Who is nwakibie and why does he appear in the novel?
Early in the novel, when Okonkwo's backstory is being discussed, Nwakibie makes his appearance. Way back when Okonkwo was a young man and his father was old and sick, he was trying to make a name for himself and succeed. He wanted to become wealthy and well-respected in Umuofia - totally unlike his father, who was lazy and, in Okonkwo's mind, weak.
Who is Nwoye in Things Fall Apart?
Things Fall Apart. Nwoye. Nwoye, Okonkwo’s oldest son, struggles in the shadow of his powerful, successful, and demanding father. His interests are different from Okonkwo’s and resemble more closely those of Unoka, his grandfather.
What is the role of nwakibie in Okonkwo?
Nwakibie thereby helps Okonkwo build up the beginnings of his personal wealth, status, and independence. The native-turned-Christian missionary who arrives in Mbanta and converts Nwoye and many others. A famous medicine man whom Okonkwo summons for help in dealing with Ezinma’s health problems.
Why does nwakibie give Okonkwo twice the number of yams?
Nwakibie is generous with Okonkwo, and gives him twice the number of yams he asks for because he can tell Okonkwo is hardworking and trustworthy, unlike so many of the young men who come to Nwakibie for help. Because of Nwakibie's generosity, Okonkwo is able to become successful and do better for his name and his family than his father did.
Why did Okonkwo go to Nwakibie?
Because Okonkwo had received nothing from his father, he began his farming through share-cropping. To get help for his planting, he visited Nwakibie, a great man of the village, symbolized by his three barns, nine wives, and thirty children.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and Nwakibie?
Nwakibie is a wealthy character in Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe's well-known novel of postcolonial Nigeria. Nwakibie is generous with Okonkwo, and gives him twice the number of yams he asks for because he can tell Okonkwo is hardworking and trustworthy, unlike so many of the young men who come to Nwakibie for help.
Who is Nwakibie How does the reader know that he is successful?
How does the reader know that his is successful? Nwakibie is the person that Okonkwo sees for a share-cropping deal. He's successful because he has 9 wives and 30 children. He is the highest in the clan.
What did Okonkwo want from Nwakibie?
He begins by asking a wealthy clansman, Nwakibie, to give him 400 seed yams to start a farm. Because Nwakibie admired Okonkwo's hard-working nature, he gave him eight hundred.
Why is Nwakibie considered a successful man?
Why is Nwakibie considered a successful man in Igbo society? Nwakibie has earned all but one title in Umuofia. He owns three huge barns, and he has nine wives and 30 children. Why does Okonkwo laugh uneasily at the story of Obiako and the oracle?
What is the meaning of Nwakibie words?
What is the meaning of Nwakibie's words? Nwakibie means that both he and Okonkwo are entitled to live well. If either of them denies the other prosperity, he should suffer.
What does Okonkwo bring to his meeting with Nwakibie?
One fact about Okonkwo's meeting with Nwakibie. Nwakibie gave Okonkwo supplies in order to start farming and raising yams and crops for himself. What does Nwakibie give Okonkwo when he comes to speak with him? He gives him 800 seed yams.
What does Okonkwo bring to his meeting with Nwakibie in chapter three of Things Fall Apart '?
Okonkwo worked to earn his first seed-yams with Nwakibie, a wealthy man in his village. Okonkwo brought him a kola nut and waited until the meal and small talk were finished before asking for some yams to sow.
What does Unoka's flute symbolize?
Achebe makes clear that music for Unoka was not a mere pastime but that it had the force and compulsion of a "possession." Whilst he played his flute, his face had an expression of "blessedness and peace" (p. 4).
What was Unoka's community title?
During his life, he never took a title and, therefore, never gained status or respect from the villagers. Instead, they called him a loafer, and he was the laughingstock of the community.
What happened the year that Okonkwo took eight hundred yam seeds from Nwakibie?
The year that Okonkwo took eight hundred seed-yams from Nwakibie was the worst year in living memory. Nothing happened at its proper time; it was either too early or too late. It seemed as if the world had gone mad. The first rains were late, and, when they came, lasted only a brief moment.
Why is Okonkwo's crime considered female?
Crimes are divided into male and female types. Okonkwo's accidental killing of Ezuedu's son is considered manslaughter and therefore a female crime.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and Unoka?
