will be important later on in the story. I think that Onkonkwo will meet the white men and possibly have some problems.
 * Chapter Fifteen

Two years later, Obierika paid another visit to Onkonkwo. This time he informed him that the white missionaries had come to Umuofia and built a church. Some of the titleless men of the village converted over to the strange religion. The reason Obierika came to visit Onkonkwo was that he saw Nwoye among the missionaries in Umuofia. He asked Nwoye how his father was, and he responded that Onkonkwo was not his father anymore. Obierika soon realized that Onkonkwo didn't want to talk about Nwoye either. So, he got some of the story from Nwoye's mother. She explained how the missionaries visited Mbanta. Six men came, and one of them was a white man. Many of the village people only came to their preaching to see the white man. The white man preached to them about his God, but nobody understood his reasoning. He told the village people that their Gods were not real, and would not help them on judgement day. After the white man was done talking, Onkonkwo, along with many others, thought the man was mad and shrugged off his preachings. The only person who was interested in what the white man had to say was Nwoye. He was captivated by a hymn that made him question the death of twins and Ikemefuna. I think this chapter shows the importance of religion in their culture. Nwoye chose to believe in something else, and for that, Onkonkwo no longer claims him as a son. I think this shows that the villages are not very open to changes.
 * Chapter Sixteen

After four or five nights in Mbanta, the missionaries wanted to speak with the high titled men and elders of the village. The missionaries wanted a plot of land to build a church. The rulers of Mbanta decided to give the missionaries their evil forest. The thought this would be an offer that nobody would accept, because the evil forest was full of forces and powers of darkness. To their surprise, the missionaries thanked them and burst into song. The elders said that the missionaries did not understand the darkness of the land, but they soon would. None of the village people expected them to last more than four days. The new church won its first three converts after surviving the four days without one death. Although Nwoye was interested in the new church, he kept it a secret in fear of what his father might do. Nwoye didn't dare to go to the new church, but when the missionaries preached around the villages, Nwoye was always there. At one preaching, the interpretor had told Nwoye that they now preached in the church every seventh day. So, on the following Sunday, Nwoye passed by the church several times but could not get himself to go inside. The village people were sure that doom would come to the missionaries in seven weeks. After the seven weeks had passed and nothing happened to the church, the missionaries won a handful more of new converts. The new converts had included the church's first woman. One morning, Onkonkwo's cousin passed by the church and saw Nwoye among the Christians. He immediately went to Onkonkwo's hut and told him what he had seen. When Nwoye returned home, Onkonkwo had gripped him by the neck and demanded to know where he had been. Nwoye broke free from his grip, but did not answer. Onkonkwo demanded to know again, as he hit him two or three times with a heavy stick. Uchendu demanded that Onkonkwo stop. Nwoye didn't say a word, but he walked away and never returned. Nwoye went to the church and told the missionaries he would go to Umuofia, where the Christians had a school to teach children to read and write. That night, Onkonkwo sat angerly in his hut. He didn't understand what Nwoye was thinking, but he decided that he wasn't worth fighting for. I think that Nwoye made a good decision by converting because that is what he wanted to do. I think that Onkonkwo was way to quick to anger and over-reacted. He seemed to have been changing throughout the book, but now I think he is back to his old ways.
 * Chapter Seventeen

When the church was first built, the clan had assumed that it would not survive. In reality, the church went on surviving and growing stronger as time went by. The clanspeople did worry a little, but they decided that the evil forest was the perfect place for such unwanted visitors to stay. On one occasion, the boundary between religious beliefs had been crossed by a missionary. He had gone to the village and openly ridiculed the clanspeople's gods. They had punished the man by beating him until he bled. For a long time after that nothing happened between the church and the clan. Stories were going around about how the white man not only brought a church, but also a government to their villages. The people of Mbanta didn't believe it because they have not yet been affected by the government. The church soon faced the question rather or not to let outcasts convert to their religion. The priests were very welcoming to the outcasts, but the converts were concerned about how the clanspeople would react to their decision. After much discussion, they decided to allow the outcasts to join their church with the restriction that they must shave their hair. Their hair represented their old beliefs, so in order to enter the new religion they had to shave it. A year later, the church was once again in conflict with the clan. One of the outcast converts had killed a sacred python. The phython was seen as one of the most sacred animals in Mbanta and was even addressed as 'Our Father'. Nobody actually saw the man commit the hanis crime, but the story had started among the Christians. So, the rulers and elders of Mbanta gathered to decide what action to take. In the end, they decided to ostracise the Christians. Onkonkwo was disgusted by this decision, for he thought they deserved something much more harsh. That night, it was announced that the new faith was excluded from the life and privileges of the clan. The next morning, Christian women were sent to the river. They returned with no water and explained to the church leader that they were outlawed from the clan. They didn't understand why they were outlawed, for the man that allegedly killed the phython had fallen ill and died. I think that the clanspeople were right to outlaw the Christians. They allowed the missionaries to have a part of their land, and all they did was give them troubles.
 * Chapter Eighteen

