PART 3: Things Fall Apart - KEY CONTEXTUAL ELEMENTS

Contextual understanding is crucial to your understanding of any text,

and it’s particularly important for texts studied in Part 3. In Paper 2, you will
need to weave in contextual elements and demonstrate the impact of
cultural context on what happens in the text, how it was created, and how it
can be received.

TAKE NOTES on these 5 aspects of life/contextual elements as you read - look for
anything related to your given area.
1. Setting - Key Characteristics - layout, geography & key features/landmarks, physical structure,
seasons, symbolic significance?
2. Politics & the Economy -Organizational structures & Decision makers/people in power - who is
in charge? How is it decided? What does it look like in practice? Economy & production?
3. Traditions & Values - Reference to past ways of life, acting, being, cultural aspects (festivals,
foods, activities...), belief systems...
4. Social Structure - Roles & Rules - for family, women, men, children, authority/hierarchy,
individualistic? communal?
5. Character Relationships - romantic, friendships, adults and children, friends and enemies,
different groups (tribes/countries/regions)

This has been done for Chapters 1-5; you must now add information for the rest
of the novel (Chapters 6-19 - parts 1 & 2):

CONTEXTUAL AREA FEATURE NOTE :) EVIDENCE :)

(What does this look like in the text?) (chapter & page; key

Setting - Key
Characteristics - layout,
geography & key
features/landmarks,
physical structure,
seasons, symbolic
significance?
Politics & the Economy -
who is in charge? How is it
decided? Decision
makers/people in power?
Economy & production?
Who has
money/resources? How did
they get it? Who doesn’t
have $/power? Why?
Traditions & Values -
adherence to past ways of
Nigeria - 923 000 km2
clan of Umuofia - Southern Nigeria
Igboland
9 neighbouring villages
yams grown -- type of soil?
farm/agricultural land -- heart of the society
obi - huts -- compound
barns
medicine houses
ilo - playground/town square - ceremonies,
meetings, wrestling matches, dances…
planting season - society revolves around
this
Obi- houses
- Ndichie- elders, seem to make the
most important decisions, at the top
of the hierarchy
- Ogbuefi Ezeugo- Orator of the town,
one of the elders, Wise man in the
village.(10)
- Oracle (Agbala)- It tells the village
what they are allowed to do, and
what they can’t do. (12)
- Ani - the goddess of harvest,
honoured by the Feast of the New
Yams.“earth goddess and source of
all fertility”(36) She was also the
judge of morality and conduct.
- Nwakibie- wealthy village man that
Okonkwo borrows Yam seeds from.
(21)
- Each wealthy family had their own
harvest. As the rain became heavier
(during the rainy season), the wives
would plant maize, melons and
yams. They would weed the farm
three times over the course of the
harvest.
BELIEFS
Chi - One’s personal god.
- The Oracle (Agbala)
quotation/related proverb?)
Description of Okonkwo’s living
area
Ch 2- p 14
“the carefree season between
harvest and planting” (ch 4, p
28)
-they decide what happens
when Umuofia woman is killed
(p 11)
(page 12- “The elders, or
ndichie, met to hear a report of
Okonkwo’s mission”) (Page 14-
“Do what you are told woman,”
Okonkwo thundered and
stammered. “When did you
become one of the ndichie of
Umuofia?” )
Page 10- “Ogbuefi was a
powerful orator and was
always chosen to speak on
such occasions”
Page 12- “And there were
indeed occasions when the
Oracle had forbidden Umofia to
wage a war”
page-21-”if you give me some
yam seeds I shall not fail
you….He knew Nwakibie
would not refuse he but he did
not expect him to be so
generous.”
Page 16- “The Oracle was
called Agbala, and people
came from far and near to
life, acting, being, cultural
aspects (festivals, foods,
recreation activities...),
belief systems/religion...
Social Structure - Roles &
Rules - for family, women,
