Summary 6-13 Things Fall Apart

During these chapters lots of key important things occur, but we never get a rest from looking into the Igbo people's cultural traditions. We still get a look at ceremonies ranging from the justice ceremony of the egwuwu's to a premarital ceremony of engagement, to another funeral of an important man: Ogbuefi Ezeudu. Learning a lot from beliefs too, we notice how when Ezinma gets sick, Ekwefi is scared because 9 other of her children had died, and so she thinks she has been cursed by an ogbanje, an evil child that is reborn over and over again just to die once more to bring despair to the family. It is an interesting introduction to evil spirits and beliefs related to them.

When the locusts arrive, it is a prosperous day, but a bad sign, and the oracle says that Ikemefuna must be sacrificed. While he is taking him out of the village, other tribemembers begin to attack Ikemefuna, and just so he doesn't seem weak, Okonkwo kills him himself. After that, he is depressed and fragile, and also is Nwoye. Okonkwo wishes his daughter was a boy. He decides idleness brought his unhappiness, so he starts doing things again. He talks a lot with his friend Obierika about Ikemefuna's sacrifice and the customs in different villiages.

We continue learning about the impact of sayings and stories in the Igbo culture. Ekwefi tells Ezinma a story about a greedy, smart Tortoise that manages to fool all the birds into giving him wings so he can feast in the skies with them, he outsmarts them as so he eats first and the most. He then asks for his wife to put soft things on the surface for him to fall on when the birds have gotten angry and left him, but one of the birds tells her to put hard objects such as weapons. When tortoise lets himself fall, his shell brakes when he crashes and so when they put the pieces back together it is how the tortoise's shell is formed. Thats why his shell is fractured in such a way. It's a great example of explaining natural phenomenons with mythology. After that, Chielo the priestess interrupts and tells Ekwefi that Agbala, the oracle, wants to see Ezinma. Terribly nervous, Ekwefi and Okonkwo secretly follow her each separately, but eventually they discover themselves and notice their young nature that made them fall in love. We see a more delicate, sensible, considerate, parent-like attitude from Okonkwo. Nothing bad happens to their child.

Also, seeing how different organs in the system work, as in what must be done when Okonkwo accidentally shoots the now deceased Ogbuefi Ezeudu's sixteen-year-old son, commiting a terrible crime, especially after all his previous ones. Okonkwo's family are exiled for seven years, so they go to Mbanta, which is his mother's villiage of origin. All their belongings in their old villiage are burnt and destroyed to eliminate the sin that he was guilty of. They cleansed the village, and Obierika questions their traditions.

We can now know where the title comes into place, what the meaning of it is. Okonkwo's whole life has gone down the drain as he was reckless and careless. Things fell apart and now he faces a new reality, away from home, with a past full of sin and regret. He must start anew and manage to still provide for his family, even though now he isn't a boasting "alpha male" in the village, even though he isn't recognized for his deeds anymore, and when all his past reputation is worthless in their new life. He must face his past and work for the future.

I'm really enjoying this book. It gets tedious at times, but in the end, not many books don't, so I guess its ok.

Matias Reyes Guilmant