Chapter 13

This chapter is talking about death. I thought it was kind of weird that after a chapter about starting a new life with a new person, Achebe decided to write about death. Maybe that is symbolic or it foreshadows something.

This funeral reminds me of something that Mrs. Aigner told us about. I think it is the Irish or Scottish or something that instead of being sad at a funeral they have a party celebrating the life of the person who has passed. It is also similar to a wake, which does celebrate the life, but also is very somber. I wonder what a women's funeral or a man without title's funeral would be like? I think the only reason that this one was so alive was because the man was very old and had had a wonderful life.

The Okonkwo's gun part just came out of nowhere to me. I was totally not expecting that. To me it seemed weird that it was his gun as well. I was thinking that maybe what happened was Okonkwo's fault because early in the book it said that he was not very good with a gun. I don't think that he did it on purpose, but I think that maybe he loaded it wrong or aimed it weird. I did kind of feel bad for him and his family because they have to leave. If it was a total accident it doesn't make sense that they should leave. He didn't do it on purpose.

I liked how Okonkwo's friend Oberika was questioning the rules of his tribe. Because some of them do not make any sense, but they can't do anything about them. I guess they are made by the gods or whoever.

I would just like to add that this is definitely the last chapter in part one! The book is halfway over!!

Chapter 12

This ceremony (I don't really know what to call it) is similar but very different from our weddings. They have the same concept, but there are obvious differences. Of course no one pays for a bride now, but we do have a big party with relatives, friends and neighbors. They basically skip the actually ceremony part and instead have their own ceremony thing with the gift giving. Then they just go right to the reception, which really wouldn't be that bad at all.

I really want to know what happened to Ezinma in the cave. I was wondering why her parents didn't ask her. I know that they were pretty occupied with the festivities, but I would think that when something major like that happens they would really want to know. I hope we find out later in the novel. I wonder if it will have a large impact?

At the end of this chapter when they were talking about the cow that escaped, I thought that was totally random. I mean I guess he is showing another aspect of everyday life, but it just seemed so out of place. I just thought of something. If they have cows why don't they eat them? Are they sacred? Are there to little of them? Do they know they can eat them? Or do they eat them and it was just never mentioned? I guess that goats are like a delicacy because they only have them on special occasions, but what about the cows? That is what I want to know.

Chapter 11

I kind of liked the story telling section. I mean it wasn't needed or anything, but I could imagine it. It is like sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories or being at a sleepover and chatting in a circle. Of course their stories are very different, but we do the same thing. I can remember so many times sitting in a circle and telling stories. I was thinking that maybe this is where the circle storying telling tradition came from. I don't exactly know the time period, but it is possible. I like that something that started so long ago is still used today.

I was wondering if a tortoise is a special animal to them or something. He was in both Ekwefi and Ezinma's stories. Maybe he symbolizes a specific type of person.

At first I got mad at Okonkwo because when Chielo took Ezinma he said something very cruel about his wife getting upset, but later I actually liked him for a second. When Ezinma left to follow Chielo and her daughter I was thinking why did Okonkwo let her do that? I thought that she would get in trouble or something because she was kind of messing with their god, but when Okonkwo was there I was very happy. Finally he did something that was nice. Not just semi-nice, but he really showed that he cared about his wife and child in this part. I was very content with it.

Chapter 10

This ceremony was like a court hearing. They had a judge type guy who was Evil Forest and then a type of jury which were the other titled guys. Speaking of this, Okonkwo said he had all these titles, but why wasn't he involved in this? Oh and what did they mean when they said "smoke poured out of his head" referring to Evil Forest.

Is Evil Forest this guy's real name or is it his name translated to English? Everyone else has a name like Okonkwo or Nwoye, and Evil Forest just seems out of place.

I don't understand how what this guy did is any different than what Okonkwo did. Maybe he had done it more often, but no matter how often they do it, it is still wrong. At the end someone said that the reason this case was brought to the court was because the court is the only one that the guy would listen to. Well, I think that the court is only one that Okonkwo would listen to but he doesn't have a case. It is probably because the beating has not lead to anything more noticable. He is just hiding in his obi.