men, children, authority/
hierarchy, communal?
individualistic? Power
dynamics?
- The Feast of the New yam
- The priestess (Chika) - only one who
had seen the Oracle, allegedly
- Spirits of the ancestors
FESTIVALS
- New Yam Festival
RECREATION
- Wrestling matches
- Women: Hair braiding, painting
- Children: During the rainy season,
the children would gather around the
cooking fires in huts, telling stories
and eating roasted maize.
- Men allowed to take multiple wives
- The more wives a man has, the more
power he has
- The more titles a man has, the higher
up in the hierarchy he is.
- One term for women is agbala, which
is also a term for men without a title
(Unoka was called an agbala) -
shows importance of men and status
- The youngest one in the clan pours
the wine for the others.
- The eldest man in the group starts
drinking the wine first.
- The first wife only wears the titles of
her husband around her ankle.
consult it… They came to
discover what the future held
for them or to consult the spirits
of their departed fathers.”
Page 16- “No one had ever
beheld Agbala, except of his
priestess… His priestess stood
by the sacred fire which she
built in the heart of the cave
and proclaimed the will of god.”
Page 17- “Sometime a man
came to consult the spirit of his
dead father or relative.”
““But the Ibo people have a
proverb that when a man says
yes his chi says yes also.
Okonkwo said yes very
strongly; so his chi
agreed.”(Pg. 27)
“...he still remembered how he
had suffered when a playmate
had told him that his father was
agbala. That was how
Okonkwo first came to know
that agbala was not only
another name for a woman, it
would also mean a man who
had taken no title.”(Pg. 13)
“...he had suffered when a
playmate had told him that his
father was agbala. That was
how Okonkwo first came to
know that agbala was not only
another name for a woman, it
could also mean a man who
had taken no title”
“The younger of his sons, who
was also the youngest man in
the group, moved to the center
raised the pot on his left knee
and began to pour out the
wine.” (Pg. 19)
“Then the group drank,
beginning with the eldest man.”
(Pg. 19)
“She wore the anklet of her
husband’s titles, which the first
wife alone could wear.” (Pg.
20)
Characters &
Relationships - romantic,
friendships, adults and
children, friends and
enemies, different groups
(countries/regions)
- Okonkwo despised his father, Unoka,
who had been dead for ten years
- Okonkwo and his wife Ojuigo: He
beats her severely after she goes to
plait her hair without preparing the
meal.
- Relationship between his wives:
They protect each other - Nwoye’s
mother lies that Ojuigo asked her to
feed her children before she left.
- Ikemefuna, the servant brought from
another rivaling village, almost
became a member of Okonkwo’s
family.
- Okonkwo is rather abusive to his
wives
- Okonkwo is fond of Ezinma, however
seldom shows it
“And so Okonkwo was ruled by
noe passion--to hate
everything that his father
Unoka had loved. One of those
things was gentleness and
another was idleness” page 13
“When she returned he beat
her very heavily” Page 29
“He (Ikemefuna) and Nwoye
had become so deeply
attached to each other that
such moments became less
and less poignant.”(Pg. 34)
“Okonkwo was specially fond
of Ezinma. She looked very
much like her mother, who was
once the village beauty. But his
fondness only showed on very
rare occasions” (c 5, p.44)

KEY SYMBOLS Yam “Yam, the king of crops, was a

New Yam Festival
Kola Nut: a tradition of breaking the nut as a
welcoming to someone’s house or village.
Goatskin bags
man’s crop” (ch 3, p 23)
“It was an occasion for giving
thanks to Ani, the earth
goddess and the source of all
fertility” (c 5, p.36)
“Thank you. He who brings the
kola brings life. But I think you
ought to break it,” (6) “As he
broke the kola, Unoka prayed
to theircc and for protection
against their enemies.”

