The 166 paged all time Chinua Achebe Classic ‘Things fall apart’’, has its plot centred on

Okonkwo, Son of Unoka, he was a great wrestler who was known all through the nine

villages in umuofia, He had achieved grand feats while in his youth, and maintained same till

adulthood.

He was a complete contrast of his father Unoka a debtor and a lazy man who was called a

woman because he died without a title. On the contrary, Okonkwo had begun to make a name

for himself, gather wealth and also become affluent.

Unlike other elders in the land, Unoka did not leave any inheritance for his son, Okonkwo,

and this was due to the fact that Unoka apart from his laziness had a bad chi, and even after

consulting the gods, his problem wasn’t solved. Okonkwo’s wealth now wasn’t as a result of

luck but due to his hard work and insistence on being successful.

One day a woman of Umuofia was killed by the enemies, and to avert war, a sacrifice had to

be made by the enemies to umuofia, among the requirements was a young lad, this young lad

happened to be Ikemefuna, and he was given to Okonkwo in his reputation as a respected

wrestler to watch over him till the elders determined what his fate would be.

Ikemefuna tried to run away a couple of times, but the fear of the unknown kept him back,

after recovering from a long sickness, he got acquainted to his new family and since it was

three years already he got close to Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son.

Okonkwo was a highly temperamental man as he was violently structured and knew how to

express himself only through anger. He even beat his wife during the sacred week of peace

hereby committing an abomination.

When the planting season came, Okonkwo and his entire house hold like every other went out

to plant their seeds, he had started grooming his son Nwoye and Ikemefuna to become great

farmers and men of vigour.

Alas the New yam festival came, and indeed everyone was anticipating it, there were also

going to be wrestling matches, the same kind Okonkwo won that brought him the fame and

class he had enjoyed for years.

Ikemefuna being the oldest of the children in Okonkwo’s house, though not part of them

biologically, but had began to lead the pack and they all loved him, even Okonkwo despite

his hard-heartedness, loved him but didn’t demonstrate it.

Ezendu the oldest man in the clan advised Okonkwo not to have a hand in the imminent

killing of Ikemefuna. A day after the advice, Ikemefuna was taken to the thick forest by a

group of men that included the mans he called father-Okonkwo, he was made to believe that

he was going back to his mother, but on the converse, Okonkwo personally murdered

Ikemefuna.

For days, Okonkwo couldn’t eat, sleep or do anything the thought disturbed him but he soon

regarded it as one of his usual killings as a warrior and soon got over it.

Okonkwo’s second wife Ekwefi had one daughter Ezinma who was on ogbanje, fell terribly

ill, and didn’t get well unto she was taken to the shrine where she was begotten from.

After some time, Ezendu died and at his burial, Okonkwo’s gun which he had picked before

the burial due to provocation from his wife exploded and killed one of Ezendu’s children.

Hence, he was exiled for seven years from the land with his entire family. He left and

relocated to his motherland Mbanta, where he was well accepted.

It was during Okonkwo’s exile that the missionaries began to penetrate Umuofia his own

fatherland. Though there were strong oppositions at first from the locals, as they believed in

the gods they could see, the white men still had their way gradually.

Nwoye okonkwo’s son soon ran away to join the missionaries, and the thought of killing the

white men and destroying the churches came to Okonkwo’s mind. There were constant

physical conflicts between both the missionaries and the clan.

Finally, time was ripe and Okonkwo’s exile was over, he started preparing to move his family

back to Umuofia, and on his return he sees that even more people have being converted there

than at Mbanta and the converts included a tiled man.

Following the unfolding of events, Okonkwo’s temper subdued him and he burnt the church

built by Mr. Brown, the head missionary in the land. The court ordered his arrest and he was

arrested but released after a fine was paid.

After that, at a meeting being held by the villagers to structure a solution, Okonkwo killed

the head messenger of the missionaries sent with a message from the reverend. When the

commissioner and his soldiers attacked Okonkwo’s house, he was taken to the tree where

Okonkwo had killed himself, Obierika Okonkwo’s friend blamed the missionaries for driving

him to kill himself.