Things Fall Apart Chapters 17-19

Chapter 17 Eventually, the rulers of Mbanta receive the missionaries who ask for a piece of land to build a church. The elders offer them a portion of land in the “Evil Forest.” The next day the missionaries begin to clear the land to build their church. Every village had its “evil forest.” It is where all those who die of bad diseases are buried.

Chapter 17 Believing they would all be dead in four days, the villagers are surprised when nothing happens. The missionaries win more converts, including a pregnant woman, Nneka, who had four other pregnancies that produced twins. They believed they would die, if not in four days, then in 28 as sometimes their gods allowed long-suffering.

Chapter 17 Okonkwo’s cousin, Amikeu, sees Nwoye with the Christians and tells Okonkwo. When Nwoye returns home, Okonkwo grabs him by the neck demanding to know where he has been, or Okonkwo will kill him. Uchedue command Oknkwo to release the boy. Nwoye walks away and never returns. Okonkwo wonders how he could ever have fathered such a weak son.

Chapter 18 The new church in Mbanta struggles in its early days. Converts come into the village declaring that all the gods were dead. The villagers beat the converts until bloody. The church brings a new religion, and a new government. They build a place of judgment to protect their followers. It is here where a man who killed a missionary is rumored to be hanged.

Chapter 18 The outcasts see that the church welcomes twins and other abominations and think that they too, might be accepted. One day, several outcast arrive at the church. Although the church goers do not leave at first, “the whole church raised a protest.” Mr. Kiaga firmly refuses to turn the outcasts away. Mr. Kiaga explains that, “before God, there is no slave or free. We are all children of God and we must receive these our brothers.” Kiaga stand firm; it is his firmness that saves the church.

Chapter 18 Mr. Kiaga asks the men to shave their long, tangled hair. At first they are afraid, but Mr. Kiaga shows them that the heathens speak nothing but falsehood. The osu become the most zealous members of the church. It is one of the osu who brings great conflict. The osu are the church’s converts.

Chapter 18 One of the outcasts brags about killing the sacred royal python. Okonkwo wants Mbanta to rid the village of the Christians, but the rulers and elders decide to ignore them. Okonkwo is bitterly disappointed. The elders hear that the man who bragged about killing the snake died of an illness. The villagers think it was their gods showing they were still able to fight. The clan decides it is no longer necessary to ignore the Christians.

Chapter 19 The last of the year’s big rains arrive. It is Okonkwo’s last harvest in Mbanta. While in exile, Okonkwo has two children, a girl who he names Nneka and two years later, a boy, Nwofia. In his last year of exile, Okonkwo sends word to his friend Obierika to build two huts for his family to live in until more can be build. Before he leave Mbanta, Okonkwo asks his wives to prepare a great feast to thank his mother’s kinsmen.

Chapter 19 At the feast, one of the oldest members thanks Okonkwo for his generosity and his devotion to his kin. The man also speaks of his concern for the younger generation, as the new religion is winning people away from their families and traditions.