Oberieka
Okonkwo's close friend, whose daughter's wedding provides cause for festivity early in the novel. Obierika looks out for his friend, selling Okonkwo's yams to ensure that Okonkwo won't suffer financial ruin while in exile and comforting Okonkwo when he is
Ikemefuna
A boy given to Okonkwo by a neighboring village. Ikemefuna lives in the hut of Okonkwo's first wife and quickly becomes popular with Okonkwo's children. He develops an especially close relationship with Nwoye, Okonkwo's oldest son, who looks up to him. Ok
Nwoye
Okonkwo's oldest son, whom Okonkwo believes is weak and lazy. Okonkwo continually beats Nwoye, hoping to correct the faults that he perceives in him. Influenced by Ikemefuna, Nwoye begins to exhibit more masculine behavior, which pleases Okonkwo. However,
Ezinma
The only child of Okonkwo's second wife, Ekwefi. As the only one of Ekwefi's ten children to survive past infancy, Ezinma is the center of her mother's world. Their relationship is atypical�Ezinma calls Ekwefi by her name and is treated by her as an equal
Chielo
A priestess in Umuofia who is dedicated to the Oracle of the goddess Agbala. Chielo is a widow with two children. She is good friends with Ekwefi and is fond of Ezinma, whom she calls "my daughter." At one point, she carries Ezinma on her back for miles i
Mr. Brown
The first white missionary to travel to Umuofia. Mr. Brown institutes a policy of compromise, understanding, and non-aggression between his flock and the clan. He even becomes friends with prominent clansmen and builds a school and a hospital in Umuofia.
Chukwu
the god of the Igbo, the supreme deity in traditional Igbo mythology. Chukwu is the creator in their pantheon and the Igbo believe that all things come from Chukwu. Chukwu brings the rains necessary for plants to grow. There are certain trees dedicated to
Unoka
Okonkwo's father, of whom Okonkwo has been ashamed since childhood. By the standards of the clan, Unoka was a coward and a spendthrift. He never took a title in his life, he borrowed money from his clansmen, and he rarely repaid his debts. He never became
Umuofia
a Igbo clan in lower Nigeria. It is home to the great warrior Okonkwo.
Mbanta
one of the 9 Igbo villages in Things Fall Apart. Notably, it is Okonkwo's motherland, home to Uchendu, his uncle. A child goes to their mother is times of hurt, so going there would be like being a child again.
Okonkwo
An influential clan leader in Umuofia. Since early childhood, Okonkwo's embarrassment about his lazy, squandering, and effeminate father, Unoka, has driven him to succeed. Okonkwo's hard work and prowess in war have earned him a position of high status in
The Significance of Yams to the Umuofia Culture
Yam was King! Yams are a crop grown exclusively by men. Growing yams is labor intensive, and the size of a man's fields and harvest say much about his work ethic. Yams are grown to gain wealth and also to feed one's family. They are a symbol of masculinit
Ikemefuna's Death
Ikemefuna is the ultimate victim; his fate is completely out of his control since he is taken away by his family so early in life for a crime which he had no part in, nor any knowledge of. In his new life, Ikemefuna is subject to the whims of his new fath
How was Ikemefuna's Death carried out?
After hours of walking, a man attacks him with a machete. Ikemefuna cries to Okonkwo for help. Okonkwo doesn't wish to look weak, so he cuts the boy down.
The Egwugwu (Role of Ancestors)
a symbol of the culture and independence of the Umuofia. The egwugwu are seen as ancestral gods, though in actuality they are masked Umuofia elders. The egwugwu serve as respected judges in the community, listening to complaints and prescribing punishment
What is the relationship Okonkwo had with Unoka
Okonkwo was ashamed of his father. He strived to be nothing like him, so he would not look weak. When he thought of him, he thought of his own strengths because he didnt want to be a women like his father.
What is iyi-uwa and its link to the ogbanje?
It is the ogbanje's physical link to the spirit world-Ezinma was a small, buried pebble
Ogbanje
is a "wicked" child who continually re-enters its mother's womb only to die again and again, causing its parents grief
Why did she carry Ezinma through the nine villages
She is good friends with Ekwefi and is fond of Ezinma, whom she calls "my daughter." She carries Ezinma on her back for miles in order to help purify her and appease the gods.
Ezeudu's Funeral
lot of shouting, drum beating, and the men fired guns. Also, Okonkwo's gun exploded accidently killing Exudu's son. Which then forced him and his family to leave town, earning him the "woman" punishment and only having to be exiled for seven years
What changes came to Umuofia in the seven years that Okonkwo was in exile?
Umofia was no longer a united clan because of the large number of converts to the christian church. The Christians also built a government and ruled by their own rules. Anyone who broke these rules were sent to the white mans prison. No one had respect fo
What influenced the decisions made in Umuofia?
The oracle
The Feast of the New Yams
New yams were offered to the earth goddess and ancestral spirits, old yams were disposed of, all cooking utensils were washed
What unacceptable thing did Okonkwo do just before the Feast of the New Yam?
beat his second wife, Ekwefi, then fired his gun at her
What did Ibe and his relatives use to determine a bride price for Obierika's daughter?
Bundle of Sticks
Who did the men think the white men were?
Lepers
Who were the central figures of the uri ceremony?
The Bride and Her Mother
The grooms family were thought to be behaving like men if they brought a generous amount of...
Palm Wine
Why did the men from Ezeudu's quarter demolish Okonkwo's houses and barn and kill his animals?
they were cleansing the land which Okonkwo had polluted
What is the significance of the Evil Forest
the name of the leader of the egwugwu. It is a sacred place in Things Fall Apart where sick men are taken to die. Twins are killed and left there. No one dares build or farm there, as it is land reserved for the gods.
A Okonkwo Quote
Since I survived that year," he always said, "I shall survive anything." He put it down to his inflexible will.
A Obierka Quote
Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently? But although he thought for a long time he found no answer.
A Uchendu Quote
It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut...Is it right that you, Okonkwo, should bring to your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted? Be careful or you may displease t
A Uchendu Quote:
Never kill a man who says nothing. Those men of Abame were fools. What did they know about the man?
A Okonkwo Quote:
Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.