Characters
Okonkwo’s oldest son, whom Okonkwo believes is weak and lazy.
Nwoye
length of time that Ikemefuna lived with Okonkwo
3 years
Achebe's homeland
Nigeria
dough made from boiled and ground plantain or cassava, used African and Caribbean food.
Foo-foo
a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice or a story meant to explain a natural phenomenon
proverb
Ikemefuna
how the villagers cleansed the land Okonkwo polluted
burned it down
The reason that Okonkwo used his machete to go against the customs of the tribe.
afraid to appear weak
main sport during the Feast of the New Yam
wrestling
a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods
oracle
Okonkwo’s close friend, whose daughter’s wedding provides cause for festivity early in the novel.
Obierika
money paid to a woman's family by the groom before he marries her
bride price
foil to Okonkwo
Unoka
crop that's broken and shared during meeting
an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
irony
the Oracle, a kidnapper, known for shrieking
Agbala
name for an evil spirit in the form of a cursed child that repeatedly comes back to the mother, then dies in infancy
ogbanje
Okonkwo's crime in chapter 13 is ironic because it's a ________ crime.
female
traditional musical instrument, made out of wood, usually a tree trunk, with rectangular slits and a hollow interior.
ekwe
the voice inside a character’s head that commentates on everything around them
internal dialogue
The only child of Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi
Ezinma
The name Tortoise gives at the feast in the sky (proverb)
All of You
opposite of collectivism
individualism
elders in various masks which represent ancestral gods. They function as sort of a justice system in the community presiding over conflicts and judgments.
egwugwu
the act of placing in a lower rank or position
subordination