CHAPTER SUMMARIES
CHAPTER 1
- background on Okonkwo (hard-working, fighter) and his father, Unoka (lazy, in
debt)
- Okonkwo is known to have a short temper and “he did pounce on people quite
often.” (4)
- CONFLICT - O. vs. father - contrast between the two men, Okonkwo despises
his father
 - Insight on Unoka’s life and struggles with debt. Encounter with Okoye, where the
two men speak about Unoka’s debt and his approach towards it.
- Introduction to Okonkwo’s current lifestyle and status

CHAPTER 2
- All men of Umuofia are asked to gather at the market place the next morning at
the sound of the ogene, the town crier which has a clear overtone of tragedy
- Okonkwo thinks this is a call for war, and we learn that in Umuofia’s last war he
was the first to bring home a head (which was his fifth).
- The next morning about 10,000 men are gathered at the market place and they
are told that a daughter of Umuofia was murdered in Mbaino. In response an
ultimatum was dispatched to Mbaino asking them to offer a young man and a
virgin as compensation, or go to war. We learn that Umuofia is feared by
neighbouring villages because it’s powerful in war and magic, and one would not
go to war with Umuofia if a peace settlement could be agreed upon. Okonkwo
goes to Mbaino as the “proud and imperious emissary of war” and returns with a
young virgin and a lad of fifteen. The young virgin replaced the murdered girl and
the boy went to live with Okonkwo until his fate would be decided by the elders
- We find out more what Okonkwo thinks of his father. His passion is to have
everything that his father had loved. Among that, was gentleness and idleness.
(13)
- CONFLICT - O. vs. Nwoye - Okonkwo beats his son for being lazy - we see how
much he values hard-work and commitment.
- Ikemefuna is brought to the village, and Okonkwo welcomes him to “the clan,”
and gives him shelter at his home.

CHAPTER 3
- In this chapter we learn about the background of Okonkwo and his drive to not be
like his father, who he deems a failure. In essence, he cannot rely on his father at
all and is left to build up on a clean sheet. This underprivileged start drives him to
work much harder, and have a huge desire to be different than his father, he
starts to achieve this goal by borrowing seed yams and eventually builds himself
up as a leader in the area due to his hard work and drive.
- CONFLICT - O. vs. self -- governed by fear

CHAPTER 4
- Okonkwo who had risen from poverty and at a kindred meeting he insulted
another man, calling him a women.
 - CONFLICT: O. vs. wife, O. vs. society -- His second wife, Ojuigo, went to plait her
hair instead of cooking dinner, and when she came back Okonkwo beat her
severely. At the time of the Week of Peace
- He had to sacrifice a goat and a hen for angering the earth goddess and beating
his wife during the week of peace.
- After the Week of Peace the village clears their fields and they get ready for
sowing. The ritual is described in detail: When the rainy season begins, the
women plant all types of crops. They tend to it until the harvest season begins
(weeding it completely three times during the right periods).
- During the rainy season, it is said that the children gather around fires, telling
stories. They celebrate with different songs when it ends, and the harvest season
begins.
- At the end of the chapter he starts working the field with his children and he is
concerned that his children do not become lazy

CHAPTER 5
- New Yam festival is starting in this Chapter
- CONFLICT: Okonkwo is very angry at his wives for “Killing” a Banana tree
- First he beats Ekwefi, which frightens all the children and then when she
murmurs something about guns, Okonkwo takes his Gun and shoots at
her, but misses
- Talks about Okonkwo's second wife being happy about the Wrestling Match, as
she found Okonkwo there, but he was too poor to pay the bride money
- She eventually ran away from her Husband to get together with Okonkwo
- The children bring Meals from every of Okonkwo's wives, so that he can eat
- It is revealed, that Okonkwo really likes Ezinma, but he doesn’t really show this
very often

