THINGS FALL APART - Chinua Achebe
Justify Things Fall Apart as Title of the Novel.
“Things Fall Apart” is the title of the novel extracts from the poem ‘ The Second Coming’ written by an Irish poet WB Yeats. In this novel, Chinua Achebe deals with detailed description of the loss of values and unity of people of Umuofia and in other villages after the arrival of the white man, his government and the missionaries.
Okonkwo, the towering protagonist of the novel was worried when he returned from his exile. “He mourned for the clan. Which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and mourned for the warlike men of Umofia, who had unaccountably became soft like women.”
Obierika remarks “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness, and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clans can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart”. The novel deals with the personal tragedy of Okonkwo and in general the tragedy of the clan.
Okonkwo was always possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death. He was ruled by a great passion to become one of the lords of the clan. It was his life spring. He was about to achieve it. But everything was broken.
He became famous by throwing down Amalinze – the cat —the famous wrestler and who was unbeaten for seven years. He borrowed eight hundred seed yams from Nwakibie —a native rich man. He prospered in farming. He killed five men in the battlefield. He even killed Ikemefuna —the lad, lest he should be called Agabala.
In his exile at his motherland Mbanta he prospered once again by the help of his kinsmen in farming. He was one of the egwugwu —the masked spirits/gods that administered Justice. But everything was reversed by the arrival of the missionaries.
His own son Nwoye embraced Christianity. The missionaries do not perish in the Evil Forest. They admitted the osu, efulefu (out casts) and others. They saved the twins. They stopped the mutilation of the dead bodies of children. The white man’s government administered justice. Cases were decided by the District Commissioner. He punished the natives who molested or killed the Christians. Men of titles who were involved in such crimes imprisoned and made them do manual labour.
The District Commissioner cleverly arrested Okonkwo and other leaders of the clan for destroying the church. They were insulted and whipped by kotma in the lock-up and were fined. So Okonkwo was forced to kill a messenger of the court and commit suicide. The great man was buried like a dog.
With the arrival of the white man, palm oil and kernal became valuable. Money flowed into Umuofia, and many got converted into Christianity. They began to challenge many of the evil practices. The natives could not fight against the converted Christians as they belonged to the same clan. Natives were educated and appointed in courts. So some of the natives supported the white man. The values of life and the unity of the natives were shattered. So, the title of the novel “Things Fall Apart” is quite appropriate.
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Characters of the novel:
Okonkwo.
Okonkwo is the hero of the novel Things Fall Apart. He is a tragic hero. He had vaulting ambition like Macbeth to become one of the lords of the clan. He was arrogant like Lear in his behaviour.
At the age of eighteen he beat Amalinze, the cat and became the greatest wrestler, and won the heart of Ekwefi, the crystal of beauty. He won the Ozo title. He was tall and huge. His busy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a severe look. He breathed heavily and noisily. He walked as if he were walking on springs. He had a slight stammer; whenever he failed to get words he used his fists.
The Ibo clan judged men by their personal achievements, not by the achievements of their ancestors. Though his father Unoka was lazy and a coward, Okonkwo was brave and hard working. He was a man of action, a man of war. He killed five men in the tribal wars. H e was always possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death. He was ruled by one passion to hate everything that what his father loved gentleness and idleness. He had two barns full of yams and three wives. He got happiness while he was working hard. He could borrow seed yams from a rich farmer, Newkibie, who admired Okonkwo. He worked hard to become rich though he failed during the first years of farming.
He was brave and chivalrous. So he was sent to Mbaino as an emissary. The People of Mabino received him with great respect. He brought the boy Ikemefuna and a virgin from Mbaino. He loved and admired Ikemefuna. Ozendu advised him not to have a hand in the death of Ikemefuna. But Okonkwo killed the boy, fearing that otherwise he would be called Agabala. He became restless after that. But he recovered from that shock soon.
He was not happy with his son Nwoye. Nwoye resembled Unoka. But his other sons were promising. He always wished that his daughter Ezinma were to be his son. She could understand him well. He expelled the thought of his father’s weakness by thinking of his own strength and success. He was surprised to learn that the famous warrior Ndulue consulted his wife for everything.
He insulted the men who were weak and have no titles by telling “this meeting is for men”. He was very arrogant in it. In the heart he was not a cruel. He was dominated by the fear of failure and weakness. When Ekwefi knocked at his door he took her to bed, because speaking he thought was sign of weakness.
He ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives and children were in perpetual fear of him. He broke the ‘weak of peace’ by beating his third wife Ojiugo, when she failed to return on time to cook his food. Later he paid the penalty for it. He beat Ekwefi for cutting the leaves of the banana plant and almost shot her with his old and rusted gun. He was a poor shooter. He appreciated Obierika’s son-in law for his good palm wine. People believed that as Okonkwo has washed his hands he could eat with kings.
He killed the son of Ezuendu inadvertently. So he exiled for seven years. He went to his motherland Mbanta. At Mabnta also he prospered by his hard work. He considered the men of Mbanta are womanish when they refused to drive away the Christian missionaries. So he
advised his pretty daughters to marry only after returning to Umuofia. He was very liberal in offering a grand feast to his mother’s relatives.
After seven years of exile Okonkwo returned to Umuofia. He lost his position among the egwugwu –the masked spirits. He could not initiate his sons into, Ozo society, as it was not the year to do it. The people did not pay any attention to him except the sensation created by his beautiful daughters.
He insulted Mr Brown. He failed to understand the power of white man’s government and the influence of the missionaries. People felt that there was something in the new religion. But Okonkwo tried to live in the olden days of chivalry and adventure. He was very happy on the day when the Church was demolished. He felt that the olden days were returning. But he was arrested. He was insulted and whipped by the Kotma. He was infuriated himself and he decided to fight against the white man. So he killed the court messenger. When the other messengers were allowed to escape, he realised that the people did not support him. So he committed suicide. Obierika told the District Commissioner, “ That man was one of the greatest men of Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself. And now he will be buried like a dog”.
UNOKA
Unoka was the father if Okonkwo. He was lazy and improvident. He could not think of tomorrow whenever he got money, he drank palm wine with his neighbours. When he saw the mouth of a dead man, he saw the mistake of not eating and drinking properly during his lifetime.
He was tall and thin with a slight stoop. He looked haggard and mournful except when he was drinking. He was very good at his flute and other music of ogene, ekewa, and udu. His happiest moments were, when the village musicians brought down their instruments after the harvest. He visited the other villages with his band. He loved good fare and good fellowship. He lived in debts. He owed every neighbour from a few cowries to a substantial amount. Though they swore not to lend him money, he was very clever to borrow more from them. He was a good conversationalist. When Okeya visited him to get back his money, but Unoka dramatised a little. He showed Okoye the perpendicular lines drawn on the wall. They represented his debts to others. He promised to repay Okeya after repaying his larger debts.
He was a failure in life. He was a loafer and poor. His wife and children could not eat properly. He died without a title. He could not stand at the sight of blood. He avoided discussions on war. He was an ill fated with a bad personal God. When he consulted the Oracle for the bad luck (faced by him), the Oracle advised him to work hard with sharp hoe and matchet. He told Okonkwo not lose heart when he met with failure. He died of swelling that it was an abomination. So he had no burial according to the rights of the clan. Nwoye resembled him. Okonkwo was haunted by the failure of his father. So he hated gentleness and idleness.
Nwoye
Nwoye was the first son of Okonkwo. He too was lazy and inactive like his grand father Unoka. He created great anxiety to Okonkwo. Okonkwo wanted him to grow into a tough young man capable of ruling the household. Okonkwo was very happy when Nwoye grumbled against women. He thought he could control the womenfolk. Nwoye learnt the manly tasks in the company of Ikemefuna. He treated Ikemefuna as his brother.
He grew into a sad faced youth. His heart was chilled when he heard the cry of the twins left in the forest. The murder of Ikemefuna made him to hate his father and the wild customs and traditions of the clan.
When he was a boy he liked the stories of his mother. He hated the stories of his father describing war bloodshed and the native customs. He went to church at Mbanta. He was enchanted by poetry of the religion. The hymn about the brothers attracted him. Okonkwo was very unhappy when he heard that Nwoye went to the Church. He beat Nwoye and tried to strangle him to death and left him from his hold when Uchendu interfered. Nwoye left his father and embraced Christianity. He changed his name to Isaac. He was sent to the training college for teacher at Umuru. He is the father of Chinua Achebe—the author of this Novel.
