Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart, when Chielo takes Ezinma to the Oracle of Agbala in the middle of the night, Okonkwo follows after them with Ekwefi, even though Chielo had ordered Ekwefi not to come. Chielo arrives at Ekwefi’s hut speaking in the voice of the priestess, declaring that the god Agbala wants to see Ezinma. Ezinma climbs onto Chielo’s back, terrified, while Ekwefi secretly trails them through the darkness.

At first, Ekwefi follows alone, driven by fear for her daughter. She keeps her distance because Chielo threatens curses on whomever walks behind her. As the journey continues, Ekwefi worries constantly about what might happen in the cave, but she decides that if Ezinma cries out, she will rush in to protect her no matter the danger. Eventually, after Chielo and Ezinma disappear into the cave, Okonkwo appears beside Ekwefi and waits with her outside until morning.

Okonkwo’s actions in this part of the book are important because they show a quieter side of his character. He usually expresses himself through anger and force, but here he follows out of concern for Ezinma. Earlier in the novel, he often hides affection because he thinks tenderness is a sign of weakness. Yet his decision to spend the entire night outside the cave reveals how deeply he cares for his daughter. Ezinma is the child who understands him best, and he repeatedly thinks that “she should have been a boy.”

The scene also contrasts Okonkwo’s behavior toward Ezinma with his behavior toward Ikemefuna. When the clan ordered Ikemefuna’s death, Okonkwo obeyed because he feared appearing weak. With Ezinma, however, he quietly defies Chielo’s command by following after her. This decision is one example of the tension between personal love and the demands of tradition that runs throughout the novel.