6-7 - Luka
Chapter 6
- Traditions & Values
- Masculinity and strength are valued in Umuofia culture. Therefore
Wrestling is viewed as an important tradition as even the elders and
grandees would attend.
- “The elders and grandees of the village sat on their own stools brought
there by their young sons or slaves.” pg 46
- Drums appear during most festivals and celebrations demonstrating that
the wrestling contest plays a huge role within the villages
- Social Structure
 - Only men are allowed to attend the wrestling contest in order to show of
masculine strength.
- Character Relationships
- One of the rare occasions when the tribes meet up and wrestle each other
in order to show strength amongst the tribes.
- Ekwefi and Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle Agbala discuss about
Ezinma and weather she will survive.
- “How old is she now?” - Chielo
“She is about ten years old.” - Ekwefi
“I think she will stay. They usually stay if they do not die before the age of
six.” - Chielo

Chapter 7
- Social Structure
- Nwoye and Ikemefuna listened to Okonkwo’s stories of Violence and
bloodshed. Nwoye however, still enjoys his mother’s folk tales and
legends, but he tried to impress Okonkwo by acting masculine.
Demonstrating a stereotype that men should love violence and shouldn’t
fear blood.
- The Oracle has ordered Okonkwo to get rid of Ikemefuna. When Nwoye
realized that his friend was leaving, he bursts into tears and is beaten by
his father as men are not supposed to demonstrate emotions
- Character Relationships
- Nwoye and Ikemefuna spend all their time together like brothers.
- Okonkwo has shown love towards Ikemefuna as he showed a lot of
attributes of a man
- Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna as he could not stand seeing him suffer.
Demonstrating Okonkwo’s emotions towards Ikemefuna
- Okonkwo also increases his affection towards Nwoye (his son) as
Ikemefuna managed to influence him to do more manly things
 8-9 - Veljko
Chapter 8
Politics: titles and customs in different villages differ (ozo title)
Men with ozo can’t climb palm trees
Traditions/values: Obrieka and Okonkwo discuss the Oracle and their belief
system
Traditional clothing described with Obrieka’s daughter
Social Structure: Pride price/haggling when it comes to proposing
Men decide marriages
Talk about different traditions in clans shows the patriarchal nature of their
culture: “You might aswell say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are
making the children.” pg.74
Character Relationships: Obrieka presented as Okonkwo’s foil character,
questioning the nature of their traditions and laws, and confronting Okonkwo on
Ikemefuna’s death.

Chapter 9
Traditions/Values: Iba disease Enzima- Traditional remedies
Ogbanje- devil child
Mosquito story first page of chapter
Begging death\
Character Relationships: Okonkwo cares for Enzima deeply which we see by
his worrying and distress over her disease
Cares less for Ekwefi, shown again beating her, which also shows again the
patriarchal structure of their society
10-11 -Elena
Chapter 10
2. Politics & the Economy -Ceremony=trial that determines the punishment for one’s unethical
actions. Includes sort of roleplay with the representation of the 9 villages.
3. Traditions & Values - Ceremony: everyone gathers around the village playground, later in the
day when its not too hot. The ceremony is actually a trial between a woman, her husband and his
family, where once the gong is rang, the 9 people (egwugwu) run out of the house, representing the
9 villages of Umuofia and their leader is the Evil Forest. One of the egwugwu was Okonkwo, but if
anyone noticed, they’d keep it to themselves. During the trial, the Evil Forest questions the husband,
Uzowulu, about him beating his wife. The neighbours are witnesses, and they confirm that this has
been happening. The trial results with the decision for Uzowulu to bring a wine offering to his in-laws.
If he does so, the in-laws will let his wife return to him. The trial ends and another one begins.
4. Social Structure - “Evil Forest” represents the judge, therefore has authority in this ceremony.
Everyone else is levelled the same. Egwugwu remain anonymous which shows that their role is
independent of their individual role in the community.
5. Character Relationships - Uzowulu and Mgbafo- Uzowulu beats Mgbafo who decides to leave
him, however they go on trial and if Uzowulu obey the requirements and consequences, Mgbafo
must return to him and be his wife.