I have finally found a quote remotely good concerning the treatment of women in this novel. "It is not bravery when a man fights a woman." Thank you! Finally someone who kind of gets it a least a little.

Chapter 9

Okonkwo says that women's stories are silly, but I bet he liked them when he was younger. I wonder what it would take for him to admit something like that. Threats maybe? I don't know if that much macho attitude can be conquered by anything. He would probably rather die.

I thought it was weird that they are not allowed to have eggs. I guess that maybe there are a limited amount or maybe people get sick from them or something. It was funny though how they said that eating eggs leads to stealing. Where do they get this stuff?

I could not believe that Ekwefi had had ten children and nine of them died. It was the last one that lived too. I would think for someone to go through that they would have to be so strong both mentally and physically. To have ten children and have nine of them die is just horrible. She must have been so depressed. If I was her I would have stopped trying because at some point she would be in a lot of danger during the birth. I guess she didn't have the choice or at least I assume she didn't. I have great respect for these woman. They are so courageous even though their lives are terrible. They can find joy in their children, which is wonderful. To get up everyday and go through what they do, I could never do it.

I could not believe the mutilation part. My jaw dropped when I read what they had done. That is so sick. I understand that it was for the spirits or whatever, but it was just so unbelievable.

Something I don't understand, was that whole part about the stone. I mean this stuff is their religion and everything, but it is not true. Did someone place something there because they knew it would need to be found? How did Ezinma know about it? I guess maybe a story was told when she was younger, but this whole part was confusing.

I wonder what was wrong with Ezinma?

Chapter 8

Now Okonkwo is depressed because of what he has done, but I will never feel sorry for him. Every horrible thing he has done is his fault, and he deserves to pay for it. He keeps saying that Ezinma should have been a boy because she has the drive, but I think that he just wants another boy around. He misses Ikemefuna, but now he will have to live with what he has done. The fact that Ikemefuna is not around anymore is causing him to focus on his other children. He is worrying that Nwoye is not going to be a good man, but without a role model how can he be a good man. Okonkwo is a horrible role model. Ikemefuna was a great one because he enjoyed his work and helped Nwoye to enjoy it as well. Now without him there, Nwoye does not want to do those things probably because it makes him think of Ikemefuna.

The part about the two people dieing seemed kind of out of place. I was wondering if that will come into play later or if it was just more culture? I was speculating poison or maybe the first was a heart attack and the second was shock. Maybe we will find out.

The bride price part was of course completely demeaning. I am not exactly shocked, but I will never be used to the treatment of women. I thought it was so stupid how they said that other tribes haggle and that is so wrong when first of all the entire thing is so wrong, and second this tribe does the exact same thing except instead of saying the price verbally, they use sticks. Big difference. I don't think so. Maybe between the tribes, but it is all the same to me.

I thought it was interesting that they had never seen whites, but if they have not how do they know that they are out there? Stories I assume.

Chapter 7

I just love how Nwyoe is going to be a total jerk like his father. He is sixteen and is already starting to think of women as objects. I seriously just want to stop reading about this.

I looked up a couple words this chapter as I have been. First I looked up foo-foo. It is a doughlike West African dish of boiled and ground plantain, yam, or cassava, made into balls to go with soups or stews. Also I looked up entrails. They are the internal parts of the trunk of an animal body, which is pretty sick because Okonkwo was eating them.

I think that it is kind of interesting that everything they have has a story or is somehow related to their gods and goddesses. The locusts for example had this entire story when really they are just a bug that comes every seventeen or fourteen years. I can't remember which. I remember when we had them hear in either fourth or fifth grade. I hated them but to these people they are a delicacy.

I can't believe that the tribe killed Ikemefuna, but even worse than that I cannot believe that Okonkwo slashed him. I mean why was he even there? That guy told him that he should not have anything to do with it. Just the chapter before Okonkwo was just thinking about how much he liked having him there and the good that he had done for his family. I know that it is their culture to beat women and for the men to make themselves look like jerks, but they have to draw the line somewhere.

