Chapter Nineteen Summary

In his last year of exile, Okonkwo was finally relieved. He was grateful to his mother’s kinsmen but was too hungry for power to be able to appreciate what he had.

He sent money to Obierika to build two huts in his compound, in anticipation of his return to home next year. He also planned a huge feast to thank his motherland. At the end of the feast, one of the oldest clansmen spoke about the current generation not unifying and allowing a foreign religion to settle in their midst. He voiced his fears for the clan during his speech.

Chapter Nineteen Analysis

The old clansman’s speech is significant in this chapter as it foreshadows the imminent changes that will soon befall the clan leading to the eventual breaking apart of the Igbo tribe.