Chapter 11

1. Setting - Moonlight, night time, a long way from the village to the cave where Chielo (the
priestess) speaks to Agbala.
3. Traditions & Values - The power everyone looks up to and believes in, Agbala, requests priests
and priestesses. It has selected Ezinma (Okonkwo’s and Ekwefi’s daughter). In order for this action
to be undertaken Chielo takes the girl to a cave.
Also the storytelling. We can see that a lot is passed down in the village, like the story Ekwefi tells
about the turtle. Every story has a lesson that teaches the listener a lesson.
4. Social Structure - Agbala is most respected. Priestess also has authority since she is the
messenger. Once Chielo arrives to take Ezinma away, Ekwefi begs for her to take her daughter in
the morning, but Chielo says not to go against Agbala, which everyone should respect. Once Ekwefi
wants to follow them, Chielo keeps on throwing curses at Ekwefi, which shows another form of
authority to punish anyone who disobeys the requests.
5. Character Relationships - Ekwefi-Ezinma: Mother-daughter love and bond. Ekwefi does not let
Ezinma leave alone, she follows. Ekwefi also swears she will enter the cave if she hears Ezinma
crying and will die with her and be by her side at all times.
Okonkwo-Ekwefi: Love/family. Even though okonkwo wants to seem tough, he follows Ekwefi and
his daughter because he is worried. He comforts Ekwefi once he finds her alone and scared. The
memory of their first night together come to mind and it shows the love between them once Ekwefi
left her husband to be with Okonkwo.

12-13 - Ben
Chapter 12
Politics: - the owner of a cow, which was let loose on the neighbor's crops, has
to pay a fine (showing organization and structure in the Igbo culture) p.114
Traditions: - the mother of Obierka's daughter has to cook for the whole village
for the uri (celebrating the engagement of the daughter), all women and children come
to help her p.110
- The tradition of presenting food, ex: Obierka presenting a goat that "was
as big as a small cow." (being able to present good food as a symbol of
wealth and generosity) p.113
- "Then more pots came (...) The hosts nodded in approval and seemed to
say, "Now they are behaving like men." (judgement showing the value and
importance of generosity in the Igbo culture) p.116
Character: - Okonkwo worried for his daughter Ezinma, who was taken by the
priestess of the oracle: "He had felt very anxious but did not show it" (showing love for
his daughter but also the understanding of emotions as a sign of weakness that
Okonkwo is afraid of) p.112

Chapter 13
Politics: - Okonkwo kills Ezeudu’s oldest son by accident during Ezeudu's
funeral (man who told Okonkwo not to kill Ikemefuna) -> "It was against the earth
goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who committed it must flee from the land." p.124
Tradition: - at a warrior's funeral men are destroying and killing everything that
comes across their way (showing questionable aspects of the Igbo's traditions, possibly
foreshadowing the destruction that will come with colonization) p.121
 - The believe in afterlife and ghosts: "If your death was the death of nature,
go in peace. But if a man caused it, do not allow him a moment's rest."
(old man to Ezeudu's dead body) p.123
Social structure: - worship of the elderly (egwugwu) and the ancestors: "A man's life
from birth to death was a series of transition rites which brought him nearer and nearer
to the ancestors." p.122
- The importance of titles: "There were only four titles in the clan, and only one or
two men in any generation ever achieved the fourth and highest. When they did,
they became the lords of the land."p.123
- The inferiority of women: "the crime was of two types, male and female.
Okonkwo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent." (showing
the absurdity of some Igbo rules and values) p.124
Character: - Obierka questioning the Igbo laws (showing the grievances of the culture)
"Obierka was a man who thought about things (...) Why should a man suffer so
grievously for an offense he had committed inadvertently?" p.125 (Characterization of
Obierka as the foil to Okonkwo who blindly followed what the tribes law demanded from
him)

