Chielo the Priestess

Chielo is the priestess of Agbala. Agbala is the Oracle of the hills and the caves. Normally, Chielo is a widow with 2 children. She is ordinary and knows Okonkwo's wife, Ekwefi. They are friendly toward one another and talk about Enzinma. Although Chielo is a good person, she becomes diferent when she is prophesying. "Anyone seeing Chielo in ordinary life would hardly believe she was the same person who prophesied when the spirit of Agbala was upon her (Achebe,49)." Chielo would become possessed by her spirit and would prophesize. One night, Chielo comes to Okonkwo's compound for Enzinma. She said Agbala wanted to see Enzinma. She took Enzinma on her back and carried her a long way through the forest to the shrine of Agbala. Enzinma and Chielo were at the shrine until dawn. Chielo the priestess had a strong influence over the people of the village. It is also evident that the people of the clan strongly believe in Gods and spirits. Okonkwo and Ekwefi allowed Chielo to take Enzinma into the woods in the middle of the night. They would not disrespect the priestess, the messenger of Agbala out of respect and fear. "Beware, woman, lest he strike you in his anger. Bring me your daughter (Achebe, 101)."Even though Enzinma was scared, her parents let her be taken. It shows the strong influence of spirits in the culture of Okonkwo. Chielo strongly beileve in her role as the priestess of Agbala and followed the instrutions that the spirit gave her.

Obierika as friend

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo goes to his friend Obierika. As the reader we do not really get an insight into who exactly Obierika is, but we can see that he plays an important role in Okonkwo's life. They depend on one another and go to each other for advice. After the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo was feeling guilty and not himself. He went to go visit Obierika and seek his friend's help and comfort. Obierika would not go the night that the men killed Ikemefuna and Okonkwo inquired as to why he did not come. Obierika responded by saying, "But if the Oracle said that my son should be killed I would neither dispute it nor be the one to do it (Achebe, 67)." This offered Okonkwo good insight into the situationa and showed him a different point of view. Although Okonkwo did not agree with what Obierika believed, it gave him something to think about. Obierika's friendship with Okonkwo is also evident in the fact that he wanted Okonkwo to be there for the ceremonies surrounding his daughter's marriage. These ceremonies are an important part of their culture and Obierika wanted Okonkwo to be present. Their friendship continued even after the death of the boy Okonkwo caused during the celebration. Obierika knew the ways of the clan and knew that it was necessary to keep the tradition of the punishment for a crime, but he also held his friend very dear. He was upset that his friend had to leave the village and take refuge somewhere else. " Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently? (Achebe, 125)" This quote shows Obierika's conflict in being a good friend, but also knowing the traditions. Once Okonkwo has been in exile, Obierika comes to visit his friend and shows that he has been loyal to him. He brings Okonkwo the money from his crops and tells him that he will continue to do so until Okonkwo returns. This shows that

Proverbs - Fables - Tales

Throughout Things Fall Apart, proverbs and fables are frequently used. At times these sayings and tales are used to explain various philosophies and at other moments, their purpose seems insignificant to the novel’s development.
- “When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk” (Achebe 10). On dark nights even the bravest men are forced into their huts in fear of dangers they cannot see. On nights when the moon is full light is shed over the village. This allows danger to be seen and lessens the fear of all people, even those that seem weak.
- “Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break” (Achebe 19). In times of hardship enemies unify to insure each others survival. If one of these parties should refuse the other, they deserve to fail.
- “As the saying goes, an old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb” (Achebe 21). Death is not a matter to joke about and this causes ill feelings among those who appear close to death or who have had someone close to them pass; widows or the elderly.
- “The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did” (Achebe 21). Live to fulfill your own aspirations and not those of the others.
- “Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching” (Achebe 22). One must learn to do things to survive or to prosper. If he does not adapt he will fail.
- Vulture Tale (p 53-54): This tale has no significance and is only used to explain the type of stories Nwoye’s mother tells him. There is no lesson or knowledge gained from this tale. It therefore cannot be considered a fable.
- Tortoise Fable (p 96-99): This fable has no real importance to the way the story flows but it is very entertaining. Ekwefi tells Ezimna the story of how the tortoise supposedly gained an uneven shell with the appearance of scales. The tortoise tricks the birds into giving him a feather each so he can fly to the feast in the sky and partake of the food. Once he arrives he tricks them into allowing him to eat first. IN doing so he consumes most of the god food. In anger the birds take their feathers back leaving him stranded in the sky. The tortoise asks one bird to tell the tortoise’s wife to put a pile of their soft possessions outside of the house so he can jump down from the clouds safely. The bird tells her to put their jagged and rough items outside and the tortoise unknowing jumps down on to the objects. This ruins his rough shell. One lesson Ezimna can take from this fable is that dishonesty does not pay.

