Summary Things Fall Apart 6-13

 A wrestling match is taking place in the ilo, the elder and the high ranged people sit on their stools, drumers began to play rhythmically and the tension grows. The first group are boys between ages of fifteen to sixteen, this were not yet the real wrestlers however one that excel was Maduka. Next came the center of attention of why they all meet, the fearest wrestlers came and people applauded, one was called Okafo and the other Ikezue; as they wrestled anxiety grew and finally Okafo defeats Ikezue.

For three years Ikemefuna has lived in Okonkwo's household and adapted quickly, he represented a big brother to Nwoeye but soon this hapiness would be over. One day as Okonkwo, Nwoeye and Ikemefuna were working on the outer walls of the compound a huge shadow fell over them, as they looked up Okonkwo and the rest of Umofia shouts of joy because locusts(type of grasshoppers) were landing on the plants, they had not been seen since many years ago and so all the village waited till night to capture them.The next day Okonkwo and his two boys were happily eating the locust when a old man appears in his obi and asks to have a word with him, as they go out Ogbuefi Ezeudu(the oldest man in their tribe) says that the Oracle f the Hills and Caves prophesized that Ikemefuna should be killed and that it wasno business of Okonkwo to participate in the death, he would be taken the next day to the outskirts of Umofia. Okonkwo lies to Ikemefuna saying he would go home that day, a large party of elders carrying large machetes and goat skin bags showed the way; at first Ikemefuna is not frightened and remembers about his mother but then he hears someone breathing at his backs and turns he is then hit and loses consciousness immediately after Okonkwo cut his head.

After the killing of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo is not the same person he is very depressed, drinks a lot of palm wine and accuses himself for being an old woman, he decides to visit his friend Obierika and as he sits with him he is invited to the afternoon ceremony of setting the bride-price with his suitor. As afternoon comes the suitors family gathers at Obierika's obi and her daughter is presented in beautifu clothing and painting; food is brought and palmwine then th relatives of Obierika hand out the broomsticks which they use like an agreement, they were 30 in total so they negociate with the suitor andit was settled to fifteen broomsticks.

That night Okonkwo sleeps well until in the morning when a loud bang coming from the door is heard, it is his wife Ekwefi who is very worried an thinks her daughter Ezinma is dying so Okonkwo goes and sees her and collects some herbs to boil. In contrats we see a very tragic life for Ekwefi as she narrates her despair that all the nine children she gave birth to, died before the year so Ezinma was the last hope and when she was born a small pebble called the iyi-uwu was dug to killed the evil child spirit that returned to Ekwefi womb. Finally the hot water is pored to Ezinma and she falls asleep.

A communal ceremony is held the other day, better known as the trial egwuwus (people who personificate themselves as the spirits of the nine villages) were present, this was the case of a mn Uzowulu who hit every day and year his wife Mgbafo, so the brothers of the wife interfered and took her away with her children. In the end it was arranged that Uzowulu should bring a pot of palm wine and beg for her wife to come back and the brothers to accept.

Night approaches and only the noises of the night abound, storytelling had come for the children of Okonkwo, Ekwefi tells the story of a very cunning tortoise that is invited to the birds party but at the same time the tortoise takes advantage at the end he is severly suffers but learns. Then the priestess Chielo comes to Okonkwo and asks to be handed Ezinma, the Oacle need her as he refuses, lectured Ezinma wants to go with her but the priestess curses he and finally takes her away. In the end ekwefi and Okonkwo run after her and waited.

Morning approaches and the ceremony of wedding for Obierika's daughter has come, all the women of the village should bring food and help cook for the grea ceremony. Ekwefi is late because of the incident of the previous night; a cow is set loose while the cooking is taking place and people are alarmed as this is a penalty but soon the cow is taken back. In the afternoon-evening the relatives of Obierika gather following them fifty pots of wine are brought and the in- laws arrive. The bride(dressed beautifully) comes with her mother and brings the food. At the end of the ceremony the bride dances and is taken to her new home.

