Summary of Chapters 6-13: Thing Fall Apart

The wrestling began with matches between boys with the ages of fifteen and sixteen. Maduka the son of Okonkwo won one match in seconds. Chielo, the oracle of the hills and caves call Enzima, "My daughter", because she reached the age of ten.

Ikemefuna lived with Okonkwos family about three years, and Okonkwo knew that his son Nwoye development was because of Ikemefunas influence.

Okonkwo visited Ogbuefi Ezeudu, whom told in private that the Oracle has ordered that Ikemefuna must be killed.

During a long walk home with Umuofia, Ikemefuna thought about seeing his mother. After hours of walking, a man attacks him with a machete, Ikemefuna cries to Okonkwo for help, but Okonkwo left him down.When Okonkwo arrived home, he felt into a depression where he couldn´t slept or ate.

One day Ekwefi told Okonkwo that Enzima was dying with fever. Ekwefi’s nine other children died because of fever. She developed the activity of curing with simbolic phrases such as:  “Onwumbiko,” which means, “Death, I implore you,” and “Ozoemena,” which means, “May it not happen again.” Then Okonkwo got a medicine man who told him that ogbanje (a  child who continually re-enters its mother’s womb only to die again and again, causing its parents grief).

A Justice ceremony started with the Egwuwus (mens that used masks about spiritual ancestors), this ceremony was about a divorce, where Uzowulu was angry because one day the brothers of his wife came one day they hit him and took his wife without telling something, then the brothers and the wife told that she lived with Ozowulu 9 years where she was hit by him and one day he made her miscarried.

 

Ekwefi tells Ezinma a story about a greedy tortoise, Tortoise that was so cunning was invited to the bird’s party, where she ate all the delicious food and left the birds without it, but suddenly it learnt about its error when at the end of the part it felt down and broke all.

Chielo, as a priestess, informed Ekwefi that Agbala, wished to saw Ezinma. Chielo took Ezinma on her back and forbid anyone to follow.

Okonkwos family started to prepare all the things for the event, the people of the village got goats to sacrified for food and 50 pots of wine. Obierika looked amazing and beautiful; there was a beautiful dance.

During the ceremony Okonkwo shooted the son Ogbuefi, killing a clansman is a crime, that’s why Okonkwo gathered his most valuable things and took his family to his mother’s village called Mbanta.

Things Fall Apart

Achebe, C. (1958) Things Fall Apart. New York: Reed Consumer Books.