Okonkwo: Protector, Provider, Papa?

As a father Okonkwo lacks the ability to support his wives and, more importantly, his children in adequate manner emotionally. Okonkwo believes that the essence of man is to be strong, tough, and detached when matters involve expressing himself. This aspect of his personality directly affects the way he fathers his children. In regards to his son, Nwoye, Okonkwo is dissatisfied with his sensitivity and lack of interests for his manly duties. Although many of the neighbors tell him that Nwoye will turn out to be a fine man, Okonkwo still has doubts about his son and urges him to be better; in other words more like himself. Achebe states, “Okonkwo was inwardly pleased at his son’s development and he knew it was due to Ikemefuna. He wanted Nwoye to grow into a tough young man… So Okonkwo encouraged the boys to sit with… and he told them stories of the land—masculine stories of violence and bloodshed” (Achebe 53). Okonkwo abides to “template of toughness” instead of using his heart to discern what the correct upbringing is for Nwoye. He attempts to make Nwoye into a clone of himself, urging him to live and work as he does in hopes Nwoye will to obtain similar success. Okonkwo is even persuaded by the Umuofia societal views to shelter his daughters; for beliefs that women are weak and ought to manage the home and succumb to the men bear the brunt of life’s burdens. Okonkwo needs to realize that there is more to being a father than sheer protection and forcing his views upon his children. They need emotional support, stability, and an example to follow. Okonkwo’s obstinate demeanor does not provide this.

Ezinma

Ezinma is the daughter of Okonkwo and his second wife Ekwefi. Ezinma was the only one out of ten children that lived beyond infancy. She was expected to die at a young age, but that did not happen. She is now a young teenager and the center of her mother’s world. Ezinma and her mother have a very strong relationship. Ekwefi adores her daughter, along with Okonkwo. Okonkwo’s favorite child is Ezinma because she understands him better than his other children. Okonkwo also wishes that Ezinma was a boy because she would have been the perfect son. She is very strong willed and has a lot of responsibility. She helps out around the obi that are not necessarily her job. Achebe describes when Ezinma is helping out by building a fire on her own. He says, “Ezinma went outside and brought some sticks from a huge bundle of firewood. She broke them into little pieces across the sole of her foot and began to build a fire, blowing it with her breath” (Achebe 41). Ezinma is a hardworker and shows no fear, like her father. Even after being taken away to the cave to meet with the Oracle of Hills, she woke up the next morning and went on with her life acting as if nothing is wrong. Ezinma is admired by both of her parents because she has a good work ethic and does not let anything get in her way.

Crime (Male/Female)

In the village of Umuofia, there are different types of crimes that one can commit. In this village, there are ‘male and female’ crimes are obviously two different types of crime. “Okwonko had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent,” (Achebe 124). His gun had accidentally exploded and a piece of the iron pierced a sixteen year boy in the heart. He was automatically killed. Since his crime was considered a female crime, he was able to return to his village in about seven years. In a male crime, he might not be able to ever return.
Without the male figure in the house, Nwoye will most likely become the man of the house despite his shortcomings. He will become stronger maybe now that his father is out of the picture. Okwonko, however, will have the worst end of the deal. He will be known as a murderer throughout all the village and no one will take him in. He will have to struggle for most of his life because everyone will be scared of him.

