Things Fall Apart Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Reflections Describe the superstitions you see Reputations Okonkwo as warrior Umuofia at war Spirituality OracleShrine What drives Okonkwo? Home and Home life

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 Umuofia at war 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 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 Shrine “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. 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 medicine- an 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.