Things Fall Apart

Okonkwo defeats "The Cat"

1 CE

Okonkwo defeats "The Cat", a wrestler that was undefeatable for 7 years.

Okonkwo goes to Nwakibie to borrow seed yams

2

Okonkwo needs seed to start his own farm so he gets them from Nwakibie. There were lots of natural disasters that year, but Okonkwo survives and now believes he can survive anything.

Week of Peace

3

During the week of peace, Okonkwo beats his wife (a crime against the earth) and he has to make a ritual sacrifice to the earth.

Ikemefuna comes to town

4

Okonkwo is in charge of Ikemefuna for three years because his mom was a sacrifice.

Ezinma gets sick and is abducted

5

Ezinma gets sick and Okonkwo makes medicines to help her. Okonkwo tracks Chielo the priestess and Ekwefi to try and get back Ezinma

The clan kills Ikemefuna

6

The clan kills Ikemefuna and Okonkwo participates in the killing which ends up haunting him.

Okonkwo shoots a young boy

7

Okonkwo shoots a young boy at a funeral during a gun salute, so he has now committed 2 crimes against the earth

First sighting of a white man (PDF page 58)

8

"During the last planting season a white man had appeared in their
clan."

They killed the white man (PDF page 58)

9

"And so they killed the white man and tied his iron horse to their sacred tree because it looked as if it would run away to call the man's friends. I forgot to tell you another thing which the Oracle
said. It said that other white men were on their way. They were locusts, it said, and that first man was their harbinger sent to explore the terrain. And so they killed him."

Abame is wiped out (PDF page 58)

10

The men talk about Abame being wiped out by white men that seemed to appear out of nowhere and start shooting in the market.
"Their clan is now completely empty. Even the sacred fish in their mysterious lake have fled and the lake has turned the color of blood. A great evil has come upon their land as the Oracle had warned."

The missionaries come to Umuofia (PDF page 60)

11

The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages. That was a source of great sorrow to the leaders of the clan, but many of them believed that the strange faith and the white man's god would not last.

Nwoye converts to Christianity (PDF page 61)

12

During his exile, Okonkwo hears about his oldest son converting to Christianity. "What moved Obierika to visit Okonkwo was the sudden appearance of the latter's son, Nwoye, among the missionaries in Umuofia. 'What are you doing here?' Obierika had asked when after many difficulties the missionaries had allowed him to speak to the boy. 'I am one of them,' replied Nwoye. 'How is your father?' Obierika asked, not knowing what else to say. 'I don't know. He is not my father,' said Nwoye, unhappily."

The missionaries build a church in the Evil Forest (PDF page 64)

13

"At last the day came by which all the missionaries should have died. But they were still alive, building a new red-earth and thatch house for their teacher, Mr. Kiaga. That week they won a handful more converts."

Okonkwo disowns Nwoye (PDF page 64)

14

He was happy to leave his father. He would return later to his [family] and convert them to the new faith. As Okonkwo sat in his hut that night, [...] he thought over the matter. A sudden fury rose within him and he felt a strong desire to take up his machete, go to the church and wipe out the entire vile and miscreant gang. But [...] he told himself that Nwoye was not worth fighting for. Why, [...] should he, Okonkwo, of all people, be cursed with such a son?"

The white man enforces government (PDF page 65)

15

"But stories were already gaining ground that the white man had not only brought a religion but also a government. It was said that they had built a place of judgment in Umuofia to protect the followers of their religion. It was even said that they had hanged one man who killed a missionary."

The village outlaws people who joined the white church (PDF page 68)

16

"The village has outlawed us," said one of the women. "The bellman announced it last night. But it is not our custom to debar anyone from the stream or the quarry." Another woman said, "They want to ruin us. They will not allow us into the markets. They have said so."

The elders foreshadow tragedy in the clan (PDF page 70)

17

"An abominable religion has settled among you. A man can now leave his father and his brothers. He can curse the gods of his fathers and his ancestors, like a hunter's dog that suddenly goes mad and turns on his master. I fear for you, I fear for the clan."