Onkonkwo had started his last harvest in Mbanta. Seven years had passed, and Onkonkwo was ready to return home to Umuofia. He regretted every day of his exile because he knew he could have become very powerful in Umuofia. Onkonkwo had sent money to Obierika and asked him to build two huts on his old compound. His family would live there until he built more huts and an outer wall for his compound. Onkonkwo decided that he needed to thank his motherland before he left. So, he had a huge feast for his mother's kinsmen. At the end of the feast, one of the oldest men rose to thank Onkonkwo. He talked about how it is important that kinsmen gather, and that he fears for the younger generation because they don't understand the importance of certain traditions. I think that Onkonkwo showed appreciation for his mother's family by throwing this feast. It was nice of him to thank them for all the help during his time of need.
 * Chapter Nineteen

__Part Three__ Onkonkwo knew that when a man was gone for a long time, someone was there to take his place. He knew that he had lost his chance to become the highest titled man in his clan. With these losses in mind, he was determined to make his return something that people would remember. So, during the first year of exile, he planned on rebuilding his compound even larger than it was before. Also, he wanted to initiate his sons in the //ozo// society because only the greatest men of the clan were able to do that. After the tragedy of Nwoye, Onkonkwo talked to his other sons and told them to be a man and not turn against him. During the seven years of exile, Ezinma had become one of the most beautiful girls in Mbanta. Onkonkwo had her and her half-sister promise not to accept a marriage proposal until they returned back to Umuofia. Onkonkwo thought that this would also help make his return grand. Umuofia had changed greatly during the seven years that Onkonkwo was away. The church had grown, and even had men of title convert to the strange religion. Also, the white men had built a court house where the District Commissioner judged cases. Men from Umuru served as his court messengers. The people of Umuofia hated the court messengers because they were foreign and arrogant. When Onkonkwo heard about these things, he wanted to fight back and drive the white men out of the village. Obierika explained to him that it was too late to fight, and their own men were now siding with the white men. I think that Onkonkwo now realizes the extent that the white men have on the village. I don't think there is any way that the clan can run the church out of the village.
 * Chapter Twenty

Many of the villagers didn't feel the strong hate against the white men like Onkonkwo felt. They knew the white men brought with them a rediculous religion, but they also came with a trading store. For the first time, palm-oil and kernel were sold at a great price, which caused much money to flow into Umuofia. A white missionary, Mr. Brown, helped make the clanspeople feel more calmly about the changes made around their village. Mr. Brown seemed to be the only white missionary that took an interest in the clanspeoples beliefs. This made him respected by the clan, and friends with high-titled men. When Mr. Brown visited a neighboring village, he always talked to Akunna about religion. Neither of the men succeeded in converting the other, but they learned a lot about the differences in their beliefs. Mr. Brown built a school and small hospital in Umuofia. He went around to each family, begging for them to send their children to his school. After much work, people came to his school to learn. Not all of the students were young, in fact, some of them were thirty years old or more. After a few months of schooling, a person could become a court messenger or court clerk. Those who stayed longer became teachers. Mr. Brown's mission had become very strong, but his health was weakening at a rapid pace. It was the first rainy season after Onkonkwo's return when Mr. Brown was leaving for home. The missionaries had visited Onkonkwo's compound to tell him about Nwoye, but they were sent away with a threat. Onkonkwo's return was not as memorable as he thought it would have been. The church, government, and trading stores were so overwhelming that nobody took notice of the warrior's return. Also, Onkonkwo could not initiate his sons into the ozo society because the initiation rite was every three years. Onkonkwo would have to wait nearly two years for his sons to enter. Onkonkwo was filled with sorrow. It was not only for himself, but for the clan, that was falling apart, and for the men, who had become soft like women. I think that Onkonkwo needs to accept that things are changing and there is no longer anything he can do to change it. He is looking at everything negatively, when some of the new things could potentially benefit him.
 * Chapter Twenty-One

