Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe | Part 3, Chapter 23
Summary
TLDRIn 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo experiences a rare moment of happiness and rejuvenation as he leads his clan to reclaim its traditional ways. However, this is quickly shattered when he and his delegation are deceitfully arrested by the district commissioner's men. The British colonial authorities' disrespect and injustice are highlighted as they impose fines, humiliate the prisoners, and even exploit the situation for personal gain, showcasing a stark contrast to the clan's respect for honor and action.
Takeaways
- 😊 Okonkwo feels happy and rejuvenated, believing the clan has reclaimed its old ways.
- 🗡️ Okonkwo convinces the men in Umuofia to arm themselves, unlike the people in Abame.
- 📜 Three days later, messengers from the district commissioner's office invite Okonkwo and five others to his office.
- 🔪 They bring machetes but choose not to carry guns, which would be unseemly.
- 🗣️ A member of the Umuofia delegation begins to explain why the church was destroyed, but the district commissioner interrupts.
- 🚓 The commissioners' men handcuff Okonkwo and the others after a brief scuffle.
- 📚 The clansmen are lectured about their bad treatment of people and are fined.
- 🚨 The court messengers forcibly shave the prisoners' heads, beat them, taunt them, and withhold food and water.
- 😡 Okonkwo feels choked with hate as the men of Umuofia gather to decide to pay the fine.
- 💔 The happiness Okonkwo feels at the beginning turns to bitterness after the encounter with the district commissioner.
- 👮 The district commissioner is condescending and dismisses the clans' ways, serving as judge and jury without hearing their side.
- 😠 The court messengers are disrespectful and cruel, inflating the fine to steal the extra funds, making them worse than the criminals they deal with.
Q & A
What significant change does Okonkwo feel in Part Three, Chapter 23 of 'Things Fall Apart'?
-Okonkwo feels happy for the first time in many years, rejuvenated, and believes the clan has reclaimed its old ways.
What action does Okonkwo convince the men in the clan to take?
-Okonkwo convinces the men in the clan to arm themselves so they will be prepared, unlike the people in ABBA.
Why are Okonkwo and five others invited to the district commissioner's office?
-They are invited because a man does not refuse a call from the district commissioner's office, and they bring machetes as a sign of their warrior status.
What is the district commissioner's initial response when the clan delegation begins to explain the destruction of the church?
-The district commissioner asks them to stop so he can bring in men to hear their grievances.
What happens shortly after the commissioner's men enter the room?
-There is a brief scuffle, too brief for a machete to be drawn, and in the melee, Okonkwo and the others are handcuffed.
What is the reaction of the clansmen after they are lectured about their bad treatment of people and a fine is placed upon them?
-The clansmen decide to pay the fine to appease the white man, showing their willingness to comply with the new authority.
How does Okonkwo feel about the court messengers' treatment of him and the other prisoners?
-Okonkwo feels choked with hate due to the disrespectful and cruel treatment by the court messengers, including being forcibly shaved, beaten, and starved.
What does the court messengers' behavior towards the prisoners reveal about the British colonial system?
-The court messengers' behavior reveals the unjust and corrupt nature of the British colonial system, where they are worse than the criminals they deal with and do not treat the ebo as equals.
How does the meeting with the district commissioner contrast with the war council in Chapter 2?
-The meeting with the district commissioner is condescending and dismissive of the clan's ways, unlike the war council in Chapter 2 where Okonkwo holds a discussion with his adversaries and is treated with respect.
What does the district commissioner's role as both judge and jury signify about the colonial justice system?
-The district commissioner's role signifies the lack of a fair and balanced justice system, as he does not hear the clan's side and disrespects their customs and traditions.
How does the script illustrate the clash of cultures and values between the Igbo people and the British colonial authority?
-The script shows the clash through the contrasting expectations and treatment of the Igbo people by the British, who do not adhere to the same codes of honor and instead impose their own unjust and corrupt system.
