Things Fall Apart

A detailed Summary of Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo, a wealthy, respected warrior, is a member of the Umuofia clan, a lower

Nigerian tribe. In his youth, he brought honor to his village when he defeated Amalinze

the Cat in a wrestling contest. The Cat was undefeated for seven years. Okonkwo's father,

Unoka, feared the sight of blood, and he wasted money. His wife and children often went

hungry. He was a skilled musician with the flute, and he loved to converse in elaborate

phrases. Unoka died of a shameful illness. Those suffering from swelling stomachs and

limbs are left in the Evil Forest to die. The clan's earth goddess abhors the disease. He

never took a title, and he left numerous heavy debts unpaid. Okonkwo has taken five

human heads in battle. During important occasions, he drinks palm-wine from his first

One night, the town-crier rings the ogene, a gong. He requests that all the clansmen gather

in the market in the morning. At the gathering, Ogbuefi Ezeugo, a noted orator, states that

someone from the village of Mbaino has murdered "a daughter of Umuofia" while she was

in their market. She was Ogbuefi Udo's wife. The crowd expresses anger. Okonkwo

travels to Mbaino to deliver the message that they must give a virgin and a young man to

He points to a carving and states that it is not a god, but a piece of wood.

discovered their comrade's fate and slaughtered the village. Uchendu asks

farms. The suitor's family brings an impressive fifty pots of wine to the

hours of walking, some men attack him with machetes. He runs to Okonkwo for help.

neck, demanding to know where he has been. Uchendu orders him to let

Three converts join the church. The villagers remember that sometimes their

Ekwefi's first nine children died in infancy. Okonkwo consulted a

restraint. One such convert, Enoch, dares to unmask an egwugwu during

cave, Ekwefi resolves that if she hears Ezinma crying, she will rush in to

Approximate Word count = 3998
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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