Chapter Twenty-Three Summary

Okonkwo was very happy with his clansmen taking a stand against the Christians. Although they did not heed his advice to kill the pastor and drive away the Christians, they did something substantial and this pleased him tremendously.

For two days, nothing happened but after that the leaders of the village, including Okonkwo, were invited by the district commissioner to his office. They found nothing unusual in this and went suspecting nothing.

The district commissioner received them warmly and asked to hear their side of the story. Just as Ogbuefi was about to begin, the former interrupted and asked to have his men brought in, who were not familiar with Umuofia’s customs and were hence interested in hearing their story. In the middle of the story, all six leaders of Umuofia were handcuffed by the twelve men who had come in. They found no time to arm themselves or fight, having been caught completely off-guard.

The district commissioner assured the leaders that he would not harm them. He accused them of mistreating and molesting others and hence becoming liable for prosecution at the hands of the white man’s administration and courts. He also asked them to pay a fine of two hundred bags of cowries for their transgressions.

The leaders’ heads were shaved by a prison guard—a sign of great disrespect. They were mistreated, not given any food or drink, and not even allowed to use the toilet. On the third day, the leaders found the courage to speak with one another. As soon as they began to talk, they were beaten up for considering murdering the white man.

Messengers were sent to Umuofia, demanding two hundred and fifty bags of cowries for the release of their leaders. They were warned that their leaders would be hanged if the people did not cooperate.

The village had an air of silent mourning and tremendous fear of the future. The people decided to pay the fine to the white man in their helplessness.

Chapter Twenty-Three Analysis

The district commissioner cheats to imprison the leaders of Umuofia. This is a micro example of a macro problem—the forced, imperial takeover of peaceful nations by the British empire. The local culture and governance are rejected in favor of the Queen’s administration in England, and people are exploited, disrespected, and often killed for not acquiescing to the demands of the British empire.