Chapters 1-3

Okonkwo is well-known not only to his
village of Iguedo, of the Umuofia clan, but
also to the nine villages surrounding
Umuofia. He is a wealthy and respected
warrior who, in his youth, brings honor to his
village by throwing the man, “Amalinze the
Cat” in a wrestling contest.


Okonkwo does what
no one else had done
when he put “the cat”
on his back. Before
the match with
Okonkwo, Amalinze
had been undefeated
for seven years.
This feat would be
compared to Joe
Frazier beating
Muhammad Ali in
1971.


As a child, Okonkwo lived in shame as his
father Unoka, was seen by the clan as a
coward and a squanderer who took no title in
his lifetime. Okonkwo’s father borrowed
money from his clansmen, but rarely repaid
his debt.
No taking a title in one’s lifetime is cause for
shame in Unoka’s culture.

Okonkwo remembers
the day a neighbor,
Okoye, visits and asks
his father to repay the
two hundred cowries he
had loaned Unoka.
Unoka, not having the
money, tells Okoye that
he must first repay his
larger debts, before
paying the smaller ones.

Okonkwo fears
looking like his
father even though
he is completely
different. He is a
respected warrior
who does not fear
blood and is a
wealthy yam farmer,
with three wives and
well-fed children.


Because he is well-respected, Okonkwo is
asked to take in the ill-fated boy, Ikemefuna.
Ill-fated - that causes or marks the beginning
of misfortune

As Okonkwo gets ready for bed, he hears the
town crier ring the gong, announcing that all
of the clansmen need to be present in the
market in the morning.


Ten thousand men gather in the morning.
Ogbuefi Ezeugo, a great orator, announces that a
daughter of Umuofia had been murdered while
she was in the Mbanio market. The woman was
the wife of Ogbuefi Udo. Not wanting to go to
war, the village decides to give Mbanio an
ultimatum – choose between war or offering a
young man and a virgin as compensation.
Umuofia is feared by all its neighbors. It is
powerful in war and in magic. A peaceful
settlement was the best choice to make.


Okonkwo travels to Mbaino and delivers the
message of his village. Mbaino agrees to
Umuofia’s ultimatum.
When Okonkwo returns to the vilalge, the
elders give the virgin to Ogbuefi Udo to
replace his murdered wife; and the fifteenyear-old boy, Ikemefuna, who belongs to the
clan, is turned over to Okonkwo until his fate
is determined.


Okonkwo rules his home. His wives and his
children fear him. In fact, fear rules Okonkwo
as well. His fear is that his clasmen might
view him as weak like his father.
Nwoye is not a hard worker like his father,
and causes Okonkwo much anxiety. In order
to correct his son, the proud farmer nags and
beats his son, who grows into a “sad-faced
youth.”

When Ikemefuna is given to Okonkwo he
instructs his first wife to watch over him.
Afraid the boy does not understand what has
happened to him. He does not know that his
father played a role in killing a daughter of
Umuofia.



Okonkwo did not have an easy start in life.
When Okonkwo was young, his father Unoka
consulted the local priestess about his
miserable harvests. The priestess
reprimanded Unoka for his laziness.
Unoka was an ill-fated man who, even while
dying, brought disgrace to his name. He
never took a title.
Okonkwo worked for Nwakibie, who gave him
his first seed yams. One of Unoka’s friends
gives him another four hundred seeds.



Horrible droughts and constant downpours
however, spoiled much of the crops, and
Okonkwo is only able to keep one third of the
first harvest.
His first year of the harvest leaves a deep
mark on Okonkwo, and for the rest of his life,
he considers his survival during that first year
proof of his inflexible will.
He believes he can endure anything.


Still living during this first harvest,
Okonkwo’s father offers words of comfort,
but Okonkwo only felt disgust.
Okonkwo could not understand how his
father could turn to words when so much
more was called for. “It tried Okonkwo’s
patience beyond words.”