Things Fall Apart

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Things Fall Apart

• Chapter 2

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Describe the superstitions you see
Umuofia at war
Reputations
Okonkwo as warrior
Chapter 2 Reflections
Spirituality
Home and Home life
What drives Okonkwo?
Oracle
Shrine
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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).
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Umuofia at war
Reputations
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.
Okonkwo as warrior
Unlike his father, Okonkwo doesnt 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.
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Spirituality
Shrine
Oracle
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
villages medicine- an old woman with one leg.
Most are nervous to pass it in the dark.
The Oracle of the Hills and the CavesThis 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.
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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).
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Home and Home life
Okonkwos 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.
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Drawing Conclusions

• Now make a list of conclusions you can make about
  the village of Umuofia and the Ibo tribe.