This chapter begins with the story of Okonkwo’s father Unoka who resorts to consulting the Oracle of Hills and the Caves (Agbala) to find answers to his miserable harvest. The Oracle is primarily for conjuring the future and the minds of the ancestors.
We see the religious vitality of the Igbo people who believe in divine and all knowing being.
The Oracle is served by a priestess (Chika) that proclaims the will of the God to the visitors. In Unoka’s case, the priestess confronts him with the truth of his weakness being the cause of his poor harvest. Even though being at peace with one’s chi is an important factor, hardwork is necessary.
Being Unoka’s son is the greatest badge of shame for Okonkwo but that is exactly his drive towards success; to escape being like his father. He would rather take Nwakibie as a mentor rather than Unoka who leaves him only debts to inherit.
Ironically, Okonkwo who put more than enough in his farm still suffered a disastrous harvest. This shows the relationship between humans and the elements. But Okonkwo is not the one to easily give up. Maybe that’s the difference between his story and his father’s.
©Godwin
