In Chapter 9 we learn a lot about Ekwefi. Okonkwo seems to have forgotten about Ikemefuna’s death, which did not take him very long at all only like three nights. It should have haunted him for life but no now he is thinking about mosquitoes before he goes to bed. I found the mosquito story very strange. I had not really thought about it in that way before, which really it makes sense why the mosquito torments the ear.
I cannot believe Ekwefi went through that many children and they all died on her. That would be very devastating and heart breaking. I could not imagine how she felt. That would be very mean of the child to agonize the mother like that being an ogbanje, someone who dies repeatedly and returns to the mother to be reborn. Ekwefi has a lot of courage I must say for having that many children and then losing them all in just a few weeks or months, plus she never gave up and had hope every single time a new child was born. Then finally she was blessed with having Ezinma and she has lived for ten years. Now she is sick though and needs medicine. I really hope she does not die I have become very fond of her and I feel like I know her the best so far in this book beside Okonkwo. She cannot die for Ekwefi’s sake it will kill her inside to lose another child especially since she has become so close to Ezinma. I see now what that lady meant at the wrestling match about her staying that makes sense now. The whole iyi-uwa stone is very weird like that is the stone that connects the child to the evil spirits. What did they do with it once Okonkwo and the medicine man dug it up it did not really say? Did they destroy it or just hide it again? I just really hope Ezinma does not die everyone loves her in this story so she cannot die.
2 comments:
I haven't really decided yet if Okonkwo has actually gotten over Ikemefuna's death, or if he is just trying to be preoccupied and not have to deal with it. I think it is a little of both. And yes, Ekwefi is very brave. I thought the theory of ogbanje was a little far fetched, they are in Africa. These deaths could very well be the result of a disease the children keep getting, but who knows. Fact is, she dealt with it everytime, but never gave up hope.
The mosquito story is very strange, but Achebe seems to use such things to illustrate African beliefs through trivial matters.
1 out of 10 kids to survive is incredible. The ogbanje belief was really "far out" but they seem to have bought into it whole heartedly. Luckily Okonkwo found the stone, and they all seemed to relax as Ekwefi recovered. I wondered about the stone's fate too. Did they smash it? Toss it in a river? We never learn.
Like you, I think Ekwefi is an interesting character, and I wasn't sure if Achebe was going to kill her off in this story, but he doesn't.
Mr. Farrell
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