Things Fall Apart Chapter 7 - 13

Ikemefuna was already a part of the family. He was like the son Okonkwo never had and a great older brother for Nwoye that served as an example. One day the elders came to see Okonkwo. They talked with him and said that the oracle had ordered to kill Ikemefuna. He was taken to the forest and in an instant assassinated with a machete; Okonkwo had to finish him off in order to avoid being thought weak. Nwoye was very sad, so as the rest of the family.

Okonkwo entered on a depression during three days. After that he went to visit his best friend, Obierika. This was due to the wedding of his friend’s daughter. During the visit they also talked about Ikemefuna’s death and Obierika said that he would never have killed his own son, no matter what the oracle wanted.         

During the next days Ezinma got very sick, this worried a lot Ekwefi as well as Okonkwo. In the past every time Ekwefi got pregnant their children died even before giving birth. This happened many times until Ezinma arrived. It was like a miracle for her mother because she had survived. This was why they both had a special relationship. They went and visited the oracle that told them the treatment Ezinma needed, they did what they were told and in fact Ezinma got better.

Afterwards the wedding took place. The Egwugwu spirits appeared and participated during the whole process, they also solved an argument between a man and his in-laws. At the night Ezinma and Ekwefi were having a storytelling when suddenly Chielo arrived and took Ezinma. Both Ekwefi and Okonkwo followed Chielo to see what she was planning. At the end nothing happened and Ezinma was back in the house. At the next morning the wedding festivities continued and many women cooked a lot of food for the event, everyone had a good time.

The next day it was announced that the elder Ezeudu had died. This was big news for the village. Many people attended to the funeral and there was when something terrible happened. Okonkwo’s weapon accidentally shot and hit the dead man’s son. Okonkwo and all his family were obligated to go away for 7 years and also all their goods where burned.  

Chinua, A, (1994), Thing fall apart, 2nd ed, Anchor Books,New York

Things Fall Apart Summary Chapters 1-7

Things Fall Apart centers in Okonkwo, a successful man of an Igbo tribe that has overcome the misfortune of having a lazy father. Do to this Okonkwo has always worked very hard and hates any attitude that relates to his father. He started by asking to Nwakibie, a wealthy man, for some borrowed yam seeds so he could start making his own heritage. He worked with no mistakes and soon he became in a very successful man. Okonkwo has three wives and his first child is Nwoye.  

One member of the tribe was killed by another tribe so they were demanded to give away one young man and a virgin. The young man that arrived as a present was Ikemefuna. At first they didn’t know what to do with him so Okonkwo took care of him. Soon Ikemefuna became part of the family and was considered as a son by Okonkwo. Nwoye admired him, just like an older brother. During all those years they learned how to become men under his father’s watch.

A very special celebration in the tribe is the Week of Peace; this is done before the planting season in order for their earth goddess to provide them with perfect planting conditions for the year. During that week no one can hurt anybody, it is a great crime to do it. When Okonkwo returned home dinner wasn’t ready and this was his second wife’s responsibility so he got very mad and beat her. He had to offer some animals and crops in order to be forgiven. After all the harvest season it came the New Yam Festival. The tradition was to invite your neighbors to eat and celebrate. During the preparations Okonkwo beat Ekwefi, his second wife, again for cutting palm leaves. The next day took place the wrestling event. There were many wrestles between members of two teams, the crowd got very excited at the last battle which was very close.          

Time passed, Nwoye and Ikemefuna were almost men. They spent time with his father and learned everything they needed. This was the process for growing up in the tribe. One day the elders came and whispered something to Okonkwo. Everybody knew it was about Ikemefuna. They had decided he needed to be killed. Ikemefuna was taken to the forest and in an instant assassinated with a machete. Nwoye was very sad, so as the rest of the family.