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by: Hugo Martinez
Event
After living three years in Umuofia as a sacrifice, the village decided to kill Ikemefuna, as pronounced by the Oracle.
Evidence/Significance
"As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his machete, Okonkwo...drew his machete and cut him down" (Achebe 61).
The few days after Ikemefuna's death, Okonkwo felt dreadful for having to kill Ikemefuna himself. It can be inferred that deep down Okonkwo can be a man of thought rather than action like most of the time.
Events
The English Christian missionaries arrive to Mbanta, which causes tension in the village.
Evidence/Significance
"The arrival of missionaries had caused a considerable stir in the village of Mbanta" (Achebe 144).
As the missionaries got new native converts, the differences between the traditional religion and Christianity ideologies brought forth separations between fellow villagers. Okonkwo realizes that the clan and the unity between the clansmen is at jeopardy.
Event
A Christian convert, Enoch, tore off one of the egwugwu's mask, killing in ancestral spirit; since this had never happened, "Umuofia was thrown into confusion."
Evidence/Significance
"Enoch fell on him [an egwugwu] and tore off his mask" (Achebe 186).
The incident of the degraded egwugwu brought the tension between the Christian ideology and the Igbo ideology into a boiling point. Okonkwo was almost happy for the fact that Umuofia would finally start penalizing the western fashion of thinking and return to the traditionalist way of thinking.
Event
After the burning of the church, Okonkwo and five other leaders went to see the District Commissioner to talk about so-called justice, and the Commissioner imprisoned the leaders until a fine was paid.
Evidence/Significance
"'You will be released as soon as you agree to this [justice] and undertake to collect that fine from your people'" (Achebe 194).
The District Commissioner talks about the authentic justice that would be administered by the British crown, which meant placing the six leaders of Umuofia in jail without food nor water for three days. This incident triggered "bitterness in Okonkwo's heart and had him hoping for war.
Event
Unoka, Okonkwo's father, was, throughout his whole adult life, a disgrace to himself, his family, and his fellow villagers.
Evidence/Significance
"In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow" (Achebe 4).
This quote shows that Unoka was an effeminate and lazy individual. Okonkwo was aware of these facts, and he decided to hate whatever his father liked. He became what his father never was: a well-respected, wealthy individual. He also started to hate anything that his father ever liked, including pasiveness.
Event
When Okonkwo's gun accidentally shattered and a piece of iron stabbed a fellow clansman, Okonkwo and his families were to be exiled from the land for seven years.
Evidence/Significance
"Okonkwo was to flee from the clan...he could return to the clan after seven years" (Achebe 124).
As a result of an accident, Okonkwo and his families were supposed to leave to another land and their previous lives. Okonkwo "lost the years in which he might have taken the highest titles of the clan." Okonkwo found refuge in Mbanta.
Event
Okonkwo's cousin Amikwu passed by the church and saw Nwoye with the Christians, who then informed Okonkwo.
Evidence/Significance
"One morning Okonkwo's cousin, Amikwu...saw Nwoye among the Christians" (Achebe 151).
Okonkwo, just like the other traditionalist habitants, disliked the new western customs with a passion. Knowing that other habitants had been converted to Christianity, especially family members, would have been considered an act of treason to the native culture by the traditionalists.
Event
Okonkwo beated the then-unbeaten wrestler Amalinze the Cat.
Evidence/Significance
"It was this man that Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest..." (Achebe 3).
From this point on, Okonkwo did many things his father Unoka was never capable of doing. By beating the Cat in a wrestling match, according to the native etiquette, Okonkwo earned respect and started climbing up the hierarchy pyramid.
Event
After the incident of the desecrated egwugwu, the other egwugwu destroyed the church in Umuofia, the spirit of the clan was less tense than in the past years.
Evidence/Significance
"When the egwugwu went away the red-earth church which Mr. Brown had built was a pile of ashes...for the moment the spirit of the clan was pacified" (Achebe 191).
For the first time since the inception of the Christian faith, the clansmen treated Okonkwo with respect. According to Okonkwo, the warriors of Umuofia were warriors again.
Event
After realizing that Umuofia would not be taken to war, Okonkwo realized that the village's way of thinking could not be undone, and declined to live within the new ideology.
Evidence/Significance
"Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo's body was dangling, and they stopped dead" (Achebe 207).
This quote shows that the changes brought on by the Christian missionaries from Britain cannot be undone. Since he realizes that he cannot bring back the traditionalist way of thinking back to the village, Okonkwo gives up on the village and terminates his own life.
Bibliography