Chapter 17

 In this chapter the missionaries are given a place to build their church in the evil forest
and the elders believed they wont last long but to their amazement nothing happened to
them.
 In a way Achebe is questioning the strength of their gods.
 Two specific cases of individuals who abandoned their traditional society to join
Christians are discussed and both of them it is because of reasons of disaffection with
the dictates of their traditional customs. Examples of those are Nwoye and Nneka.
 The evil aspects of the traditional Ibo society continue to drive the disadvantaged
members of this society to the new religion.
It is very sad and ironic that Okonkwo should think of his own son as of a lower standard
than himself in lacking good qualities to the extent that he even likens him to a woman
when it is in fact him who is lacking the good qualities and has a character of a much
lesser standard than Nwoye’s.
The proverb ‘living fire begets cold, impotent ashes’ shows that Okonkwo now feels as
though everything he has ever worked hard for, that his success, fame and popularity
were all going down the drain and he saw himself so helpless as he looked at his whole
life falling apart right before his eyes.
 Okonkwo ‘Roaring Flame’ has in this chapter yet another occasion to display his rash
temper when he savagely beats up his son Nwoye.

Chapter 18

 In this chapter we see the problems faced by the new religion which are centred on their
relationship with the clan.
 We also see the conflict within the Christian religion, the major problem was on the
acceptance of the osus (outcasts) in their community. Mainly caused by a few
overzealous converts versus traditionalsists in the clan.
 The others members felt that they were not supposed to be accommodated showing
their little faith.
 By accepting the osus eventually the new religion continues to exploit the weaknesses in
the traditional society fast tracking its falling apart.
 The death of Okoli, an osu convert who killed the sacred python show that to some
extent , the African gods could still fight their won battles.
 Okonkwo’s violent nature again is seen when he was disgusted by all the reports and
had wanted the “abominable gang” to be “chased out of the village with whips.” However
after Okoli’s death people were convinced the gods were still able to fight their own
battles.
 There are rumour that not only did the white men bring religion but a government as
well.
 Okonkwo’s fiery temper is again displayed when he continues to insist that the
Christians must be whipped out of Mbanta.
Chapter 19

 Okonkwo is serving his 7th year in exile his final year and he is very keen to return to his
fatherland and reestablish himself among his own kinsman.
 We see that he is a good planner in that he sends Obierika money to build him two huts
in his compound.
 This also shows his impatience, he cant wait to return to his fatherland.
 He is shown to be a generous man in the manner in which he hosts a farewell feast as a
token of gratitude towards his maternal relatives for their hospitality.
 Uchendu’s farewell speech is significant in that he is lamenting the change which he
foresees in his clan a few years to come.
 Uchendu fears that the young generation will not be in a position to uphold their societal
beliefs.
 In his speech he realizes that an abominable religion is swallowing them in dozens.
 In his observation he highlights the fact that this upcoming generation will show no
respect to their gods. And this is considered a death nknell for the ibotraditional way of
life.
 He emphasizes that this generation its like they now believe in individualism and its
significant that he realizes that this is the turning point of the clan.
 Things are beginning to fall apart.

Part Three
The part begins with Okonkwo plans to return home in chapter 20 and his efforts to
reestablish himself on a larger scale.
It ends with Okonkwo’s suicide in chapter 25 after his failure to persuade his kinsmen to
go to war against the white man and his administration.
The part which concludes the novel shows the white man’s triumph over the clan.

Chapter 20

 The chapter begins with Okonkwo plans to return to Umofia with great expectations and
ambitions.
 He is determined to regain his high standing among his people and to reestablish his
fame.

What Okonkwo lost during his exile What he was determined to do

-He lost his place among the egwugwu
-He had lost his titles and chance to lead his
clan
-He had lost his compounds and his barns
-He planned to take the highest titles in the
clan
-He would take two new wives
-He planned to build his compound at a
larger scale, huts for his wives and a bigger
barn
-He had lost the respect and dignity the clan
had for him.
-He Hoped his beautiful daughters would
make him famous
-He expected to regain the oldest titles
through working harder and also throwing a
huge ozo feast for his sons.

CHANGES IN UMOFIA

 Through Obierika , Okonkwo learns that Christianity has attracted many people even
some titled men, as Ogbuefi Ugona.
 The white men had set up a government, a district commissioner with assistance of
native court messengers, the kotma who were drawn from another area, they were not
liked by the whole community.
 Okonkwo learns that the people of his clan especially men of title were no longer feared,
respected or honoured in the same way in the sense that they also suffered the
embarrassment of being imprisoned. The treatment they got from the prison was
dehumanizing and belittling to them.
 Okonkwo learns that the people of his clan are not as strong as they used to be. They
have lost the will to fight.
 To some extent the traditionalists learnt that their customs were not that powerful. The
safeguards the society used to have are no longer functional.
 There is a lot of confusion and unanswered questions in the clan, and its as if people in
the clan now realise that things are beginning to fall apart in their society.
 When Aneto inadvertently killed a kinsman and fled into exile the way Okonkwo had
done, the rule of the whiteman followed him arrested him bringing him back to be
hanged. The society is now faced with contradicting values to the ones they are used to.
Obierika

 Is portrayed as a good analyser.

 He pronounces his good judgement when he said the white men is very clever, he came
quietly and peaceably with his religion, now he has won our brothers and now our clan
can no longer act as one.
 “He has put a knife on things that held us together, and we have fallen apart.”
Okonkwo to whom stories of this disintergration of the society was told by his friend
Obierika , became a very depressed man on his return to Umuofia. He is very astonished.
Theme of illusion set against harsh realities on the ground is very pronounced.