ENOCH
He was the son of the snake priest. People believed that he had killed and ate the sacred python. Enoch was a converted Christian. His devotion to the new religion was more than the devotion of Mr. Brown. According to the people of Umuofia he was like the outsider who wept more than the bereaved. He was short and slight build and always hasty. He had excess energy, and led him to quarrels and fights. He was the root cause of the conflict between the church and the clan of Umuofia.
The annual ceremony in honour of the earth goddess fell on a Sunday. At that time the spirits in the form of egwugwu came out. While the women were in the church, the egwugwu spirits came out and attack the church. Some men requested the egwugwu to retire for while to enable the women to go home. They were retiring at that time Enoch boasted that the spirits would not touch Christians. They came back, one of them hit Enoch with his cane. Enoch unmasked the spirit. It was serious crime. The next day the members of the egwugwu and people joined together and destroyed the church. That led to the arrest of the people of Umuofia, killing of court messenger and ultimately the suicide of Okonkwo.
OBIERIKA
OBIERIKA was a close friend of Okonkwo. He was a man who did think about things in rationalistic attitude. He abused Okonkwo for killing an innocent boy Ikemefuna. According to him the killing of Ikemefuna was the kind of an action for which goddess of Earth could wipe out whole families. His son Maduka became a wrestler. He conducted the Uri (betrothal ceremony) of his daughter Akuke in a grand style. He was not dominated by fear of failure like Okonkwo.
He was very much worried when Okonkwo was exiled. He visited Okonkwo’s obi to remove his yams and other valuable things to his barn before destroying the compound of Okonkwo, he sat in his obi and mourned for Okonkwo’s fate. He could not understand why Okonkwo had to suffer. He also remembered him; he threw away the twins of his wife. Otherwise the mother earth would punish all.
Obierika visited Okonkwo during the second year of his exile. He carried two bags of cowries, after selling the old yams. He gave seed yams of Okonkwo to the sharecroppers. Obierika told Okonkwo how the white man destroyed Abame, for killing a white man.
After two years Obierika visited Okonkwo again. He had seen Nwoye among the Christians at Umuofia. Towards the end of the exile (of Okonkwo), Obierika built huts for Okonkwo’s family.
Obierika requested the District Commissioner to help him to take down the dead body of Okonkwo and bury it. Obierika told the Commissioner, “that was one of the greatest men of Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself. And now he will be buried like a dog”.
EKWEFI
EKWEFI was the second wife of Okonkwo. She was known as the crystal of beauty of during her youth. She admired chivalry very much. Okonkwo won her heart when he beat Amalinaze, the cat. But Okonkwo could not marry her, as he was poor to pay the bride price. She married Anene. But two years later she ran away from him and married Okonkwo.
As she admired chi valry she went to see the wrestling match every year without fail. She suffered a lot and she bore sufferings through out her life. She thought it was on an account of her personal god, Chi. She lost nine children and Ezinma was her tenth child. When she fell ill Ekwefi and others thought that Ezinama was an Ogbanje. A medicine man removed Iyi-uwa of Ezinma. The condition of her health improved. Ekwefi was very much happy when Ezinma grew into pretty girl. When Chielo took Ezinama to the shrine of Agabala, Ekwefi followed on her heels. She waited near at the orifice, the entrance of the cave, the temple of Agabala, till Chielo returned.
Okonkwo beat Ekwefi when she cut the banana leaves to wrap the food. She muttered and teased him, about his rusted gun that never shot. He almost shot at her but she escaped. She supplied the cassava for the feast arranged by Okonkwo to his mother’s relatives. She was an expert storyteller. Ezinma liked the stories of Ekwefi. The pretty Ekwefi rules the novel with her feminine charms.
EZINMA
Ezinma was the beloved daughter of Okonkwo. She was very smart and quick, so Okonkwo wished her to be a boy. During her early life, she had many troubles. People thought that she was an ogbanje. A medicine man removed her iyi-uwa. But later when she fell ill Okonkwo gave her fomentation and she was cured.
She liked the stories of her mother, Ekwefi. She could tell stories of her own. Chielo the priestess called her ‘my child’. One night Chielo took her to the shrine of Agabala, as he wanted to see her.
She was capable of understanding the moods of her father. She called her mother in her name, Ekwefi unlike other children. When Okonkwo advised her to marry after going to Umuofia, she obeyed him. She was also called the crystal of beauty as her mother was. She was ready to carry Oknokwo’s stool to ilo. She did not like the water drop on her back while she plucking the cassava roots. She shook the plants with a stick before cutting the stem.
