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Okonkwo is a village hero and is the son of Unoka, a lazy and improvident debtor. Unoka is in debt with many people, and keeps track of what he owes with chalk lines on his hut wall. Unoka likes to play his flute in his hut and makes merry with his neighbors whenever he gets money to buy wine. He has never taken title, and is against violence. Unoka to observe the birds (kites) and asks them if they have brought any lengths of cloth with them upon returning to the land for the season.
 * =Summary:=
 * CHAPTERS 1 AND 2

Okonkwo is the complete opposite of his father. He has three wives, many children, and is a great wrestler. He has slain five men in battle and saves the heads of those he has killed. Okonkwo's goal is to be the polar opposite of his father, and lives in fear of being alike to Unoka. For this reason, he consciously chooses to hate all that his father loves and rules over his household with a strong hand.He also has no patience for unsuccessful men, and has a short temper. Okonkwo beats and nags his son, Nwoye in order to break him of his laziness.

One evening, the crier asked everyone to meet in the market the next morning as he pounded on his instrument. That morning they all collected, led by Obuefi Ezeugo and told them that the wife of Ogbuefi Udo was killed in the market by a rivaling village. An ultimatum was made to the village and Okonkwo was the emmisary of war, delivering the ultimatum of either sacrificing a young man and a virgin to the village or declare war. Because Umofia was feared by their neighbors due to their dominance in war, magic, and medicine, the sacrifice was chosen. The virgin went to replace the wife that was killed and the young man, Ikemefuna, was to be looked after by Okonkwo, who was decided to be the most suitable person for the job. It has been foreshadowed that something terrible will happen to Ikemefuna.

NOTE: The village could offer the option of war, but wouldn't necessarily go to war without consulting the Oracle. Disobedience of the Oracle results of a loss in the war. Also the village medicine woman has only one leg, and can be found hopping around the village at night. Night is a feared time of day because the animals are violent and active, and the name of the snake will not even be uttered in fear that the snake will hear its name being called at night.

The chapter was told by a flashback of when Okonkwo was young. Okonkwo and his family were suffering because his father was lazy and the land they lived on was not a good land to live on or harvest on. Unoka had gone to the Oracle named Agbala. Agbala had even confirmed that Unoka's land was no good, and with his work ethic things would not get any better. After Unoka died in the "Evil Forest", Okonkwo couldn't sit by and let his family starve so he went to the towns richest man, Nwakibie, and asked him for help. After a ceremony with wine, pepper, a kola nut, and a cock, Nwakibie told Okonkwo how he trusted him the most. Out of all the men that have come to Nwakibie for help, he trusted Okonkwo and was willing to help. He gave Okonkwo yams for harvest, and Okonkwo got more yams from an old family friend. That year was the worst year for harvest, and Okonkwo was losing faith. Unoka told Okonkwo that if he was able to get through that tough year, then he could get through anything, and he will not despair. We predict for the next chapter that things for Okonkwo will start looking up and the harvest seasons will get better.
 * CHAPTER 3:

Okonkwo has a very short temper, and beat his wife during the week of peace because she was getting her hair done instead of making the afternoon meal. This was looked down upon by all of the towns people and no one realy had alot of respect for him, Okonkwo was called little bird by the priest of the earth godess named Ezeani. After the week of peace Okonkwo started to plant his seed yams. Seed yams were considered manly and if a man could provide those for his family it was look upon as something great. The rains started coming down hard after okonkwo planted his yams. Ikemefuna started to miss his family alot but him and Nwoye were close and ikemefuna would tell the family tribal stories that never got old. Nwoye always wanted to know who Nnadi was in ikemefuna's stories as well. We predict that Okonkwo will start to teach more lessons and life stories to ikemefuna since he is starting to grow as more of part of the family.
 * CHAPTER 4:

The season of plenty began and the village threw out the old yams and prepared a fest of new yams. Okonkwo would have rather stayed on his farm and worked instead of participating in the activities and the feast. Ekwefi cut leaves off a banana tree and Okonkwo beat her. She said something that Okonkwo found offensive, and out of rage grabbed his gun and shot it to scare her. Ekwefi has a daughter named Ezinma who wants to help around the farm a lot so she helps Nwoye's mother with a fire and making a delivery. Nwoye's mother called Ezinma "Ezigbo" which means "the good one". Later the drums began to beat which signaled the start of the wrestling match and began at sundown. Obiageli, Nwoye's younger sister broke a pot down by the stream and at dinner they all learned from Okonkwo to not talk with food in their mouths. We predict that Okonkwo will enter the wrestling match and that Ezinma will start helping out more to try and get her father's affection.
 * CHAPTER 5

During the wrestling competition, the whole village gathered and the women who wanted kids sat under a sacred cotton tree with the spirits of good children yet to be born living in the tree. We learn that Maduka, son of Obierka was an upcoming young wrestler. Okonkwo and family sat next to the Priestess of Agbala whose name is Chielo. She was a widow with two kids, and was very fond of Ezinma. In the main event of the wrestling match, Okafo beat Ikezue, and the village carried him home on his shoulders.
 * CHAPTER 6

Three years had passed since Ikemefuna came to Okonkwo, and it was the season after the harvest. Since the arrival, both boys had grown up a bit, however Okonkwo was especially proud of his son, Nwoye. Nwoye was becoming more of a man and loved listening to his father's stories, and now felt as though the stories that his mother told him were silly, although he did love hearing them before. After making repairs to the walls on the compund's huts, Ogbuefi Ezeudu told Okonkwo that the Oracle of the Caves and Hills pronounced that Umofia must kill Ikemefuna, however Okonkwo just told Ikemefuna that he was going home. As a result, Nwoye cried and was beaten for doing so. On the travel "home," Ikemefuna contemplated whether his mother was alive or not, so he sang a song while walking to determine. Eventually, Ikemefuna became afraid of his fate, and Okonkwo killed him because he was afraid of looking weak.
 * CHAPTER 7

PREDICTION: Nwoye will feel differently towards his father and may turn on him.

After the death of Ikemefuna, The dynamic of Okonkwo's compound drastically changed. Nwoye was afraid of Okonkwo, who was left guilty for the killing of Ikemefuna and didn't eat for two days. Okonkwo thought of himself as a woman for his remorse, however at the same time he was shocked that he was trying so desperately to get over the eath of Ikemefuna. Later, Okonkwo visited his friend Obierka to discuss the events that had passed. Obierka believed that Okonkwo should have stayed home because he disrespected the earth. Okonkwo thought that it had to be done because the Earth demanded it, and if not him, who? Also discussed was the meaning of title in different villages and that it had little meaning in some places. Also, the death of Ogbuefi Ndulue as brought up, and although the death itself was not strange, the story behind it was. After he died, his wife found out and died soon after. It was told that Ndulue did nothing without telling his wife, which Okonkwo found strange because he saw it as something a person of title wouldn't do because men wouldn't normally have such respect for a woman.
 * CHAPTER 8

Ekwefi's daughter, Ezinma, is sick with an //iba// or a fever. There was a flashback to the earlier years in which Ekwefi had given birth to 10 children, and all had died except for Ezinma. She had an attachment to Ezinma because of this, because Ezinma is her only child while Okonkwo's other wives have more than 3 children each. The medicine man had believed that Ezinma had caused Ekwefi suffering, so he asked her where she hid her "iyi-uwa" or her stone that connects her, the "ogbanje" or the changeling who repeaditly dies and returns to their mother, to the spirit world. She led the medicine man, her mother, and Okonkwo, and other people of the town on an adventure through the area to show them where she buried her iyi-uwa. Eventuallly she led them right into town and the medicine man found it and got rid of it. A year later, Ezinma had a terrible fever, but Okonkwo took care of her by boiling leaves and putting Ezinma over it.
 * CHAPTER 9

A trial was brought before the egwugwu, the 9 spiritual leaders of Umofia with one to represent each village. The egwugwu had the highest power, and whatever they said went because they represent the dead. We find that Okonkwo is an egwugwu, which can be seen by the spring in his step. Also, the case shows us that if a wife runs away from her husband, the in-laws can pay the marriage-price to take her back. If beaten too much, a wife can leave and if the man wants her back, he must bring wine and beg.
 * CHAPTER 10