Does Okonkwo's family know that he did it? If they do will they say anything? If they don't will they find out what a sick and twisted person their father is? After this I believe that Okonkwo is exponentially worse than his own father was. His father may have been lazy, but at least he wasn't a murderer.

Chapter 6

I was wondering if the drums are symbolic or something because they are mentioned numerous times. It is probably just more culture, but I wasn't sure.

During the part of this chapter when the two mothers were talking, one asked the other if her daughter was still at home. I didn't know why she asked that. I know that they marry young, but I didn't think it was at ten. They also said something like they normally are gone before they are six so the mother thought she would stay. Where would she go? I don't know how important this section was, but it definitely confused me.

During the wrestling matches, they said the first few matches were not that interesting because no one was thrown. At first I assumed that thrown meant the other person won, but now I am wondering if it means something different. I guess it could be a type of move or maybe something else.

Wrestling to them is like a pastime kind of like baseball to us. Most everyone loves it, and it an important part of our history as a country. It seems to be the same for them with wrestling. Everyone gets so into it, and they are excited for this all year long. The best match is like the World Series. Everyone waits in anticipation for it.

I know that Okonkwo was a wrestler, but why didn't he wrestle any of those matches? Is he to old? Or was he just not chosen?

Chapter 5

It seems to me like the Feast of the New Yam is similar to our Thanksgiving. They have it because they are thankful that they had a good harvest. I know that Thanksgiving is not about a harvest or anything, but in the sense that they are giving thanks for something they received it is similar.

Where it said that they shaved the children's heads in patterns that caught me off guard. I was not expecting that. I wonder if they did it to the girls and boys. I suppose so. I guess it is just another wacky custom.

Okonkwo's character makes me want to stop reading this novel. I wish something bad would happen to him and maybe it will I don't know. Why does he have to just yell at people when they haven't done anything wrong. I am just so disgusted by him and I know that I have written that a thousand times, but I can not get over it. What makes him so angry that he has to make up reasons to beat his wife? In the part about the banana tree, it said that he was angry and that he "found an outlet" for his anger. What, is he just mad at the world or something? Then the part about almost shotting his wife! I would rather die than trade places with any of these women they have it so horrible. All she did was make one remark and he went crazy. Maybe karma will get him.

I didn't know if when Ekwefi asked her mom about her eye twitch if she was just making up what she said or if she thought that was true. Earlier the book said that the mother made something up to quiet the daughter, but I didn't get if she was doing that again.

I was surprised that when Obiageli said "people should not talk when they are eating a pepper it may go down the wrong way" to Okonkwo he didn't snap. With his character I would think that he would take it as an insult to his intelligence.

Chapter 4

In the about the second sentence of this chapter, it said that Okonkwo had risen from poverty very suddenly. After seeing more of his character, I am not so sure if he did this in a legal way. I think that maybe something fishy is going on.

This is the chapter that the true character of Okonkwo comes out. He does not know how to handle his emotions because he thinks that emotions are feminine. He thinks that he will be less of a man if he shows his emotions. Okonkwo is also not smart at all. The only thing that he can think of to solve a problem is violence, which is not setting a very good example for his children.

I cannot believe the part about beating his wife. That is completely absurd. All he had to do was give up a few things for something that was his fault anyways. Maybe she should have been home on time, but if he could hold his temper for a few minutes then the situation could have been avoided. The extremely sad part of it all is that if it weren't the Week of Peace, I bet that nothing would have even happened to him, and they would have just all gone on with their lives.

Also when Okonkwo was trying to teach his son Nwoye and Ikemefuna how to do the yams, he couldn't just help them he had to threaten them that if they didn't do it right that he would break their jaws and knowing his character he probably would. The thing I hate the most is that he actually loves the kids, but instead of showing affection he harasses them. I think that he is so focused on him and his children not being like his father that he cannot deal with anything else in his life. He is greedy and self-centered and wants himself to look good.

