Chapter One:
What are Okonkwo's main characteristics as he is depicted in the first few chapters? What were the characteristics of his father which affect him so powerfully? Why do you think Achebe does this? What do you think are the social functions of such a system?
Okonkwo is a strong man. A man with honor, valor, and dignity. He is the manliness man you can have. He is also productive. His father though is weak, musical, useless, and has done nothing with his life. To start to show the different customs that these people participate in. The stronger and more headstrong and confident you are the higher you will be within such a society have the more titles.
Chapter Two:
What effect does night have on the people? What do they fear? How do they deal with their fear of snakes at night? What is the cause and nature of the conflict with Mbaino? What is the purpose of the taking of Ikemefuna? In what ways does Okonkwo overcompensate for his father's weaknesses? In what ways is he presented as unusual for his culture? What is his attitude toward women? Why does he dislike his son Nwoye so much? What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of this form of social structure are? What seems to be Achebe's attitude toward this culture so far? Is his depicting it as an ideal one? Can you cite any passages which imply a critical attitude?
The night brings them into the shelter of their homes. They fear the spirits around them and ancestors that come out. They deal with it by being on alert and ready for anything. That the Mbaino maybe looking for a way to challenge such an idea. He is like a hostage that if they do anything again that they have one of their own to kill first. He compensates it by acting more manly and trys to be the best and better than his father. He is very mean to women. Nwoye acts like girl and reminds him of his father.
Chapter Three
What effect does her status have on your judgment of the roles played by women in the culture? How is awareness of rank observed in the drinking of the palm wine? How does share-cropping work? What is the relationship of women to agriculture? How does Okonkwo react to "the worst year in living memory?"
The women are really not respected in this culture. The women are lower life. Yet the priestesses are held in a higher respect because they are involved with a god. The person who drinks palm-oil first is the highest person present. The women only prepare the food and not harvest or eat with the men. Very poorly and he is very mad.
Chapter Four
What are Okonkwo's virtues? What are his faults? What does this proverb mean, "When a man says yes his chi says yes also"? What is Okonkwo's relationship with Ikemefuna like? What is the crime that causes Okonkwo's to be reprimanded? What does it tell you about the values of the culture? What evidence is there in this chapter that customs have changed over time? That customs differ among contemporary cultures? What are the limits of the power of the village rain-maker?
To be the best warrior and become the greatest man of the clan. He also does everything to the book & code of the clan. That you are one with your soul. He actually at first is mean to Ikemefuma then he becomes more relaxed and likes him. Their culture is very strict and you must obey the rules. He is only able to ask the rain god to let it rain and not made it actually rain.
Chapter Five
What is Okonkwo's attitude toward feasts? What kind of a woman is she? What do you think is the significance of women having to sit with their legs together?
He doesn't like the feasts because is honors the women. She is a very strong woman that was the villages beauty she also is Okonkwo first wife. It shows that more lady like and that they are more cocealed when they act like that then doing otherwise.
Chapter Six
What roles does Chielo play in the village?
She is the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. She is friends Ekwefi and there bond is so close that she calls Ekmefi's daughter her own.
Chapter Seven
How has Nwoye begun to "act like a man"? What values does Okonkwo associate with manliness? How does Nwoye relate to these values? How does the village react to the coming of the locusts? Why is Okonkwo asked not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna? Why do you suppose they have decided to kill the boy? Why do you think Achebe does not translate the song that Ikemefuna remembers as he walks along? Why does Okonkwo act as he does?
He starts to do the chores around the house and behaves like a man. The values of strength, responsibility, to be violent, and bloodshed. An old freshman. He sees them as becoming a man but prefers his mothers. They get excited and start to celebrate. They believe that Okonkwo has bonded to well with the boy and it has been effecting him. Because of the bond the two have made. To show the powerful meaning and sound of the natives there. He acts the way he does because he doesn't want to show weakness and falter.
Chapter Eight
What is Okonkwo's attitude toward his daughter Ezinma? Do you think such a custom would tend to make women more valuable than a dowry system where the woman's family must offer the gifts to the bridegroom's family? How do you think such a system would affect the women themselves? Why do you think this attitude arose? How is the notion of white men first introduced into the story? Why might Africans suppose that they have no toes? What sorts of attitudes are associated with white men in this passage?
His attitude is nice to her and he favors her more. No it would not make more value because the gifts can be more expensive and also have a deeper meaning. It makes them less of person and more of property. It arose because if European Influence and that age period is when they really become a woman. That a leper is like a white man.
Chapter Nine
Why does Ekwefi prize her daughter Ezinma so highly? What attitudes toward children does it reflect? Does Achebe seem to validate the belief in ogbanje?