She broke her twenty-eight days stay in her future husband’s house whenever her father Okonkwo was arrested. After reaching home she went to meet Obierika. She felt that he was not in the house. She felt that something was done for the release of Oknokwo. When Okonkwo returned to Umuofia from Mbanta his presence did not create a stir. People were busy in their work. But a sensation was created by the pretty daughters of Okonkwo. Many suitors came forward to marry them.
Mr. BROWN
Mr. Brown was the white man who came to Umuofia on behalf of Christian missionary. He paid visits to surrounding villages to gospel the theology of Christian missionary. On account of Mr. Brown’s goodness people of Umuofia felt that there was something in Christianity. He was very firm in controlling his over enthusiastic flocks from provoking the wrath of the clan. So every one of the clan respected him. He was presented with a carved elephant tusk from a village was a symbol of dignity and rank. A great man in the village Akunna sent his son to Brown’s school. Mr. Brown requested the villagers to send their children to the school to learn, to read and to write. He had long discussions with Akunna regarding the religion of the clan and Christianity. He learnt many things from Akunna. He was very close with the new administration. So his mission grew up and earned social prestige. He sent Nwoye to the teacher’s training college at Umuru, but Okonkwo was not happy about it.
Mr. Kiaga.
Mr. Kiaga was an evangelist at Mbanta. He was harmless. He converted the worthless and low born to Christianity. He rescued twins from the forest. He built his church and home in the evil forest.
An Osu is a person dedicated to a god. He is a taboo forever. But Mr. Kiaga felt that the Osu was more in need to Christ than the others. He made them to cut their hair and admitted in the Christianity. The others tried to protest. The other Osu men joined the church. Mr. Kiaga was troubled when Okoli killed the sacred python. But the death of Okoli solved the Crisis.
SHORT NOTES:
WEEK PEACE
In Umuofia before they planted new crops, a week was observed as week peace. It was to please the Goddess of the earth – Ani. During that time they did not speak harsh words to others. It was a crime to break the peace during that week.
It was the year in which Ikemefuna came to Umuofia. Okonkwo broke the week of peace . His wife Ojiugo went to her friend’s house to plait her hair. So failed to return early to cook the meal. Okonkwo became angry and beat her very hard. The neighbours came and saw the beating and plead him that he must observe the week of peace. They failed to prevent him. In the evening Ezeani, The priest of the Goddess of Earth- Ani visited Oknokwo’s hut. He refused to take kola nut, which was given in order to give respect to the visitor. Ezeani told Okonkwo that even if she slept with her lover, he should have kept quiet in the week peace. Okonkwo paid the penalty of one she-goat, a hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowry shells for breaking the week of peace.
Evil Forest
In Nigeria every clan and village had its Evil Forest. All of them, who died of the evil diseases like leprosy and small pox, were buried in the Evil Forest. It was also the dumping ground for the potent fetishes of great medicine men, When they died. An Evil Forest was therefore alive with sinister forces and power of darkness. Unoka was kept in the Evil Forest, to be died, because of his swelling.
It was much a forest that the rulers of Mbanta gave to the missionaries to build the church and houses. People expected that the missionaries would perish in the Evil Forest. But the White men were survived. Mr. Kiaga started preaching and converting people to Christianity. It is very important that the church came into existence from the evil Forest. It is a fact that the church could convert Evil forest into good.
Write a note on the wrestling match between Okonkwo and Amalinze.
Amalinze – the cat, was a great wrestler. He was not beaten for seven years. He was called the cat because his back would never touch the earth. He was a wily craftsman. But Okonkwo was as slippery as a fish in water. People watched the wrestling with great interest and curiosity, and they held their breath. At last Okonkwo threw the cat. Okonkwo’s fame grew like a bush fire in the harmatten. He won the heart of Ekwefi – the crystal beauty. At that time Okonkwo was only eighteen years old. Amalinze agreed that it was a fierce fight.
Okoli and sacred python
The royal Python was the most-revered animal in Mbanta. It was addressed as ‘our father’. It was allowed to go anywhere and people did not try to harm it. But a rumour was spread that Okoli killed a Python. At first people refused to believe it. They thought that their gods were very powerful to defend themselves. Later they decided to outlaw the Christians from all activities. Mr. Kiaga was confused to solve this problem. But at that time Okoli had died. So the people were happy to find the power of their gods
Yam festival
In umuofia (Nigeria) the feast of new yams was held every year before the harvest began. It was an occasion for thanks giving to Ani –the Goddess of earth, and the source of all fertility. Ani played an important role in the life of Nigerian people. She was the judge of mortality and conduct. She was in close communion with the ancestors of the clan.
