Detailed Summary:Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Part Five(V) with critical analysis
Things Fall Apart Chapter Twelve:
The entire village had gathered at the house of Obierika for the uri ceremony of his daughter's marriage. Okonkwo's two wives and their kids were ready for attending the event. Ekwefi was sleep because the priestess had later carried her daughter to the compound of Okonkwo and she laid Ezinma on the bed. Later, Ezinma got up and went out with other children to help Obierika's daughter with the water. Okonkwo had not slept even for a second. He had followed the priestess and had gone to the shrine at Cave instead of going after the priestess.
In the house of Obierika, the village was feasting and enjoying. Okonkwo's two wives and children had already gone. The villagers were talking about the old medicine which attracted buyers to their market place. It was an old woman that stood in the marketplace with a fan. She worked like magic. Then the in laws arrived and brought 45 pots of wine. Then Obierika told them that he was going to give them his daughter that would bear them nine sons. The ceremony ended at night.
Things Fall ApartChapter Thirteen:
It was still not dawn yet when the ekwe began to announce the death of Ezeudu, the man that took Ikemefuna from Okonkwo. He was a brave man so every member of the village must attend the funeral. In the morning "the ancient drums of death beat, guns and cannon were fired, and men dashed about in frenzy, cutting down every tree or animal they saw, jumping over walls and dancing on the roof It was a warrior's funeral". The mourning continued all day long and the egwegwu would appear all day long causing terror in the heart of the spectators. The most terrifying scene of all was when the man with one hand carried a basket of water. He reached the carcasses and uttered his words for the brave.
All were firing in the air with their guns. So, Okonkwo also fired his gun "but a piece of iron had pierced the boy's heart". The boy was the son of the dead man. All got silent. It was dreadful. "It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who committed it must flee from the land. The crime was of two kinds, male and female. Okonkwo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent. He could return to the clan after seven years". That night Okonkwo arranged his valuables and got ready to leave the village and it was before dawn that Okonkwo and "his family were fleeing to his motherland. It was a little village called Mbanta, just beyond the borders of Mbaino".
When Okonkwo was gone, a group of warriors came and burned the house of Okonkwo, they also killed his animals. These people came just to cleanse the land without any hatred against Okonkwo. Obierika, his friend was among them. He sometimes thought that it was unfair to treat a man for his mistake with so heavy a punishment.
Chapter Fourteen Things Fall Apart:
Okonkwo reached Mbanta, the village of his mother. His youngest uncle, the oldest in the family greeted him well. Okonkwo had to begin a new life there. His maternal uncle and his family supported him well: "Okonkwo was given a plot of ground on which to build his compound, and two or three pieces of land on which to farm during the coming planting season. With the help of his mother's kinsmen he built himself an obi and three huts for his wives. He then installed his personal god and the symbols of his departed fathers. Each of Uchendu's five sons contributed three hundred seed-yams to enable their cousin to plant a farm, for as soon as the first rain came farming would begin".
Okonkwo did not like the work in this village as he used to like when he was young. Old age did not support him with that much vigour as it used to be: "His life had been ruled by a great passion-to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring. And he had all but achieved it. Then everything had been broken".
Okonkwo and his family attended the marriage ceremony of his cousin. Okonkwo was very much depressed and his uncle realized this. He gathered all his family and Okonkwo. He asked Okonkwo why it is said that mother is supreme? Okonkwo had no answer. He, then, rejoiced him saying: "But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is supreme. Is it right that you, Okonkwo, should bring to your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted?"