Okwonko as a Man

Okwonko is portrayed throughout the village as strong man because he defeated the Amalinze the Cat. Everyone in the village fears him because of his physical appearance and the power that he has over his wife and children. He may be considered a strong man throughout the village, but in truth, he is rather weak man.
He is known as a weak man because he often beats his wives for the simple mistakes that they make. For example, Okwonko beat his second wife mainly because he was angry and needed an outlet to vent. After his second wife simply cut leaves off a banana tree. He claimed that someone had “killed his banana tree” (Achebe 38). No one dared to intervene because they all fear him. Another example is that he beats his children, especially Nwoye. After Ikemefuna was told that he was going to be able to go home, Nwoye bursts out into tears. Okwonko, in return, “beat him heavily” (Achebe 57). Overall, he cannot control his anger and he often takes it out on his wives and children. His anger has eventually taken a toll on him.
Okwonko’s weakness is partly due to his father, Unoka. His father was considered such a weak man that Okwonko found the need to become a stronger man than this father. Unoka had a fear of blood and didn’t like the idea of war. Okwonko was disgusted by his father’s choice. In response, Okwonko tried to be the strongest man in the village. This obviously does not work because he ends up upsetting the gods by following Ezinma into the cave.
Now that Okwonko has been shunned from the village, his status as a strong man will begin to fall apart. More bad things will begin to happen to him and this will end up making him a weaker man. He is finally going to break down and show that he has another side to him. This was already shown a little bit when Okwonko became worried about Ezinma’s disappearance. This might make him a better man in time.

Okonkwo is seen throughout the village as a powerful man. He became famous when he was little due to his victories in wrestling. He has three wives and six children. His wives respect him and fulfill most of their duties. Okonkwo’s kids are respectful, but he is not the best father figure in some ways.

Okonkwo’s eldest child, Nwoye, from his first wife is his first son. Nwoye has a passive personality and is more laid back than his father. Okonkwo does not that like. It reminds him of his father whom he does not like. His father, Unoka, was a lazy man who had a lot of debt. He was known as an igbala to the village, which meant man without a title. Okonkwo did not want to be like his father, so at a young age, he started his own life and gained a lot of responsibility. Okonkwo wants Nwoye to be more like him. However, Nwoye does not take the initiative to go out on his own and start his own life like his father did at that age. Achebe writes, “Nwoye knew that it was right to be masculine and to be violent, but somehow he still preferred the stories that his mother used to tell him…” (Achebe 53). Okonkwo’s views on a man’s life were different than his son, which caused a few problems.

Another one of Okonkwo’s children was Ezinma. She was the only child of Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi. Okonkwo was fond of his daughter. She is strong willed and he admits to wishing that she were a boy instead. If she was a boy, Okonkwo is confident that she would take on all the responsibilities that a young boy would need. Okonkwo also admired his daughter because he reminded him of what her mother used to look like. Ekwefi used to be one of the prettiest girls in the village, and Ezinma looks like her and he liked that. Okonkwo show’s that he cares about his daughter when she is taken to the cave and he shows up at the cave to see Ekwefi sitting outside. Okonkwo says, “Go home and sleep, I shall wait here” (Achebe 108). The reader later finds out that he walked to the cave and back home three times before that and they had not arrived yet. Okonkwo wanted to make sure his precious daughter was okay.

Okonkwo has different relationships with his different children. He does not see Nwoye as the successful type, and that disappoints him. However, when Ikemefuna was there, they got close because he saw Ikemefuna as a son and Ikemefuna and Nwoye was always with him. Okonkwo has a better relationship with Ezinma based on her stronger and more responsible personality. Okonkwo is not the ultimate father because he favors one more than others and admits to Oberikia that he is not proud of his own son.