New yams could not be eaten until some had been offered to Ani and ancestral spirits of the clan. Men and women, young and old, looked forward to the yam festival because it began in the season of plenty. On the last night before the festival, the yams of old year were disposed. The New Year started with fresh and yams. All cooking vessels were cleaned. All the kith and kin were invited. Okonkwo invited his wives relatives to the feast. The great quantities of food used to be prepared. The new yam festival was thus an occasion for joy throughout Umuofia. But Okonkwo was not enthusiastic about feast. He preferred to work in his farm.
Funeral of Ezendu
Ogbuefi Ezendu was the oldest man in Umuofia who had taken three titles of the clan. It was a rare achievement. As he had three titles he was to be buried after the sunset with glowing torches to light up the sacred ceremony.
The ekwe was blown. Drums were beat and cannon was boomed at intervals to announce the death of a great man. The cannon shattered the sky. The warriors paid visits to the corpse. The ancestral spirits paid their homage to the great man. They blessed the deceased man to the same life again. Some of the egwugwu were harmless and some others were dangerous. The drum beating and dance began and to the highest pitch. In the evening Ezwendu’s sons were danced in accordance with the traditional farewell to their father. AT the same moment unfortunately Okonkwo’s gun exploded and a piece of iron pellet pierced the heart of the sixteen-year-old son Ezendu. It was a great crime to kill a same clan’s man. So Okonkwo had to flee from Umuofia on the imponderable self-exile for seven years.
How did the lad Ikemefuna come to stay with Okonkwo?
The wife of Ogbuefi Udo went to the market at Mbaino. She was killed there. The people of Umuofia decided to take revenge against incredulous happening. They demanded a virgin and young boy from Mbaino as compensation in order to avoid bloodshed between Umuofia and Mbaino. And bloodshed was also against to the will of goddess Oracle. At that time Okonkwo was a leading hero. He was sent on an errand to Mbaino on unanimous consent as an emissary.
Mbanio was feared by its neighbours. It was so powerful in war and magical prowess. So people of Mbaino treated Okonkwo with great respect and gave away a virgin to replace Udo’s dead wife and the lad Ikemefuna. The clan (ndichie) asked Okonkwo to look after the lad for some time. Thus Ikemefuna came to stay with Okonkwo.
Describe the ceremony Uri of akuke.
Obierika celebrated his daughter’s Uri in a grand style. It was the day on which Ibe, the suitor of Akuke brought palm wine to the kinsmen. Okonkwo’s wives and children went to the Obierika’s house. Obierika’s compound was as busy as an anthill. Women were busy in cooking yams, cassava and vegetable soup. Cooking pots went up and down the tripods, and foo-foo was pounded in hundred wooden mortars. Young men pounded the foo-foo or split firewood. The children made endless trips to the stream to bring water.
Obieriks slaughtered two fat goats with which the soup was made. The fattest of them was kept to present to the in-laws alive. It was bought from a distant market of Umuike. In the afternoon Maduka swept the ground in front of the Obi. The guests came and sat in a semi-circle. One of them suggested that the suitor would bring many pots of wine. Okonkwo said that they would bring thirty pots. The suitor’s party came with pots of wine and there was a break after the twenty fifth pot. So they were all unhappy. Again the wine pots came and there were fifty pots of palm wine. All of them were pleased. The suitor’s party came and completed the circle. Then the bride, her mother and half a dozen other women and girls emerged from compound and shook hands with the guests.
When the women retired, Obierika presented kola nuts to the in-laws to break. After eating the kola nuts they started drinking palm wine. Food was served. It was a grand feast.
At night musicians went round the guests and sang in praise of them. Girls came and danced. Finally Akuke appeared holding a cock in her right hand, a loud cheer rose and went up in the crowed.
All the other dancers made a way for her. She presented to the musicians and began to dance. Her brass anklets were rattled as she danced and her slender body gleamed with cam wood in the soft yellow light. The musicians with their wood, clay and metal instruments went from song to song. And they were all gay of the merriment, and finally they sang the latest song in the village:
“If I hold her hand
She says, “Don’t touch!”
