Marriage and Strange Bargaining Principles

During Chapters 8 and 9, Obierika and Okonkwo talk more often since Okonkwo is trying to rid his mind of Ikemefuna’s death. In Chapter 8, events such as the marriage of Obierika’s daughter, Akuke, and the conversation of right and wrong between the men at the ceremony take place. In Chapter 9, Ezinma’s story of the ogbanje and her illness is told. In Chapter 8, Obierika’s daughter, Akuke, is getting married. The men of the groom decide that her bride price is twenty bags of cowries. This suggests that a bride-price was expensive. After the decision was made, the men have a conversation about the neighboring villages. They talk about the strange customs they have compared to their village. However, I find this hypocritical according to their customs but I just follow along. For example, they talk about how in one village, the children of the couple belongs to the woman’s family. Also, they discuss the strange bargaining principles of which other villages conduct when settling a bride-price. Lastly, they talk about Anadi, a leper who has leprosy. Overall, Akuke gets married, and the men start to talk about moral issues in Umuofia. In Chapter 9, Ezinma falls sick. In the backstory they explain how they have to find the rock connected to her ogbanje. I still didn’t quite get how the Ibo believed in the ogbanje, but I just followed along. We learn that Ekwefi lost almost 10 children in birth, which is a lot even back then. They finally find the rock connected to Ekwefi’s ogbanje and destroy it. Okonkwo gives Ezinma a steam bath which immediately heals her. I find it interesting about the types of medicine the Ibo have. In Chapter 8, Akuke gets married and the men have a discussion on moral obligations. In Chapter 9, Ezinma falls ill, and Okonkwo and the others use strange techniques to heal her. To reiterate, I find the customs and beliefs of the Ibo strange to a point where I just have to follow along with the book sometimes.