Outlines
😄 Okonkwo's Rejuvenation and Clan's Resurgence
In Part Three, Chapter 23 of 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo experiences a rare moment of happiness and rejuvenation, feeling that the clan has reclaimed its traditional values. He successfully convinces the men of Umuofia to arm themselves, reflecting a return to a time when warriors were respected. However, this moment of triumph is interrupted by an invitation from the district commissioner's office. Despite their reluctance, Okonkwo and five others attend the meeting, adhering to the unwritten rule that a man does not refuse a call. The meeting takes a turn for the worse when the commissioner's men forcibly arrest Okonkwo and his companions, leading to a series of humiliating and unjust treatments.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Okonkwo
💡Clan
💡District Commissioner
💡Machete
💡Respect
💡Church
💡Mafia
💡Fine
💡Court Messengers
💡Hate
💡Action
Highlights
Okonkwo experiences happiness and rejuvenation, feeling the clan has reclaimed its old ways.
Okonkwo convinces the men in Umuofia to arm themselves to be prepared for potential conflicts.
Messengers from the district commissioner's office invite Okonkwo and five others to a meeting.
The men bring machetes but choose not to carry guns, adhering to their cultural norms.
A scuffle breaks out during the meeting, leading to Okonkwo and others being handcuffed.
The clansmen are lectured about their treatment of people and are imposed a fine.
Court messengers disrespect the prisoners, shaving their heads, beating, and withholding food and water.
Okonkwo feels intense hatred towards the court messengers for their cruel treatment.
The men of Umuofia decide to pay the fine to appease the white man, showing their willingness to compromise.
Okonkwo thrives on action, authority, and power, feeling content after the clan's destruction of the church.
The respect the clan shows Okonkwo for his actions leads him to believe the past has returned.
The meeting with the district commissioner starkly contrasts the war council in chapter 2, where Okonkwo was treated with respect.
The British do not embody the Igbo's codes of honor, showing a cultural misunderstanding and power imbalance.
Okonkwo and the others are unprepared for the British's condescending and disrespectful treatment.
The district commissioner serves as judge and jury, dismissing the clan's ways without hearing their side.
Court messengers are corrupt, inflating the fine to steal extra funds and acting worse than the criminals they deal with.
Transcripts
[Music]
in Part three chapter 23 of Chinua
Achebe's things fall apart Okonkwo feels
happy for the first time in many years
he's rejuvenated and feels the clan has
reclaimed its old ways when a warrior
was a warrior he has convinced the men
in a mafia to arm themselves so they'll
be prepared unlike the people in ABBA me
three days later messengers from the
district commissioner's office
invite okonkwo and five others to his
office they go because an Wolfie a man
does not refuse a call
they bring machetes although they choose
not to carry guns which would be
unseemly a member of the Mafia
delegation begins to explain why the
church was destroyed and the district
commissioner asked him to stop so he can
bring in men to hear the grievances
shortly after the commissioners men
enter the room though there's a brief
scuffle to brief for a machete to be
drawn and in the melee they handcuff
okonkwo and the others the clansmen are
lectured about their bad treatment of
people and a fine is placed upon them
the court messengers in turn are told to
treat the prisoners with respect but
instead they forcibly shaved the
prisoners heads beat them taunt them and
withhold food and water from them
Okonkwo felt choked with hate the court
messengers go to a mafia and inform the
villagers what has happened the men of a
mafia gather and decide to pay the fine
to appease the white man Okonkwo thrives
on action and the authority and power it
has earned him he was content after the
clan destroyed the church and the fact
that the clan listened to him with
respect
leads him to think the past has returned
when men took action and were respected
for it but the happiness that opens the
chapter soon turns the meeting with the
district Commissioner offers a stark
contrast to the war Council in chapter 2
when Okonkwo holds a discussion with his
adversaries and is treated with respect
we may think the men naive
to expect the British to embody their
own codes of honor but the rules have
clearly changed the British do not
consider the ebo their equals and
okonkwo and the others aren't prepared
for this the district commissioners
condescending he tricked so conquer and
the others and then lectures them about
treating people badly he serves as judge
and jury but doesn't hear their side
disrespecting and dismissing the clans
ways at every turn the court messengers
are both disrespectful and cruel to the
prisoners humiliating them by shaving
their heads and whipping and starving
them they even inflate the fine so they
can steal the extra funds as agents of
this unjust and corrupt Court they're
notably worse than the criminals they
deal with
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