14-15 - Celine
Chapter 14
-Okonkwo arrived to his mother’s kinsmen in another village Mbanta. By his uncle
Uchendu.
Tradition- Okonkwo was given a plot of ground and two or three pieces of land on which
to farm. They help him build a new compound of huts and lend him yam seeds to
start a farm.
-The rain season begins, through huge drops of hail

Social Structure: -Okonkwo does not enjoy the repetition of starting a new farm
as he wants “to become one of the lords of the clan” Page 131
-”It’s a female ochu” page 129- Okonkwo’s accident is referred to a female's
mistake (shows how women are portrayed)
-Uchendu gathers kinsmen and Okonkwo and refers to the name Nneka meaning
“Mother is Supreme” 133
-A man belongs to his fatherland and stays there when life is good, a man looks
for refuge in his motherland when life is harsh.
-Children usually run away to mother when their fathers beat them.

Characters- Uchendu has not hung himself even though he has lost 5 wives and
buried 22 children. Implying that many have gone through worse. (Wise/Old&
Experienced)
-Okonkwo= new beginning in motherland during exile. Fitting into the clan.
- Okonkwo whining/having a hard time adjusting -134-5

Chapter 15
Politics: -Obierka tells Okonkwo about how “Abame” has been wiped out. 137
-They fled Umuofia on Eke day (eke market day) fugitives telling stories about
what is occurring ar
-White man had appeared in the clan “riding an iron horse”- however elder
consulted their Oracle and it said that “the strange man would break their clan
and spread destruction among them” would bring destruction to Abame, the
villagers then killed the white man however the the other white men found his
bike and wiped out Abame’s market.

Economy- Obierika “clear bags were full of cowries” (Page 136) - Obierika sells
Okonkwo’s yams and seed yams, he gave others to sharecroppers for planting.
He will continuously bring Okonkwo the money while he is still in his motherland.

Traditions: -”They must have used a powerful medicine to make themselves

invisible until the market was full.” page 139
-Uchendu states that is was foolish to kill a man who said nothing, after Obierka
states that he either said nothing or nothing they could understand.
-Mother Kite story page 140 “There is nothing to fear from someone who
shouts.”
-The White man tell the Ibo people that there are no such thing as all the many
gods they believe but there is only one god. And the holy trinity-The Mbanta men
laughed

Characters -Okonkwo believes that it would've been better to take cover and
protect oneself rather than listening to the Oracle and killing the white man.
 -White man persuades Ibo villagers that they will be able to ride the iron horses
and live amongst them.
-Nwoye was captivated by the Holy Trinity idea- the idea of new religion.-
Foreshadow’s the betrayal the villagers to the village.

16-17 - Miona
Chapter 16
Politics and Economy:
● Missionaries had set up a church in Umuofia, won many converts, and even more
evangelists were taking over towns.
○ “They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already
sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages” (Page 143)

Traditions and Values:

● The Ibo people believe that if they leave their gods, they will become angry and violent.

○ “If we leave our gods and follow your god, who will protect us from the anger of
our neglected gods and ancestors” (page 146)
● · The missionaries believe that the Ibo gods are evil because they kill friends and
innocent children, therefore they believe in only one god.
○ “’All those gods you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who
tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children. There is only one true
god, and He has the earth, the sky, you and me and all of us’” (Page 146)

Social Structure:
● The converts were considered as efulefu, or worthless men without titles.
○ “None of them was a man of title. They were mostly the kind of people that were
called efulefu, worthless empty men. (Page 143)
·
● The missionaries believed that they were of a higher rank than the Ibo people and that
the Ibo beliefs were false, thus requesting that they change their faith. The missionaries
justified their requests by assuring the Ibo people will live forever if they follow their faith.
 ○ “’We have been sent by this great god to ask you to leave your wicked ways and
false gods and turn to Him so that you may be saved when you die’” (Page 145)