She prizes her daughter so highly because Enzinma is her daughter that survived at birth and has grown up so well. It reflects the ideas that the children are good but at times evil spirits can posses the child and kill them at birth. Achebe seems to validate the belief very throughly with the explanations that he gives
Chapter Ten
What do you think their attitude toward the egwugwu is? What seem to be the main functions of the ceremony? How does Evil Forest refute the argument of Uzowulu that he beat his wife because she was unfaithful to him? How are problems like this affected by the fact that whole families are involved in marriage, unlike in American culture where a man and woman may wed quite independently of their families and even against their families' wishes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each system?
This attitude is out f fear of these "spirits" becuase of what the man could do to them. it is like a trail to solve disputes between the peoples. He says Ozowulu must repent and beg for his wife back. That the whole family backs each other up and shows such a strong bondage between each other. The advantages are that their is such a great bond disadvantages are that their can curse family feuds and more opinions on the matter.
Chapter Eleven
What is the moral of the fable of the tortoise? What values does it reflect? What does the incident involving the priestess of Agbala reflect about the values of the culture?
The moral of the Fable is that if others are nice to you that you should be nice and thankful back or if you are mean they shall seek revenge. That if others are nice to you, you should be nice back that they honor the gods with much fear but at certain times the people will not obey and must protect their children.
Chapter Twelve
How is the importance of family emphasized in the uri ceremony?
The importance of a family is greatly emphasized in this uri ceremony. The presentation of gifts and the giving of the bride is very respected and well shown.
Chapter Thirteen
How does the one-handed egwugwu praise the dead man? Okonkwo has killed people before this. What makes this incident so serious, though it would be treated as a mere accident under our law?
By saying if he were poor then in the other life he would be rich and if he were a coward in the other life he would have courage finally if he had died young the in the other life he would have a life. Finally if natural causes did not kill him and a man did then he were to haunt that man. He had killed a member of his own clan a clansman. Since this happened he was punished two ways one if he did it on purpose and the other if he hadn't since he was to be aloud to come back after seven years.
Chapter Fourteen
What is the significance of comparing Okonkwo to a fish out of water? How does Okonkwo's lack of understanding of the importance of women reflect on him?
Okonkwo is now out of his native tribe and put into another. With different customs and events so he sticks out. That his women tend to act differently and because alot more determined on themselves then their fathers protection.
Chapter Fifteen
How does the story of the destruction of Abame summarize the experience of colonization? What sorts of stories had Okonkwo heard about white men before?
That if you show that to the white people or the white people they you will share the same fate as them. that they were killing innocent people and taking over peoples colonies.
Chapter Sixteen
Why do you think Nwoye has become a Christian? What is the first act of the missionaries which evokes a positive response in some of the Ibo? How does this belief undermine the missionaries' attempts to discredit the traditional religion? Why does the new religion appeal to Nwoye?
He never liked his father and the Christian faith promised him more & better stuff then his father. They take the outcasts and they preform good things for them. The new religion appeals to Nwoye because it explains more things and its safer environment to live in and he is away from his father.
Chapter Seventeen
What mutual misunderstandings are evident in this chapter between the missionaries and the people of the village? How does the granting to the missionaries of a plot in the Evil Forest backfire? What does the metaphor in the next to the last sentence of the chapter mean?
The mutual misunderstanding are of the ceremonies that are going on. They also are very concerned on the weather. That they are not killed off by diseases and "Evil" spirits that are there and the clear it. It means the way the white people are effecting everyone.Chapter Eighteen
Why do you suppose Achebe has not mentioned them earlier?
Chapter Nineteen
What does the final speaker say is the main threat posed by Christianity?
The main threat that it doesn't cover and shows the gods the respect that they need. It also shows alot of disrespect toward those in power.Chapter Twenty
What clashes in values are created by the functioning of the British courts?
Chapter Twenty-One
Why do some of the villagers--even those who are not converts to Christianity--welcome the British?
Chapter Twenty-Two
How is Rev. Smith different from Brown? What is the result of his black and white thinking?
Rev. Smith is a lot more straight forward and he starts to treat the locals with more force than Mr. Brown did. Mr. Brown would try and compensate while Smith uses force. He starts to create anger between the two and some people start to retaliate.Chapter Twenty-Three
What does the District Commissioner say is the motive of the British in colonizing the Africans?
The motive is to convert them so that they become civilized and better. He also explains to them about the white mans way being the best and only way for these people.Chapter Twenty-Four
Once again Okonkwo uses his matchet rashly, bringing disaster on his head. But he could be viewed as a defiant hero defending his people's way of life. What do you think of his act?
I believe his act was the most honorable and heroic task he could have done and shown to his fellow people. I also believe that more people should have stood up for what they believe in and joined Okonkwo in his actions.Chapter Twenty-Five
Why do you think Okonkwo kills himself? What is your reaction to the final paragraph of the book?
He knows since no one followed him in his actions that the culture has failed and it cannot be saved. I thought it was a little ironic and pay back to should the white man what they had done to such a peaceful place to through it into such turmoil and confusion that it would lead to someone killing themselves out of desperation and despair. Also to show that they may be making more evil and harm then good that they hoped.
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