Unoka is Okonkwo's father, who died ten years prior to the opening of the novel. Although Unoka is not physically present in the novel, he plays an important role in Okonkwo's memory.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and Ezinma?
Ezinma, Okonkwo's favorite daughter and the only child of Ekwefi, is bold in the way that she approaches—and even sometimes contradicts—her father. Okonkwo remarks to himself multiple times that he wishes she had been born a boy, since he considers her to have such a masculine spirit.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and nwoye?
Nwoye is Okonkwo's eldest son who Okonkwo considers irredeemably effeminate and very much like his father, Unoka. As a child, Nwoye is the frequent object of his father's criticism and remains emotionally unfulfilled.
What is the relationship between Okonkwo and Obierika?
Okonkwo's best friend, Obierika serves as a foil for Okonkwo. That is, Obierika's personality contrasts with and enhances the distinctive characteristics of Okonkwo's personality. Obierika is a reasonable person who thinks before he acts, unlike Okonkwo, who is impulsive.
Who is Okonkwo's close friend?
Okonkwo’s close friend, whose daughter’s wedding provides cause for festivity early in the novel. Obierika looks out for his friend, selling Okonkwo’s yams to ensure that Okonkwo won’t suffer financial ruin while in exile and comforting Okonkwo when he is depressed. Like Nwoye, Obierika questions some of the tribe’s traditional strictures.
What does Okonkwo believe about Nwoye?
Okonkwo believes that Nwoye is afflicted with the same weaknesses that his father, Unoka, possessed in abundance. Read an in-depth analysis of Nwoye.
Why is Okonkwo not a warrior?
He never took a title in his life, he borrowed money from his clansmen, and he rarely repaid his debts. He never became a warrior because he feared the sight of blood.
Why did Unoka never become a warrior?
He never became a warrior because he feared the sight of blood. Moreover, he died of an abominable illness. On the positive side, Unoka appears to have been a talented musician and gentle, if idle. He may well have been a dreamer, ill-suited to the chauvinistic culture into which he was born.
How many seed yams does Nwakibie give Okonkwo?
A wealthy clansmen who takes a chance on Okonkwo by lending him 800 seed yams—twice the number for which Okonkwo asks. Nwakibie thereby helps Okonkwo build up the beginnings of his personal wealth, status, and independence.
What is Okonkwo's flaw?
Okonkwo’s hard work and prowess in war have earned him a position of high status in his clan, and he attains wealth sufficient to support three wives and their children. Okonkwo’s tragic flaw is that he is terrified of looking weak like his father . As a result, he behaves rashly, bringing a great deal of trouble and sorrow upon himself and his family.
Who is Okonkwo's second wife?
The only child of Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi. As the only one of Ekwefi ’s ten children to survive past infancy, Ezinma is the center of her mother’s world. Their relationship is atypical—Ezinma calls Ekwefi by her name and is treated by her as an equal. Ezinma is also Okonkwo’s favorite child, for she understands him better than any of his other children and reminds him of Ekwefi when Ekwefi was the village beauty. Okonkwo rarely demonstrates his affection, however, because he fears that doing so would make him look weak. Furthermore, he wishes that Ezinma were a boy because she would have been the perfect son.
About This Quiz & Worksheet
This quiz and worksheet will help you assess what you know about Nwakibie in Things Fall Apart. These practice questions require you to demonstrate an understanding of Nwakibie's role in the novel, and his interactions with other characters.
Additional Learning
Find out more about the character of Nwakibie by studying the lesson entitled Nwakibie in Things Fall Apart. This lesson will allow you to find out more about topics that include:
Who is Nwakibie in Umuofian?
Nwakibie is a successful Umuofian who lends Okonkwo yam seeds that enable him to get his start in life .
Who did Ezeudu warn Okonkwo not to kill?
Ezeudu warns Okonkwo not to play a role in killing Ikemefuna. Oko nkwo accidentally kills Ezeudu 's son.
Who is the Igbo god of the hills?
Agbala. Agbala is an Igbo god known as the Oracle of the Hills and Caves; he influences all aspects of life in the clan. Akunna. Akunna is a clan leader who has conversations about religion with Mr. Brown. Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze is a famous wrestler whom Okonkwo defeated, bringing Okonkwo great respect. Amikwu.
Who rules the area and has no respect for the clan and their traditions?
The British District Commissioner rules the area and has no respect for the clan and their traditions.
