Questions Part 2

1. Okonkwo had fled his fatherland to his motherland because when the village was attending Ezeudu’s funeral, the men had cannons and guns. The men were shooting these guns and Okonkwo’s exploded and a piece of iron had punctured Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son in the heart, he died that night. Since Okonkwo had not intentionally meant to kill Ezeudu’s son, it was considered a female murder and was sentenced to leave his fatherland for seven years. Okonkwo is in despair because his banishment is for so long and he has to create his life from scratch. Uchendu responds to Okonkwos despair by calling together his sons, daughters, and Okonkwo to a meeting. During this meeting Uchendu asks Okonkwo two questions, one about the most common name being Nneka, meaning “Mother is supreme,” and why they name their children that even though the children are the fathers, not mothers. The second question was concerning the fact that when women die they are brought to be buried with her kinsmen. Okonkwo can not answer either of these questions and Uchendu tells him the answers anyway. Uchendu tells Okonkwo that a man finds comfort in his mother and that she is there to protect him, so therefore she is supreme; he also tells Okonkwo that he should be comforting his wives and children instead of wallowing in sorrow.

2. Abame was wiped out by white men who had sent a man out to survey the land and he had found the people of Abame. They did not know who he was and why he was there but they killed him and tied his horse to there sacred silk-cotton tree. Then a while later a large group of white men came and shot at the town while the townspeople were at the market place and killed almost the whole town except the old, sick, and a few people. Uchendu believes that the people of Abame were fools because they killed the white man because he said nothing and he thinks that you should never kill anything that says nothing, but if it makes a ruckus then it is ok, there is nothing to fear about something that shouts. Okonkwo believes that the people of Abame were fools because they were warned by their oracle that the white men would come and cause decimation to their land. He thinks they should have armed themselves with guns and machetes so they could fight the white men. I think that Uchendu’s response to Obierika telling the men about the Abame massacre is wiser than Okonkwo’s response. By saying that no story is not true Uchendu means that stories are true because the world has no end and you can never know if a story is not true or not.

3. Obierika visits Okonkwo the first time because he had sold Okonkwo’s yams right after he left so Obierika brought the cowries to him. The second time that Obierika came was because he has seen Nwoye in Umuofia with the missionaries so Obierika went to visit Okonkwo to see what the problem was. What had attracted Nwoye to Christianity was the poetry; he felt a connection to it deep in his soul. At first the people of Mbanta did not think that the religion would prosper and that the Christians would leave after a while but they did not and the church won over many converts. The outcasts of the village are now attracted to the new religion. Many of the converts were not pleased about the outcasts converting to Christianity and one convert even left the church and went back to the clan because Mr. Kiaga was willing to accept the outcasts. Nwoye converts to Christianity because he is drawn to the poetry and stories that the missionaries tell. Okonkwo does not react too well to Nwoye converting and he attacks Nwoye and almost chokes him. Okonkwo is very angry at Nwoye, he thinks that Nwoye has be trade him and his people. Okonkwo worries that since Nwoye has converted and left his clan that the generations after him will follow in Nwoye’s foot steps.

4. Some of the converts were telling the clan that their Gods were dead and the people retorted back with insults and the men ended up getting beat. The people of Mbanta don’t mind that the Christians are there because the people believe that the missionaries are worthless and if they want to challenge the Gods then it their own fault. Even if the Christians go too full of themselves the people of Mbanta can always drive them out. The people of Mbanta believe that there are many Gods and Goddesses and the Christians believe that there is one supreme God and that he has a son Jesus.

5. The changes that the elders see are that the younger generation are not following their heritage and are leaving their families for some outside religion. The elders fear for the younger generation and the clan because the younger generation does not understand the relationship between their kinsmen. If the younger generation continues to do this, then the white man will have a clear pathway into controlling Africa and the Mbanta people will be a lost civilization.