Things Fall Apart
Chapter 2
Describe the superstitions
you see
Reputations
Umuofia at war
Okonkwo as warrior
Chapter 2 Reflections
Spirituality
Home and Home life
What drives Okonkwo?
Oracle
Shrine
Describe the superstitions you see
The people of Umuofia are scared of the
darkness at night. With the darkness, comes
an inevitable “quiet”. It is said to hold a “vague
terror” (9). Children are not permitted to
whistle at night for fear of evil spirits and
animals because they are more “sinister and
uncanny in the dark” (9).
However, moonlit nights are different. Children
can play in the fields and people talk and tell
stories. In fact they have a saying, “When the
moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry
for a walk” (10).
Reputations
Okonkwo as warrior
Unlike his father, Okonkwo doesn’t mind
the sight of blood. In the “latest” war
Okonkwo brought home a human head
and has accumulated five over his short
lifetime. He even drinks from them on
special occasions.
Okonkwo was also sent as an emissary to
Mbaino to negotiate peace due to his
stature and reputation.
Umuofia at war
Umuofia is feared by all
neighboring villages. It is
well known for its power
and medicine. Most
clans would avoid war
with Umuofia and try to
settle peacefully.
It also has the reputation
for being extremely fair. It
only went to war on
“clear” cases and if it
was accepted by the
“Oracle”.
Spirituality
Oracle
“The Oracle of the Hills
and the Caves”…This
is the first time we
read about a spiritual
presence in the lives of
the people of Umuofia.
It is said that the
Oracle can forbid or
permit war.
Shrine
At the end of the
chapter we learn about
a shrine or “medicine
house”. It contains
“wooden symbols of his
personal god and of his
ancestral spirits” (14).
Here, he worships and
sacrifices in the name of
his family.
We also learn of the
shrine in the village
center that is tribute to
the village’s medicinean old woman with one
leg. Most are nervous to
pass it in the dark.
What drives Okonkwo?
Okonkwo is mostly motivated by fear. Achebe
describes it as “…the fear of failure and of
weakness” (13). It is described as a great fear,
deeper than the traditional fears of his fellow man.
Achebe goes further, “It was not external but lay
deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest
he should be found to resemble his father” (13).
Furthermore, Okonkwo resents anything his father
valued in his life including “gentleness and
…idleness” (13).
Home and Home life
Okonkwo’s home is described as a “compound”.
Each wife and Okonkwo have their own hut. There
is a barn and a “medicine house” where his shrine is
located.
Okonkwo speaks tersely with his wife and he seems
to have a strained relationship with his son Nwoye.
Drawing Conclusions
• Now make a list of conclusions you can
make about the village of Umuofia and the
Ibo tribe.