PART ONE (CHAPTER 1-13)

Part one of the book showcases the rich and industrious culture and traditions of the people of Umuofia and finally ended with the beginning of misfortunes for Okonwo.

The writer was able to take his readers through the various ceremonies observed by the people of Umuofia. From the wrestling ceremony  to wedding ceremonies, customary judicial system where people go to seeking justice, and burial ceremonies of prominent men in the village.

The writer was able to give us a peek into the traditions of the people which in most cases difficult to bear and  understand but has to be obeyed, like the throwing of twin babies into the evil forest.

There was the situation where Ezinma was taken away by the priestess and her parents were helpless and could not resistance Chielo. They had to wait patiently for the return of their daughter. This shows how powerful the gods were over the lives of the people.

In chapter one, the writer gives a hint as to the reason for the popularity of Okonkwo which was that he threw Amalinze the cat during a wrestling contest. As the writer puts it  ‘Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten from Umuofia to Mbaino. He was called the cat because his back would never touch the earth’.

The writer gives a brief description of Okonkwo thus ‘he was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look. He breathed heavily, and it was said that when he slept, his wives and children in their out houses could hear him breathe. When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. And he did pounce on people quite often. He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists. He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father’.

Okonwo was a successful man unlike his father . Unoka was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow as a result his family suffered and Okonwo had to start fending for his family at a tender age.

In chapter two we saw how a war was averted and amicably settled. It was the brutal murder of Ogbuefi Udo’s wife who was murdered by two men from Mbaino. It was agreed upon that a lad and a female be given to Umuofia to replace their daughter that was murdered.

The writer also reveals the motivating force behind the success of Okonkwo as the writer puts it ‘perhaps  down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent , red in tooth and claw Okonkwo fears was greater than these.’

Okonkwo had risen from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the Lords of the Clan. He was a self made man with no inheritance for a good start in life.

In chapter four the temperament of Okonkwo came to bear by beating his  youngest wife mercilessly, Ojiugo during the peace week , thereby breaking the laws of the land and disrespecting the gods.

In chapter five we knew that the feast of the New Yam festival was approaching as the writer puts it ‘The feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honour the earth goddess and the ancestrial spirits of the clan. New yams could not be eaten until same had first been offered to these powers. Men and Women, Young and Old, looked forward to the New Yam Festival because it began the season of plenty – the new year.’

In chapter seven the writer tells of the gruesome death of Ikemefuna – the lad that was given to Umuofia from Mbaino. He lived with Okonkwo for three years before he was killed based on the instructions of the gods. Okonkwo however ignored the warning from a bossom friend of his Ogbuefi Ezeudu not to have  a hand in his death since he calls him father.

Okonkwo did not want to be seen as a weaklink, so he pertook in the killing of the lad. Another bossom friend of his, Obierika warns him of his actions saying ‘what you have done will not please the earth. It is the kind of action  for which the goddess wipes out the  whole famillies’.

In Chapter nine the writer takes us deeper into superstitious believes as it regards children , especially the ones called ‘ogbanje’. Ogbanje are wicked children who, when they died, entered their mother’s wombs to be born again. This was the plight of Ekwefi the second wife of Okonkwo who had borne ten children and nine of them had died in infancy, usually before the age of three. The writer also tells us something about ‘iyi-uwa’ which is usually buried by ‘Ogbanje’ children to connect them to their world. But Ezinnma’s iyi-uwa was dug out by the medicine man  which made her mother to have a little rest and peace of mind as it clearly shows that she has come to stay.

In chapter ten we saw the activities of the ‘Egwugwu’ which is like the last resort for justice for the people.

Journeying through chapter 11 we are made to enjoy the folklore which is a vital part of the people. Is a medium used to educate the younger ones and is usually the last thing done before going to bed.

Chapter 12 is the wedding ceremony of Obierika’s daughter. The writer was able to throw more lights as to what must first be done before the wedding can commence. The bride price of the bride must first be agreed upon and paid at least if not all, but a substantial part must have been paid.

Chapter thirteen which is the last chapter in part one happens to be the burial ceremony of a bossom friend of Okonkwo , Ogbuefi Ezenudu and there was a rich display of the various masquerades performances of the people of Umuofia.

Ezeudu was a titled man and as the writer puts it’Because he had taken titles, Ezeudu was to be buried after dark with only a glowing brand to light the sacred ceremony’.

It was in this burial ceremony that Okonkwo inadvertently killed the son of the dead man. Okonkwo’s gun had exploded and a piece of iron had pierced the boy’s heart.

The crime he had committed is punishable by 7 years in exile ‘that night he collected his most valuable belongings into head-loads. His wives wept bitterly and their children wept with them without knowing why…’

His house was demolished, his animals were killed and his barn was destroyed. When carrying out the instructions of the gods which is in line with the customs of the people such is usually done without sentiments. To do otherwise is putting the lives of the whole village in danger.

From part one so far we saw that it was only Nwoye and Obierika that pondered and thought about the customs of the people, like the death of his friend and brother – Ikemefuna  and the abandoning of twin babies in the forest to die. Obierika wondered ‘why should a man suffer so grievously for an offence he had committed inadvertently?’.