Who is Nwayieke in the book?
Nwayieke is a woman who lives four compounds away from Okonkwo and his family. She is "notorious" in the village for "her late cooking"; the noise of her pounding with her mortar and pestle is a familiar sound in the night ( Chapter 11 ).
Who is NMA in Okonkwo?
Nma is short for Ezinma, Okonkwo 's daughter by his second wife, Ekwefi . Ekwefi has borne ten children in her lifetime, and all but Ezinma have died in infancy or early childhood. Ezinma, who is ten years old at the time of the story, enjoys a special relationship with both her mother and her father. Ekwefi treats her only child more as an equal than as a subordinate, and Ezinma has an unusually close bond with her father as well. Okonkwo's only regret about Ezinma is that she is not a boy ( Chapter 5 ).
Who is Okagbue Uyanwa?
Okagbue Uyanwa is a medicine man. He has "a striking figure, (is) tall, with a full beard and a bald head...he (is) light in complexion and his eyes (are) red and fiery". Okagbue Uyanwa is consulted by Okonkwo after Ekwefi loses her third child ( Chapter 9 ).
Who is Okonkwo's third wife?
Ojiugo is Okonkwo's third wife. She is the youngest, and tends to be irresponsible. Her absence at dinner at the beginning of the story enrages Okonkwo, and causes her to "beat her very heavily" in violation of the requirements of the Week of Peace ( Chapter 4 ).
How much of the crop did Okonkwo get from Nwakibie?
According to the share-cropping contract, Okonkwo would return two-thirds of what he grew to Nwakibie and receive only a third of the total crop for himself, his parents, and his sisters. Nwakibie had already turned down similar requests from other young men.
What chapter is Okonkwo's childhood?
Part 1: Chapter 3. Chapter 3 describes incidents from Okonkwo's childhood and young adulthood — incidents that have contributed to Okonkwo's flawed character. According to the first story from Okonkwo's past, his father, Unoka, consulted the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, asking why he had produced bad harvests each year in spite ...
What did Okonkwo plant?
In the second story from Okonkwo's past, the young Okonkwo was preparing to plant his first farm in yams — a man's crop — while his mother and sisters grew women's crops — such things as coco-yams and cassava. Because Okonkwo had received nothing from his father, he began his farming through share-cropping. To get help for his planting, he visited Nwakibie, a great man of the village, symbolized by his three barns, nine wives, and thirty children. After the proper greetings and rituals, Okonkwo asked Nwakibie for seed-yams and pledges his hard work in growing and harvesting them. According to the share-cropping contract, Okonkwo would return two-thirds of what he grew to Nwakibie and receive only a third of the total crop for himself, his parents, and his sisters. Nwakibie had already turned down similar requests from other young men. But he acknowledged Okonkwo's earnestness and ambition and gave Okonkwo twice the number of seed-yams he'd hoped for.
Why did Okonkwo start farming?
Because Okonkwo had received nothing from his father, he began his farming through share-cropping. To get help for his planting, he visited Nwakibie, a great man of the village, symbolized by his three barns, nine wives, and thirty children.
What is Achebe's first name?
Notice that Achebe's first name, Chinua, begins with chi. Achebe explained the usage of chi in the following excerpt: When we talk about chi, we're talking about the individual spirit, and so you find the word in all kinds of combinations.
What does Achebe's use of storytelling illustrate?
Achebe's use of storytelling further illustrates how Okonkwo's resentment of his father grew, as well as how his own determination to succeed was tested — the two sides of his characterization as tragic hero.
What does NNA-Ayi mean?
Nna-ayi translated as our father; a greeting of respect.
What is Nwoye's conflict with his mother?
Nwoye remains conflicted, however: though he makes a show of scorning feminine things in order to please his father, he misses his mother’s stories. With the unconscionable murder of Ikemefuna, however, Nwoye retreats into himself and finds himself forever changed.
Why does Okonkwo curse his lot?
Although Okonkwo curses his lot for having borne so “effeminate” a son and disowns Nwoye, Nwoye appears to have found peace at last in leaving the oppressive atmosphere of his father’s tyranny.
Who is Okonkwo's oldest son?
Nwoye, Okonkwo ’s oldest son, struggles in the shadow of his powerful, successful, and demanding father. His interests are different from Okonkwo’s and resemble more closely those of Unoka, his grandfather.
