Things Fall Apart Character Analysis -Ekwefi

Key quotes with analysis

“’Ezinma is dying,’ came her voice, and all the tragedy and sorrow of her life were packed in those words.” (76)

In this quote, the reader learns that Ekwefi has had a difficult life, and that the loss of her daughter, Ezinma, would be yet another devastation. The author shows sympathy through a tone of despair. Furthermore, the use of diction creates an image of emotional fear and pain through the words “tragedy” and “sorrow”. Achebe’s use of creates sympathy, and for some empathy, within the reader and appeals to the universal fear and pain of a mother losing a child.

“Okonkwo turned on his side and went back to sleep. He was roused in the morning by someone banging on his door. ‘Who is that?’ he growled. He knew it must be Ekwefi of his three wives Ekwefi was the only one who would have the audacity to bang on his door.” (75)

Ekwefi out of his three wives is the one who has suffered the most; therefore she is a woman who possesses a lot of emotional strength. She gave birth to ten children and out of the ten only one survived. Burying your own children is the worst emotional pain a woman can go through. Ekwefi is also a woman who is not afraid of Okonkwo, as his other two wives are. In chapter 9, on page 75 we have an example of her fearlessness towards Okonkwo. Okonkwo accepts Ekwefi and does not scold her for banging on his door and waking him.

Relationship of character to others within the novel

Ekwefi with Okonkwo:

Ekwefi fell in love with Okonkwo when she saw him beat Amalinze the Cat. Even though she was truly in love, Okwonko was too poor to marry and so she married another man. Years later, she escaped her marriage and became Okokwo’s second wife. She and Okonkwo struggled having children that survived and lived past early childhood, yet after nine child deaths, Enzima, her only daughter came along. Ekwefi is important in Okonkwo’s life but she is the second wife, which means she is the second most important.

Ekwefi with Enzima:

Enzima is the only child of Ekwefi that survives and makes it past 10 years, which is a sign that she will be healthy. Ekwefi has a lot of anger and resentment because of her lost children yet she treats Enzima like a gem and like an equal, they seem to act more like sisters than like daughter and mother.

Reaction/response of character to key events within the text

“Love at first sight” with Okonkwo: Rather than following her emotions, Ekwefi was stopped by the superficial fact that he had no money and instead she married another man.

Death of nine children: She and Okonkwo kept trying to have children regardless of the fact that nine had died before reaching the “healthy age” of ten. This turned her into a bitter and angry woman for a long time, until Enzima came along.

Visual representation of the character.