The nights have been dark in the villages, and the people rely on folk stories to pass the time. One night, Chielo the priestess of Agbala, was suddenly possessed by Agbala. She was ranting about how she (Agbala) needs to meet Ezinma immediately and practically kidnapped her. Ekwefi was worried and started to go after her daughter and Chielo because "she was a different person tonight". They went on a long journey through the dark with only Chielo's voice leading Ekwefi. After ending up at another village, Chielo turned around and ended at a cave with Ezinma. Ekwefi swore she would wait up for Ezinma in case she was ever in trouble.
 * CHAPTER 11

This chapter was mainly centered around the traditions of the village. Obierka's daughter was getting married and the whole village was to celebrate and make food and contribute to the party. Obierka's relatives came from neighboring villages and food and nuts and wine were shared. The festivities are mostly focused on the wife and every action that was done meant something that related to respect.
 * CHAPTER 12

In this chapter the oldest man in the village, Ogbuefi Ezeudu died. During a ritual ceramony, Okonkwo accidentally killed Ezeudu's son with his gun that went off. Due to this incident it was concidered as a female offense. Okwonkwo was outkasted from the village for 7 years. On top of that, the village burned Okwonko's land and house. Basically everything he owned was taken away from him.
 * CHAPTER 13

__**PART 2**__ After Okonkwo was banished from his home land of Umofia, he went back to his mother's land, Mbanta. When he was there, he was welcomed by his mother's brother, his uncle Uchendu. The weather was severely hot and alternated to severly rainy for a while. Okonkwo and his family were busy working hard to rebuild their land and grow yams. There was a ceremony with Uchendu's daughter getting married, and it showed us how different cultures work things. At the ceremony, Uchendu explained to Okonkwo and his family about how if a child feels unsafe or scared, they always return to their mother or the mother land. In Mbanta, the mothers are supreme.
 * CHAPTER 14

Obierka came to visit Okonkwo in his new land. It was required that visitors go to Uchendu as guests, and when Obierka went to Uchendu, he told him of a story about Abame, a village that was completely wiped out. A white man had come to visit that village and the village killed him. They tied his "iron horse" to a tree. After that, three more white men came to the village led by natives. One market week, the men shot everyone and everyone died. Uchendu taught Obierka and Okonkwo a lesson about not harming someone who doesn't speak, which the natives had done to the original white man. Obierka gave Okonkwo the money from his remaining yams.
 * CHAPTER 15

Prediction: The white people will come to Okonkwo's village.

Obierka visited Okonkwo 2 years later and informed him about the missionaries that came to visit Umofia. He also wanted to talk about Nwoye, who had turned into a missionary himself. The missionaries came to Mbanta where Okonkwo and his family are and explained to the people about his God and how their religion/gods are not real. The white man explained more of his religion and said how he was planning on staying in their village.
 * CHAPTER 16

The people of Mbanta welcomed the missionaries, but they needed land. The missionaries were able to build their church on a piece of the Evil Forest, and the people of Mbanta hoped bad things would happen but nothing did. Every week a couple more people would convert to Christianity, every 7th day. Mr. Kiaga, an interpreter, had taken Nwoye in and told him about the school in Umofia where children could learn to read and write. This worried Okonkwo about the future and how his children are going to turn out. He feels that if he were to die, his children would all follow in Nwoye's footsteps.
 * CHAPTER 17

Mr. Kiaga explained to the people of Mbanta that the church will take anybody, including "osu" or "outcasts". People like Okonkwo and twins and others like that were welcome. Before the missionaries had come to the villages, killing a python was wrong because it was considered sacred for representing "the god of water". Mr. Kiaga told the people that it was okay to kill a python because in the end God would forgive them as long as they had an atonement. Okonkwo was determined to banish the christians and get them out of the village.
 * CHAPTER 18

