Chapter 9
What does the chapter start with?
Ezinma falling ill
What does the chapter start with?
the beginning of the meeting/ceremony
How many children of Ekwefi's died before she had Ezinma?
9
- she had 10 (the 10th is Ezinma)
iyi-uwa
the stone that forms the link between the ogbanje and the spirit world
ogbanje
one who has engaged in repeated reincarnation - evil spirit
What did Okonkwo do to treat Ezinma?
He collected various leaves which he boiled. He then placed a heavy mat over Ezinma and the pot containing the leaves to make her perspire and get rid of her fever.
Who is the leader of the egwugwu?
Evil Forest
The medicine man told her that when she gets pregnant she needs to stay with her people to break the evil cycle of birth and death
chi
a personal god
obi
a place for the reception of guests
Where was Ezinma's iyi-uwa buried?
Why does the meeting with the egwugwu take place?
To settle the dispute between Uzowulu and his wife, Mgbafo's, family.
Why was Ekwefi treatment towards Ezinma not lovingly at first?
She didn't want to get too attached to her incase she died young again
Onwuma
Ekwefi's 3rd child
or
"Death may please himslef"
iba
the fever/ illness Ezinma gets
What is the reason that Ekwefi's children keep dying at such a young age?
They are ogbanje so her childs evil spirit keeps being reborn
Why do people believe that Okonkwo is the second egwugwu?
They have the same springy walk and Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat in the row behind the egwugwu.
What did the medicine man do to Ekwefi's 3rd dead child?
He mutilated the child with a sharp razor and took it to be buried in the Evil Forest, holding it by the ankle and dragging it on the ground
Egwugwu
high ranking members of the village who dress in masks and are filled with the spirits of the ancestors
Nne
mother/motherhood
Why does Ekwefi think that Ezinma would not fall ill and would live into adulthood?
Because her iyi-uwa had been dug up meaning that her ogbanje no longer had a tie to the spirit world and thus could not reincarnate itself again meaning that it would not want to die
Why couldn't the meetings dispute be settled with a normal meeting? Why did it have to be presented in front of the egwugwu?
Why was Ekwefi still anxious about Ezinma's health?
She couldn't ignore the fact that some really evil children (ogbanje) sometimes misled people into digging up a iyi-uwa that was not theirs
Onwumbiko
Ekwefi's first child
or
"Death, I implore you"
oye
1 of the 4 market days