Things Fall Apart Chapter 8 & 9 Quiz

Okonkwo's Grief and Concerns

• After Ikemefuna's death, Okonkwo shows signs of deep distress by not eating and experiencing shivers.
• Okonkwo is worried about his son Nwoye, perceiving that he has inherited too much of his mother’s traits, indicating a lack of toughness or resilience.

Village Events and Traditions

• A strange occurrence in the village of Ire involves an elderly couple dying in quick succession, first the husband, then the wife.
• Men holding the ozo title are restricted from tapping tall palm trees for wine, instead only allowed to tap smaller trees.

Marriage Customs

• Akueke, Obierika's sixteen-year-old daughter, is of an appropriate age for marriage; her suitor and his family observe and negotiate her readiness, discussing the number of cowrie shells as bride-price.
• The agreed-upon bride-price for Akueke is set at 20 bags of cowries.

Family and Mortality

• Ekwefi hastily informs Okonkwo that their daughter Ezinma is dying, highlighting the family's stress over children's health.
• In the clan, children refer to their mothers as “Nne,” establishing a cultural norm.

Supernatural Beliefs and Medicine

• Ekwefi has experienced the loss of nine out of ten children in infancy; a diviner explains the reoccurrence is due to their child being an ogbanje, who dies and returns to the womb multiple times.
• The medicine man, Okagbue, discovers Ezinma's iyi-uwa, a mystical stone believed to ensure her survival into adulthood.

Healing Efforts

• Okonkwo forages in the bush, collecting a variety of medicinal plants while Ezinma is sick in her mother’s hut.
• Ekwefi prepares medicine for Ezinma by selecting the best ingredients from Okonkwo's collection, mixing them with water, and heating the mixture to create a remedy.