In Chapter 11, Ekwefi is telling folk-tales to the
children. Her stories are interrupted however, by Chielo's cries. She shouts at Okonkwo
that "Agbala wanted to see his daughter." She awakens the
girl, picks her up, & runs with Ezinma on her back through the nine villages to
the Oracle of the caves. Ekwefi waits, then follows, torn between her fear of the gods
and her concern for her daughter.
It is also interesting
that this is one moment where we see Okonkwo not as an over-bearing, harsh task master,
but a loving, devoted husband and father. He follows Ekwefi as well, and offers her
comfort at the caves. He too is concerned about Ezinma, the favorite of his children.
The encounter emphasizes the relationship between the spirit world and the world of the
living. The night’s experience also gives Ekwefi an opportunity to reminisce about her
youth and her love for Okonkwo.
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