CHAPTER 5

Illustrates the role of women and daughters to keep the household lively, smoothly, and prepare for social occasion (The Author gives detail description of the preparation) The Feast of the New Yam The Feast of the New Yam was approaching and Umuofia ... food left over at the end of the day. It makes sense that the festival of the new year is named after the life-giving crop that sustains the clan: the yam. The Igbo show the symbolic rebirth of the year by throwing out old food, washing everything so they may be clean and pure for the coming year, and celebrating with fresh new yams. They join together with their families and community to celebrate the coming of another year that they will share. It was an occasion for giving thanks to Ani, the earth goddess and the source of all fertility - The change of mortality and conduct - Link to strong hold that God have in their lives On the last night before the festival, yams of the old year were all disposed of by those who still had them. Celebration is elaborated because yam is a staple diet Many of the customs of the village is related to the production of yam Elaboration of celebration highlights how closely the life od the community relate to the production of yam Okonkwo was always uncomfortable sitting around for days waiting for a feast or getting over it. He would be much happier working on his farm. Okonkwo feels restless, impatient, frustrated when he has to wait. He sees this feast as a waste of time Okonkwos wives had scrubbed the walls and the huts with red earth until they reflected light. They had then drawn patterns on them in white, yellow and dark green. They then set about painting themselves with cam wood and The children were also decorated.

Illustrates the role of women Elaborate celebration and procession Give the opportunities communal time together Bond the community help Ibo people to bond. One of the social benefits that bring harmony to the community Okonkwo, who had been walking about aimlessly in his compound in suppressed anger, suddenly found an outlet. He was born with the festivities which made him restless and unconsciously he looking for an outlet for his expression Opportunities came, he releases his frustration. As a matter of fact the tree was very much alive. Okonkwos second wife had merely cut a few leaves off it to wrap some food, and she said so. Without further argument, Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping. Neither of the other wives dared to interfere beyond an occasional and tentative, It is enough, Okonkwo, pleaded from a reasonable distance. Okonkwo is plain old irrationally angry and takes it out on his wife, beating her even though he isnt truly angry about the banana tree. Part of what enrages Okonkwo is that his second wife, Ekwefi, stands up to him and tells him that she didnt kill the banana tree. Okonkwo cant handle a woman contradicting him. Okonkwo doesnt even respect Ekwefi enough to engage in a debate with her -- he just smacks her without further argument. His anger thus satisfied,.. He had released his repressed emotion (emotion that had been kept inside. And so when he called Ikemefuna to fetch his gun, he aimed at his wife and pressed the trigger but the woman was quite unhurt. Foreshadow The White Man came only after the gun were introduced to the Ibo ppl (IRONY use the gun aiming to his wife and misses later, didnt mean to hurt anybody, just play the gun) Ekwefi was lucky that Okonkwo is good at wrestling skill not shooting skill

Because of Okonkwos anger and heavy-handed, he tends to hurt other ppl (his wives, his own son and Ikemefuna for ex.) Wife beating is the acceptable practice (pg.35) As the day wore on his in-laws arrived from three surrounding villages,... The fact that life returned to normal so quickly after Okonkwo beats his wife suggests that wife beating has no significant impact on the family Suggests that violence is an acceptable part of day-to-day life. There was no festival in all the seasons of the year which gave her as much pleasure as the wrestling match. Traditional Ibo culture is rather democratic in nature, patriarchal, and meritocratic. Feminine is associated with weakness and masculinity with strength. Man with no titles refers to a woman. Ekwefi and her only daughter, Ezinma, sat near the fireplace waiting for the water in the pot to boil. The role of woman in the household is to do housework such as cooking and cleaning. Ezinma, unlike most children, called her mother by her name. Ezinma is an anomaly in the Igbo family unit because she does not address her mother with a term of respect like mother but by her given name, as if they are equals. Sit like a woman! Okonkwo shouted at her. Ezinma brought ... legs together and stretched them in front of her. Gender is so coded into every aspect of Igbo society that Okonkwo loses his patience with Ezinma when she fails to sit like a woman. This is also a sign that Ezinma sometimes trespasses into the realm of men with her unfeminine actions. And after a pause she said: Can I bring your chair for you? No, that is a boys job. Okonkwo was specially fond of Ezinma. Although Ezinma is probably Okonkwos favorite child, he adheres very strictly to the norms of male and female action ascribed by Igbo culture. He does not allow Ezinma to do something as simple

as carrying a chair to the festival for him because he considers it a boys task. Sadly, Okonkwos strict following of gender roles prevents him from showing his affection for his daughter. Yes, Will you go? (respond tone). Sit like a woman He is very loving. We can know from his tone. On one hand he might scold her when shes not sitting like a girl but yet his tone changes He seemed like very fearful for Ezinma but he cares for her because the tone here seems a bit softer and subdued. He is very strict with Nwoye but kinder to Ezinma Beneath his sternness and fierce, he cares for them wants Nwoye to show authority to be strong and masculine as he is a boy not a girl Yes, she has told me about it, Okonkwo said between mouthfuls. Okonkwos tone appears to be gentler, less tension Gives the impression that he is more relaxed and less stern My eyelid is twitching and that means you will see something. Reflects superstitious nature of the Ibo and a foreshadow of what is going to happen (sub-cultures) Ezinma becomes very sick later Is that me? Ekwefi called back. That was the way ppl answered calls from outside. They never answered yes for fear it might be an evil spirit calling. Indicates the superstitious nature if the Ibo No one should reply directly since it could be a spirit calling Nwoyes mother was peeling new yams, in a basket beside her were green vegetables and beans. Role of woman even starting the fire to cook Okonkwo cleared his throat and moved his feet to the beat of the drums. It filled him with fire as it had always done from his youth. Okonkwo is never compared to anything thriving. Hes associated with fire which consumes and implicating. He may be responsible

for destroying those hes close to, just as a fire, out of control and likely to harm others. He trembled with the desire to conquer and subdue. The words conquer and subdue indicate Okonkwos violent nature Idea of using force Evidence of his violent nature use of the words conquer and subdue connote that he needs to express feelings through violence. This is a flow in his character Note that this stubborn and often irrational behavior is separating him apart from the rest of the village. Go and bring our own, then. We must cook quickly or we shall be late for the wrestling. Each family cooks their own meal The wife cooks for her husband. (Ex. Ekwefi cooks for Okonkwo.) There are certain practices to maintain harmony and co-operation but cooking is separated. The childrencarrying on their heads various sizes of pots suitable to their years. Role of children (fetch water fr. the river) When Ikemefuna looked at them sternly and they held their peace. Although Ikemefuna is not part of the family but they listen to him Ikemefuna has leadership His influence on children Others respect him Ikemefunas influence on the children can be seen here, despite the fact that hes a stranger from Mbaino who just joined their household. It shows that the children respect him. He is their mentor and elder brother. Hes able to discipline them count showing his anger and losing his temper- shows him to be a mature and responsible boy (doesnt want Obiageli to get into trouble and not bother the adults over a trivial matter)