Umofia is in grief as the oldest man of their tribe Ezeudu dies and as he had three tiles which was an extraordinary event, a huge celebration was held. Firing and dances took place however a calamity happens, as everybody is firing one of the bullets of Okonkwo missed and hit directly into the boy's heart which was he son of Ezeudu. Okonkwo was immediately expatriate with all his family from Umofia and his house was burnt.

Citation:
Chinua Achebe (1994). Things Fall Apart. United States: Anchor Books. 46-125.

Summary Things Fall Apart

The story begins in a town called Umofia (Africa), Okwonkwo thw main character is described as a distinguished man in his tribe. As for his personality he is very violent and doesn't show any feelings. He is acknowledge in his tribe because when he was nineteen, he defeated the most fearful man called Amlinze the Cat and this had a long history of not being defeated.

His greatest actions  are contrasted as we see his miserable past, which was not favorable, he was very poor and his father Unoka had won the fame of a lofter and a very lazy person, the only thing he knew very well to do was playing the flute. He soon died and as for his burial he didn't receive a very honrable one, as for one of their beliefs says that a man who didn't posses lands, women would be not distinguished within the tribe. As for Okwonkwo when he grew older he was so ashamed of his father and angry at the same time, that he promised himself to not failon being a hardworker, obtain lands and crops.

The first action he took was at the wrestling game and then people started looking him differently but still very poor and little lands, the next thing he would is go to Nwakibie a very wealthy man o ask for a favor, which is if he can lend him some yam seeds and he should pay it for him. At first Okwonko sees he is very quiet but he mentions thta many others had also comed to ask and he was very proud of his yam seeds, to give them to complete strangers however he says he sees in Okwonkwo a very intelligent man so he gives twice four hundred seeds; Okwonkwo is very grateful, he then starts to sow the lands and dig the seeds but the terrible rain came and the seeds didn't prosper so he had only a hope when a new season would come he would start all over again, indeed altough all the difficulties he passes green leaves flourished.

Now that we have talked about the main character, other very important things happened all around Umofia, like the incident murder of wife's man; the consequences qere to declare war to Mbaino or them giving a virgin and a child, at wich they choose the second one knowing that Umofia was a place not to play or fool them, they were known for their fierceness. The virgin was given to the man who lost his wife, while the child, called Ikemefuna was sent to Okwonko's household as not knowing what to do with him.
Ikemefuna was terribly afraid of this new house altough he was very well received into the family, the first few weeks he couldn't eat and became sick but soon enough he was just a normal boy very lively and intellgent. Nwoeye a son ofOkwonko was quickly contagiated by his knowledge and wanted to be like him, Okwonko felt very fond of Ikemefuna not showing it, but deep inside as he was starting to see lazyness in Nwoeye and Ikemefuna seemed to be correcting him.

During the Week Of Peace were people didn't work, but invited all their neighbors to drink palm wine and after the weekk they would burn all the bushes to clear lands and start a new harvest. An incident occured with Okwonkwo a day when he came home to wait for supper, nobody camed at wich he came to look at his wife's hut but nobody was there, so he asked his other wives and said she was off at her friends house plaiting her hair, consequently a severe beating was held when she came back and the wives cried it was the week of peace. Fortunately Okwonkwo would be asked to pass by the shrine of Ani were he was scolded and was asked to bring a she goat, one hen and a hundred cowries. Next came the Feast Of New Yam which was a new year for them, were they would dispose old yams and grow new ones make vegetable soup and rich men invited all their relatives, Okwonkwo hated festivities preferd to work at farm. The Next day of the festival a wrestling was held, first the youngest of fifteen and sixteen and then the oldest;in this case it was Okafo and Ikezu, won Okafo.

Lastly the two boys (Nwoeye and Ikemefuna) started to gather at their fathers obi or hut every evening so they could hear stories of war and masculine stuff, they helped him in man chores and one day a man called Ogbuefi came to tell Okwonkwo that the Oracle of The Hills had pronunced that Ikemefuna should be killed, that afternoon a party of men with goatskins and machetes gathered with Okwonko and Ikemefuna walked to the outskirts of Umofia and Okonkwo caught off  Ikemefuna. 

Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe,1994).