Reverend James Smith was the man that took Mr. Brown's place in Umuofia. He was very different from Mr. Brown because he only saw things in black and white, good and evil. Within a few weeks of his arrival, Mr. Smith had suspended a woman from the church for pouring new wine into an old bottle. Mr. Smith heard stories about how clanspeople mutilated evil children that re-entered their mother's womb after death, and he was mortified. He didn't understand their customs, and felt that people who believed this foolishness were unworthy of the Lord's table. One of the converts, Enoch, caused great conflict between the church and the clan. It was during the annual ceremony when real troubles began. It was one of the greastest crimes to unmask an //egwugwu// in public, and that is exactly what Enoch had done. As a result of being unmasked, the ancestral spirit was killed. That night, the Mother of the Spirits walked the clan and wept loudly for her murdered son. The clanspeople were terrified by her cries. The next day, all the masked //egwugwu// gathered in the market-place. They saluted each other, and headed for Enoch's compound. The previous night, the Christian leaders gathered and decided that Enoch should hide in the parsonage for a few days while the situation cooled off. So, when the //egwugwu// did not find Enoch at his compound, they stormed to the church full of fury. Mr. Smith and his interpretor went outside the church to meet the spirits. The leader of the //egwugwu//, Ajofia, told the interpretor to have Mr. Smith return to his home. For they do not mean him harm, but they have come to destroy the church. Mr. Smith responded by telling them that he would not allow the house of God to be desecrated. When the //egwugwu// left, all that remained of the church was a pile of ash. I think that destroying the church was an irrational decision. I also think that the only thing that will come from this action is more violence between the church and clan.
 * Chapter Twenty-Two

Onkonkwo was almost happy again because the clan had listened to him with respect at a meeting. Although they had not agreed to drive away the Christians, they had agreed to do something substantial. For two days after the church's destruction, nothing happened. When the District Commissioner returned from his tour, Mr. Smith went to meet with him. Three days later, the District Commissioner asked to meet with the leaders of Umuofia. So, six leaders went to his headquarters, including Onkonkwo. The district Commissioner asked to hear their side of the story about the destruction of the church. When one of the six leaders started to tell the story, they were all handcuffed and taken to the guardroom. The District Commissioner told the leaders that they would be released after a fine of two hundred bags of cowries was paid. The men remained silent, and they ate nothing for the next two days. At night, the court messengers can in to taunt and abuse them. Onkonkwo was now filled with hate towards the white men. As soon as the leaders were captured, court messengers went to Umuofia to inform the people that they would not be released until two hundred and fifty bags of cowries were paid as a fine, fifty of which they would keep for themselves. As the news spread throughout Umuofia, the story changed. Some people heard that they were going to be hanged, while others heard that their families would be killed. In the end, the villagers paid the fine and their leaders were released. I think this chapter shows the extent of control the white men have against the villagers. The white men know they are smarter than the clanspeople, and I think they are taking advantage of that.
 * Chapter Twenty-Three

The leaders were given back their bags and matchets, and were told to go home. They did not speak to each other or anybody else. When Onkonkwo returned to his compound, Ezinma had a meal prepared for him. He had no appetite, but he ate to please her. Onkonkwo's friends were gathered in his //obi//. None of them talked, but they noticed the wound on Onkonkwo's back where a whip cut his flesh. In the middle of the night, it was announced that there was going to be a meeting in the morning. As Onkonkwo layed on his bamboo bed, he swore vengeance for the way the white men treated him. Onkonkwo worried that one man, Egonwanne, would persuade everybody against war. He decided that if the clanspeople listened to Egonwanne, he would seek revenge on his own. When Onkonkwo went to the market-place the next morning, it was filled with people from all nine of the villages. It pleased him to see that they had such strength in numbers. The meeting began with a speech from Okika. He talked about how the white men had broken their clan. He also talked about how they must fight their brothers who betrayed them, and they must do it now. At that point, his speech was interrupted by a group of court messengers. Onkonkwo had jumped up when he saw who it was. The court messengers had informed the people that the white men wanted the meeting to stop. When Onkonkwo heard this, he immediately drew his matchet. With two blows, the messenger's head layed beside his uniformed body. Onkonkwo then knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He heard people asking why he did it. Without a word, he wiped his matchet in the sand and went away. I think that Onkonkwo should have waited until the people made a decision on what course to take before he resorted to violence. He made a decision without thinking it through, and I think he immediately regretted it. I am curious to see what kind of punishment Onkonkwo will recieve for his crime.
 * Chapter Twenty-Four

The District Commissioner went to Onkonkwo's compound with a band of soldiers and several court messengers. When he arrived, he found a small crowd of men sitting in the //obi//. The commissioner asked which one of the men was Onkonkwo, and Obierika told him that he was not there. The Commissioner became angry and demanded to know Onkonkwo's location. So, Obierika lead the way to where Onkonkwo was located. He took them to a tree from which Onkonkwo's body was hanging. They asked the Commissioner to help them take down the body because it was against their customs to touch the body of a suicidal man. Also, they explained that they could not bury the body. So, the messengers took down the body and carried it to the court house. The District Commissioner had planned to write a book about the different parts of Africa he helped become civilized. He planned to use Onkonkwo's story in his book because he thought it would make interesting reading for his audiance. He also decided to title his book //The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.// I think this was a very tragic end for Onkonkwo. He had great ambition to become one of the greatest leaders of his tribe, but he chose to end his life like a coward. I think it is safe to assume that Umuofia, like Onkonkwo, will fall to the white men. It is sad to think that the village people will be forced to change their beliefs or have a tragic ending, just like their brave leader.
 * Chapter Twenty-Five

//The End.//