It's the last year of Okonkwo's exile, and so he has begun to make preparations for his return. he has paid Obierka to build two huts for him, and when he returns to Umofia, he will build the rest for his family. He will also build the walls of his compound because only he can do it, as bound by custom. To thank his mother's relatives, he held a huge feast, and made sure there was plenty of food to show his gratitude.
 * CHAPTER 19

__PART 3:__**
 * //Prompt Ideas://**
 * //If all else fails, be loyal to your kin.//**

Okonkwo and his family are back in Umofia living in huts and living off the land as they did before. The years went by and in that time, Ezinma grew into a beautiful young woman that all the men wanted to marry. Okonkwo had her wait until they got back to Umofia, because he would want her to marry a respectable man in that village. Ezinma and Okonkwo bonded more than before, but he still regrets that she wasn't a boy. Obierka was telling Okonkwo the story about Abame and and how Oduche died after fighting the white men. He also mentioned how Aneto was hanged in Umuru during that time.
 * CHAPTER 20

This chapter was about the newer white missionary, Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown was greatly respected by people in the clan because he respected them. He also kept his group under control and told them to be nice to the clan. A man in the clan named Akunna had given one of his sons to be taught by Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown taught a lot of people in the area, and some moved on to be court members and teachers. He eventually got sick and had to leave. A while before he left, he told Okonkwo about Nwoye, and Okonkwo reacted negatively. He was upset about how womenly and weak Umofia had become.
 * CHAPTER 21

After Mr. Brown left, he was replaced by Mr. Smith, who is the exact opposite of Mr. Brown. He feels that there is only white and black, and black is evil. He disrespects the clan and feels he needs to narrow down the converts because he thinks the Lord can only take in so many people. A villager named Enoch, the son of the snake priest with lots of energy and a tendency to fight a lot, removed the mask of an egwugwu which in turn "killed the spirit". The egwugwu were upset about this so they went after Enoch, who was hidden by Mr. Smith for safety. It wasn't a good idea because the egwugwu threatened Mr. Smith that they would destroy the church, but wouldn't harm //him////.// They explained how they liked Mr. Brown better and the burning of the church was a big message.
 * CHAPTER 22

After the church was burned, Mr. Smith talked to the District Commissioner. After their conversation, the leaders of Umofia were taken to the white man's headquarters for a talk. After short lecture from the District Commissioner, the men found themselves handcuffed and imprisoned. The men were told that their village had to pay a fine of 200 bags of cowries from burning the curch among other crimes. During their imprisonment, the men were beaten heavily with whips and were denied food until their release. They were released soon after the village crier called for a meeting and told everyone to contribute to paying the fine, which the white messengers changed to 250 bags of cowries so they could have a cut of the payment.
 * CHAPTER 23

Okonkwo is furious of his prior curcumstances, and wants to take his revenge on the white man. Doing so would be in spite of the village speaker Egonwanne who was viewed as a coward. Egonwanne was a smooth talker, and could talk his way out of the idea of the village going to war. Okonkwo planned on speaking his mind and starting a war at the village meeting, where everyone from surrounding villages came in attendance to discuss what to do. The meeting was interrupted by a band of messengers, the head messenger pushing his way through the crowd and stating that the Commissioner decreed that it be put to a halt. Okonkwo took his machete and cut his head off.
 * CHAPTER 24

After the murder of the messenger, the District Commissioner came to Okonkwo's compound to bring him punishment. He was with a group of armed men, and met Obierka and other men of the village in the compound. They asked where Okonkwo was, but Obierka insisted that he was not there, and that they needed the men's help. Obierka brought the men to the back of Okonkwo's compound and showed the white men Okonkwo's corpse hanging from a tree. It was against Umofia's tradition to cut him down, so they needed the white men to do it for them and give him a burial because his body was evil, and could not be touched by clansmen.
 * CHAPTER 25


 * PROMPT IDEAS:**
 * Government will always have control.
 * Violence has consequences
 * treat others how you would want to be treated
 * Respect your elders
 * Men are superior in society
 * Stay true to your religion
 * Different beliefs bring violence
 * Showing weakness can lead to death
 * Doing things/actions on impulse cause problems
 * Not all children live up to the expectations of their parents.