Character Relationship:
● The missionaries and the people of the clan did not agree in respect to their beliefs
○ “Chielo, the priestess of Agbala, called the converts the excrement of the clan,
and the new faith was a mad dog that had come to eat it up” (Page 143
● According to Nwoye, Okonkwo is not considered to be his father anymore due to his
transition of faith
○ “’How is your father?’ Obierika asked, not knowing what else to say. ‘I don’t know.
He is not my father,’ said Nwoye, unhappily. (Page 144)

Chapter 17
Politics and the Economy
● After the white man's survival in the evil forest, they began getting more converts
○ “Not long after, he won his first three converts” (Page 149)
Traditions and Values
● The Ibo culture has no kings, only men of high title and the chief priests and the elders
○ “‘We have men of high title and the chief priests and the elders”’ (Page 148)
● “The evil forest”
○ “Every clan and village had an evil forest. In it were buried all those who died of
the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox. It was also the dumping
ground for the potent fetishes of great medicine men when they died. It was alive
with sinister forces and powers of darkness” (Page 148)
● It was thought that the white man's fetish had unbelievable powers. They wore their
glasses to they could see the evil spirits and talk to them. (Page 149)
Social Structure
● Since Nwoye was very afraid of his father because of his change of faith, it shows the
hierarchy of a family, that a father should be in control of his son's actions and that the
son must not disobey his father.
Character Relationships
● Nwoye if very afraid of his father because of his faith
○ “After passing and repassing by the church, Nwoye returned home” (page 150)
● The missionaries won their first women, and people started questioning the Ibo traditions
 ○ “Nneka had had four previous pregnancies and childbirths. But each time she
borne twins, and they had been immediately thrown away. [...] she had fled to
join the Christians” (page 151) -- SYMBOLIC!
● Okonkwo is furious with Nwoye
○ “Where have you been?’ [...] ‘Answer me,’ roared Okonkwo, ‘before I kill you!’

18-19 - Aleksa
1. Setting - Key Characteristics - layout, geography & key features/landmarks, physical structure,
seasons, symbolic significance?
2. Politics & the Economy -Organizational structures & Decision makers/people in power - who is
in charge? How is it decided? What does it look like in practice? Economy & production?
3. Traditions & Values - erence to past ways of life, acting, being, cultural aspects (festivals, foods,
activities...), belief systems...
4. Social Structure - Roles & Rules - for family, women, men, children, authority/hierarchy,
individualistic? communal?
5. Character Relationships - romantic, friendships, adults and children, friends and enemies,
different groups (tribes/countries/regions)

** Page #s/quotations -- EVIDENCE KEY - paper 2 (needed)

CHAPTER 18

- The church raises a protest against admitting osu (outcast, a person dedicated to a God, a
taboo for ever))
- converts afraid
-Mr. Kiaga ,, He needs Christ more than you and I” (page 156)
-Osu afraid that if they shave their marks they will die but Me. Kiaga assures them
than only word of his God was true “Unless you shave… Only the word of our God is true.” (page
157)
- Word arises that a man killed a sacred python and there was no punishment. (Okoli killed
sacred python) =SYMBOL
- Tribe does not want to go to war and wants no business in it
Okonkwo is mad about it and thinks this is a womanly clan “Let us not reason like cowards” (page
158-159)
Clan does not allow Christians to enter stream or quarry until Okoli is punished
- Okoli falls ill and dies and the clan leaves the Christians alone

Traditions and values - converts are against admitting osu

- osu afraid of dying if they cut their hair (mark of an outcast)
- people should be punished if committing a crime (killing a sacred python)
Social structure - converts are accepted into christianity
- higher ranked people in the clan decide actions of the clan

CHAPTER 19 ** last chapter of Part 2

- Okonkwo wants to return to his village
- Gives Obierika money to built him two huts in the old compound
- Organizes a big feast to thank his mother's kinsmen - generous
- importance of solidarity, unity - fear of falling apart - younger generations leaving family and
tradition