chinua achebe things fall apart sparknotes

Ezinma is sickly, and sometimes Ekwefi fears that Ezinma, too, will die.

Ekwefi has born ten children, but only Ezinma has survived. He is constantly disappointed by Nwoye, but he has great love for his daughter Ezinma, his child by his second wife Ekwefi. Okonkwo is shaken as well, but he continues with his drive to become a lord of his clan. Nwoye is spiritually broken by the event. He does so despite the advice of the clan elders. Okonkwo, fearful of being perceived as soft-hearted and weak, participates in the boy's death. But eventually the Oracle calls for the boy's death, and a group of men take Ikemefuna away to kill him in the forest. In particular, Nwoye, Okonkwo's oldest son, loves Ikemefuna like a brother. He becomes like a part of Okonkwo's family. He lives in Umuofia for three years, and during that time he lives under Okonkwo's roof. The boy, whose name is Ikemefuna, is to be sacrificed, but not immediately. The girl is to become the offended party's new wife. To avoid war, the offending clan gives Umuofia one virgin and one young boy. One day, a neighboring clan commits an offense against Umuofia. He has taken three wives and his barn is full of yams, the staple crop. Through hard work, he has become a great man among his people.

Okonkwo has risen from nothing to a high position. Umuofia is a powerful clan, skilled in war and with a great population, with proud traditions and advanced social institutions. The bulk of the novel takes place in Umuofia, a cluster of nine villages on the lower Niger.

Chinua achebe things fall apart sparknotes