If I hold her foot
She sys, “Don’t touch!”
But when I hold her waist beads
She pretends not to know.”
At the end they took the bride for her stay for seven market weeks (28 days) in her suitor’s house. They paid visitors to important men like Okonkwo in the village after the Uri.
Meeting between Unoka and Okeye:
Okeye was a musician, he could played very intricate tunes on the Ogene. He was not a failure like Unoka. His barn was full of yams and he was going to receive the Idemili – the third title of the clan. It was an expensive title. So he was gathering all his resources to celebrate the occasion when he was conferred that title. Unoka had borrowed two hundred cowries from him. Okoye visited Unoka to get back the money. Unoka received Okoye cordially. He offered a kola nut and alligator pepper in order to honour the guest.
Both were good conversationalists. At last Okoye mentioned his desire to get back his money. Unoka was so dramatic, he pointed to the lines on the wall. They represented his debts. He promised that he would pay Okoye after repaying the larger ones. Okoye left the place without mentioning anything. This incident reveals the gift of the gab of the Ibo people.
What are the changes that took place in Umuofia during the exile of Oknokwo?
Umuofia under went great change during the exile of Okonkwo. The Christian missionaries came and the church came into existence. In addition to it the lowborn and the outcasts like Osu and eflufu were converted into new religion. Men of titles also joined and accepted the new faith. Ogbuefi Ugonna who had titles, cut the anklets of his titles and became Christian. He went to the church with his drinking horn to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.
The White man brought a government and new administration. They had a court in which the District Commissioner judged the cases. They had court messengers to bring the men for trial. Many of them were from Umuru. They were called Kotma and also ‘Ash buttocks’. They guarded the prison. It was full of people who offended the white man’s rule. People who molested
the newly converted Christians, and men who threw their twins into the forest were among them. Men of titles were also were put in the prison and made them do manual labour.
The white man built a trading store in which palm oil and Kernal became things of great price. Much money was flowed into Umuofia. People began to feel that there was something in Christianity. Okonkwo expected that the people would notice his return. But people were not enthusiastic about his arrival. Okonkwo wished to go back to the days of chivalry.
Describe the circumstances that led to the arrest of Okonkwo and to his suicide.
Okonkwo returned to Umuofia after seven years of exile. By that time the atmosphere in Umuofia had changed a lot, by the arrival of white man’s government and church. He lost his position among the nine masked spirits (egwugwu) of the clan. Okonkwo believed that they could wipe out the Christianity and white man’s and restore the chivalrous past.
A controversy took place between the church and the clan. Rev. James Smith did not control his followers from picking up quarrels with the clan. The annual worship of the goddess Ani fell on a Sunday. The masked spirits were aboard and attacked the church. So the Christians women and children could not find the way to go to their homes from the church. Some men met the egwugwu and requested them to retire for a while. They started retiring and at the same moment Enoch boasted that the spirits would not dare to touch a Christian. The spirits returned and one of them hit Enoch with his cane. Enoch unmasked the spirit in return. The Christians protected him. It was a great crime to unmask an egwugwu. The next day all the spirits of egwugwu and men of Umuofia assembled at the market place and decided to destroy the compound of Enoch. They destroyed compound according to their consent.
Mr. Smith became afraid of them and prayed to the peace. The Commissioner was in the Head Quarters and Enoch was hidden in the parsonage of Mr. Smith. Enoch was disappointed who expected a holy war between the clan and Christianity.
The band of the egwugwu moved like whirlwind and destroyed the church. Okonkwo felt very happy as he thought the olden days were returning. Mr. Smith met the Commissioner, who sent his messenger to the leaders of Umuofia asking them to meet in his office. The leaders went to meet him. In a clever manner he arrested them and put handcuffs. He demanded them to pay a sum of one hundred bags of cowries for their release. He advised them not to administer justice in their own way. They were not given anything to eat or to drink for three days. They were whipped severely instead and released when the penalty was paid.
Okonkwo decided to fight against the white man and to fight alone if the others did not support him. The next day the people met again. The messengers of court reached there. They declared the meeting was unlawful. Okonkwo took his matchet and severed the head of messenger. People were surprised at it imponderable action. The pepole allowed the other messengers to flee and escape from the threat. Okonkwo realised that he was alone and helpless. So he was forced to take the abominable decision of commiting suicide. Thus Okonkwo met with dog’s death.
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