things Fall Apart Essay -- essays research papers

CHAPTER 10 A very dramatic public ceremony is described in detail that involves meting out justice. On the village commons ppl gather and the rest of the village is behind them. Nine stools are placed for the egwugwu to sit. Egwugwu represent the spirits of their ancestors and are respected members of the community who can dispense justice in trials. Women stood on the edges of the circle. A gong is loudly blasted and the guttural voice of the egwugwu is heard. When he makes his appearance, it is very dramatic as he wears a fearful looking mask and pretends to scare the women. With him , nine other masked men emerge. Okonkwo's wives notice that one of the egwugwu walks with a springy step such as Okonkwo does. They also notice he is absent from where the elders sit. The leader of the egwugwu speaks some words. The hearing then begins. It involves a man named Uzowulu whose wife was taken away by him by her family. He wishes that either she return or they pay him his bride-price. The women's brother argues that she has been rescued because she is beaten every day and that she will return on the promise that he never hit her again. After the discussion the leader returns with a verdict. He tells Uzowulu to bring wine to his wife's family and beg his wife to return to him. He also expresses disgust at Uzowulu's cowardice in beating women and askes him to accept his brother-in-law's offer. The egwugwu and their system of justice are similar to Western society's notion of a fair public trial. The men who conduct the hearings are the senior members of the society, and have political as well as economic power, but they mask themselves to hide their identity, so that a fair judgment can be given. Here each party is given a chance to state their case and then the egwugwu leave to debate a verdict as well as a punishment or remuneration. The dismissive attitude one of the elders shows for a trial of this kind reveals the lack of power and respect that women had in this society. Not only does the women's brother speak for her, but she has no say in the verdict handed to her husband. Whether or not she wants to return is overlooked by the larger economic reason for her return. Her husband's hand is slapped for being so violent but other than that he is not punished for his crime, simply fined CHAPTER 11 One night, Ezinma and her mother are sitting in... ...anly fsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sd fsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sd ure i entually will