into Ezeudu’s son’s heart. Since it is the law that any man who kills an innocent man be banished from his tribe for seven years, there is no other course open for Okonkwo to take. He immediately takes his family and several other belongings and heads for his homeland. “And before the cock crowed Okonkwo and his family were fleeing to his motherland. It was a little village called Mbanta, just beyond the borders of Mbaino.” (p. 124) A fire is set to his houses, not in punishment, but to cleanse the land of his mistake. Seven long years slowly go by, and Okonkwo is forced to live off of his mother’s family’s wealth, a quality that he particularly despised in his own father. Later, Okonkwo was given a plot of land on which to farm, and with the help of his mother’s relatives, he builds himself an obi (a large living quarters for the head of the family) and three small huts for his wives. He spends his days and part of his nights working hard in his field, but his work is done half-heartedly, as his spirit was killed by the exile. While Okonkwo is in exile, six Christian missionaries arrive in Mbanta. Their preaching does not impress Okonkwo, but his son, Nwoye, decides to convert to Christianity. Okonkwo is upset by this because the people of Mbanta believe that those who join the missionaries are the weak and worthless men of the village.Gemma 4When the seven years have passed, Okonkwo receives word that he can now come back to Umuofia. He accepts the offer and throws a large banquet to thank his relatives for allowing him to stay there. Then he heads back to Umuofia.Upon his return to Umuofia, Okonkwo is faced with an unpleasant surprise. He realizes that he has lost his high place and titles, and the Christian missionaries have taken over their tribe. Many of the Umuofia people have joined the missionaries, including the worthy men with titles. “Such a man was Ogbuefi Ugonna, who had...
