Shadow dove

outh," said an old man

mother's breast."

sen so suddenly fro

f the lords of the cla

wo. Indeed he respecte

e was struck, as m

in dealing with less

contradicted him at a

e next ancestral feast.

: "This meeting is f

had no titles. That w

wo knew how to kil

dred meeting took si

woman. The oldest man

lm-kernels were cra

ld not forget to be hu

he had said, and th

true that Okonkwo's

benevolent spirit.

new his grim struggle

t say he had been l

that man was okonkwo

e greatest wrestler in

one could say that h

that when a man saysyes his chi says yes a

y his chi but his clan

his hands. That was

llages to carry a mes

reed to give up a youn

of Udo's wife. And su

for Umuofia that they

a virgin who was give

d Ikem

n had decided that Ik

while. But no one t

hey seemed to forget a

taken the

very much afraid. Onc

not know where to beg

year-old sister and w

to him and treated

said was: "When sha

e would not eat any

in his hand and sto

trembling. A few m

gan to vomit painfull

hands on his chest a

weeks, and when he re

his great fear

very lively boy and

household, especial

ye, who was two ye

m him because he seem

flutes from bamboo st

e birds and could setclever traps for the l

stronge

became very fond of t

r showed any emotion

To show affection wa

demonstrating was s

e treated everybody el

t that he liked the b

meetings or communal

accompany him, like

in bag. And, indeed,

th

uofia at the end of

anting. In fact he rec

re the Week of Peace

broke the peace, and

ani, the priest of

to justifiable anger

hair at her friend's h

the afternoon meal.

ot at home. After waiti

see what she was doing

the fireplac

asked his second wif

a gigantic pot in the s

e of the

ne to plait

up within him."Where are her childr

olness and

swered his first wi

d looked into her hu

the children of

to feed them be

s mother, trying t

htles

not speaking the trut

o's return. And when s

nger he had forgotten

ives ran out in great

as the sa

the man to stop beat

even for fear

eard his wife crying

lls to ask what was

for themselves. It w

ring the sa

ani, who was the pries

o in his obi. Okonkwo

it before t

nut. I shall not eat

ct for our gods

lain to him what his

attention. He held a s

hasize his points."Listen to me," he said

ou know as well as I d

we plant any crops in

ch a man does not say

peace with our fellow

without whose blessin

ed a great evil." He b

"Your wife was at faul

nd her lover on top o

at evil to beat her.

ave done can ruin the

ve insulted may ref

ll all perish." His

u will bring to the s

, a length of cloth a

and left

iest said. He also to

he was repentant. But

eighbors that he was i

for the gods of the c

one to his head. They

forgot himself after

nged h

ing the Week of Peac

drank palm-wine. Thi

nso-ani which Okonk

many years that a man

t men could only reme

mewhere in t

s the oldest man in th

me to visit him that

ild in their clan."It has not always been s

past a man who broke

the village until he d

d because it spoiled t

to pre

terday," said one of

n abomination for a m

of Pe

aid Ogbuefi Ezeudu. "T

s at this time he is n

s a bad custom which

erstanding. They thro

out burial. And what

l spirits of these unbu

the li

ce every man and his

arms. The cut bush was

the smoke rose into t

ions and hovered over

he rainy season was a

ntil the dry se

xt few days preparin

efully to see whether

that a yam was too

ftly along its length w

nd Ikemefuna helped

from the barn and in

ur hundred. Sometimes

are. But he always fo

reatening."Do you think you are cut

nother yam of this siz

still a child. I bega

aid to Ikemefuna, "

ou come

w that the boys were

ifficult art of prepar

uld not begin too e

o could feed his fam

s a very great man in

farmer and a great m

of laziness which he t

h

who cannot hold up hi

sooner strangle him w

at me like that," he

ur head

n the land had been

onkwo and his family

their hoes and mache

e mounds of earth in s

d sowed the

, was a very exacting

rd work and constant

went back to roost. T

eat with rings of sisa

women planted maize

ds. The yams were th

r with tall and big tr

times at definite peri

d now the rains had really come

n-maker no longer cl

ot stop the rain now,

the heart of the dry

alth. The personal d

these extremes of we

the huma

interfered with in t

poured down in such t

med merged in one gray

e low rumbling of Am

At such times, in e

ofia, children sat a

ories, or with their fa

ire, roasting and eatin

n the exacting and ar

ting but light-heart

o feel like a member

his mother and his thre

dness and depression

tached to each othe

and less poignant. Ik

Even those which Nw

ess and the local flav

period very vividly ti

how he had laughed

me for a corn cob with

i-nwayi, or the tee

e immediately to Nwa

ad about three teeth

ins became lighter and le

separate. The rain f

hine and quiet breez

rs but ran a

he sun is shining, Alon

ti

ed who Nnadi was an

ng and eating. In the

at land of Ikemefuna'

rt in splendor and th