Chapter 3

Something that is bugging me about this novel is how the author wants the reader to feel sorry for Okonkwo. The author keeps writing about how Okonkwo's father didn't leave him anything and how he had to do things for himself. I know that in his life things have not come easily for him, but he has made success for himself. Isn't that the best kind of success? The kind that you earn through hardwork? He has much more to be proud of than those who have been handed a barn or the yam seeds.

The Oracle that they mention is kind of like a psychic, but they take it much more seriously. Didn't we learn about something called The Oracle in either the Greece or Rome chapter?

I thought it was interesting that when Okonkwo's father died of the stomach inflammation that they sent him into the woods to die. I guess they were just so scared of what they didn't know that they had to get rid of it, but I wonder if any of them tried to find out what was causing the problem. I remember the medicine people they had, but I assume they did not have much knowledge at all.

I noticed that the author makes a ton of animal and nature references. I really liked "a toad does not run in the daytime for nothing" (20). I am going to guess that it means a toad would be at risk of being eaten or something so if it is taking the chance that there must be a really good reason. Anyone else have ideas?

I looked up the word dregs because I didn't know what it meant and they are the sediments of liquids; lees; grounds. I also looked up tubers they are a swollen, fleshy, usually underground stem of a plant, such as the potato, bearing buds from which new plant shoots arise.

Farming is very serious business in this novel. The book said that someone killed themselves when the weather was not cooperating. I guess that farming would be the only thing that they could do, but there must have been other things.

Chapter 2

The cultural differences of this novel are so weird to me. They are so utterly primal that it is almost disgusting.

What time period is this anyways?

I know that when people go hunting they might get the deer stuffed or whatever, but keeping the head of somebody that you killed in a war is sick. The part when the author wrote that at a funeral Okonkwo drank from the first head he got, I felt nausea. That is so disgusting. It makes me think of that short story "The Most Dangerous Game" when he was hunting people but that is not as bad as drinking from their head.

The treatment of women in this novel is horrible. Men have more than one wife because in this twisted tribe they believe that all women can do are have children. The way that Okonkwo was talking to his oldest wife was horrible. All she did was ask a reasonable question, and he snapped at her. Women were not at the meeting where the men were informed of the situation, and I assume that none of the husbands told their wives the situation. She was completely blind sited by a fifteen year old boy that is apparently living with her now, and she isn't even allowed to ask why? That is crazy.

I feel very bad for the boy and girl that were sent to this tribe. I don't understand why the Umuofia tribe just didn't do something to the people that killed the woman. Were they trying to get more than they lost? The two kids had nothing to do with the murder and now their lives are completely disrupted because of something that someone else did. This girl just has to go live with this person that she doesn't even know. I assume that they are husband and wife now, and they hadn't even met. This boy got shipped off to live with a violent man who is completely condescending and uses intimidation to get what he wants. These kids are not in for a good life. Even if Okonkwo has a lot to offer this boy will have to suffer to get it.

Chapter 1- Things Fall Apart

After reading the first chapter of this book, I am not so sure how I feel about it. The names are very ethnic, and I am going to guess that as more characters are revealed I am going to get them mixed up. The author is very poetic with the way that he writes. He uses a lot of similes and a ton of imagery. I looked up the word harmattan because it was in the first chapter a few times. If you are wondering, it is just a dusty wind from the Sahara that blows toward the western coast of Africa during the winter (I got that from dictionary.com). At first I didn't quite get why I was reading and doing this, but now I totally get it. The whole different customs thing is so weird. So far, I have just made a few observations of them. First of all they have wives (plural), and they make sacrifices. Then when they were doing that and the last sentence of the paragraph was like "then painted his big toe" (page 6) I thought that maybe this could get interesting.

Here is a question, when the author mentioned snuff did he mean modern day snuff or can that mean more than one thing?

Also what are these titles? Are they like positions in the tribe? Or are they like a form of government or what?