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Ekwefi follows Chielo as she goes to the other village and finally back to her cave. She then waits outside the cave, not daring to invoke the god's wrath upon herself.
While she is following Chielo and Ezinma, Ekwefi tries to take care not to be discovered by Chielo, and thus displease the gods.
What else can I help you with?
What is the relationship between Chielo and Ekwefi?
Chielo is friends with Ekwefi, and they get along well. Chielo sometimes gives bean cakes to Ekwefi to give to Ezinma. However, when Chielo becomes the priestess, she becomes like a completely separate person with no empathetic relationship with Ekwefi. Ekwefi is afraid of this incarnation of Chielo.
What reasons might Ekwefi have for following Chielo despite her fears and her husband's assurances that everything would be fine?
It is not despite her fears that she follows Chielo, but because of them. Because Ezinma is an ogbanje, and additionally because Chielo took Ikemefuna from the family, Ekwefi fears that Ezinma will not be returned to the family and something will happen to her. Ezinma is her only child, and Ekwefi does not know what she would do if she lost her.
Who follows Chielo and Ezinma?
In Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart," it is Okonkwo who follows Chielo and Ezinma during their journey to the Oracle. Okonkwo is Ezinma's father and he accompanies them to the shrine to ensure Ezinma's safety.
What do Ekwefi and Chielo mean when they say that they hope Ezinma will stay?
Ekwefi and Chielo both hope that Ezinma will stay in the physical world and not be taken by the spirits like her other siblings. They value Ezinma's presence and want her to live a full and healthy life.
What is Chielo's position in the village and her relationship to Ekwefi in things fall apart?
Chielo is the priestess of the Oracle to Agbala. Her opinion as a voice to the gods and ancestors is held in high regard, particularly regarding inter-village relationships. Chielo is a friend to Ekwefi.
Who appears in front of Ekwefi as she waits tearfully outside Agbala's cave?
Okonkwo appears suddenly before dawn. He decides to wait with Ekwefi outside the Oracle's cave. Subtly, Okonkwo could be considered to be waiting for both Ekwefi and Ezinma, as he might consider it unmanly to wait for Ezinma, but would consider it manly to support Ekwefi as she waited for their daughter. Eventually both the priestess and Ezinma appear.
Why was Ekwefi powerless to stop Chielo from taking Ezinma to the Oracle?
Ekwefi was powerless to stop Chielo from taking Ezinma to the Oracle because Chielo was the priestess of the Oracle, which held significant spiritual authority in the community. Chielo's actions were seen as divinely inspired and were not to be questioned or interfered with. Ekwefi had to respect the traditions and beliefs of the community, even if it meant temporarily relinquishing her parental authority.
How is Ezinma safely returned?
Ezinma is safely returned by Okonkwo and Ekwefi after they discover her hidden in the oracle caves, where she was taken by Chielo, the priestess of Agbala. Chielo brings Ezinma back to her parents unharmed, as it was all part of the oracle's plan to test Okonkwo's loyalty.
What message does Chielo deliver to Ekwefi?
Chielo delivers the message that Ezinma must accompany her to see the Oracle of the Hills and Caves. The message indicates that Chielo is acting as the priestess of the Oracle and is taking Ezinma to fulfill a spiritual duty rather than for any harmful intention.
What doe Ekwefi and Chielo mean when they say I pray she stays?
Ekwefi means that she prays that Ezinma will remain alive, now that she is ten years old. Many of Ekwefi's children have died during their infancy, and Ezinma had bouts of sickness as a child including one serious bout when she was 9.
How does Ezinma return to Okonkwo's compound?
Ezinma returns to Okonkwo's compound with the help of her mother, Ekwefi, after she falls seriously ill. Ekwefi follows the Oracle's instructions for Ezinma's healing, which involve taking Ezinma to the shrine and administering special herbs. This treatment helps Ezinma recover and return home.
What is Ekwefi and Ezinma's relationship like?
Ezinma was an ogbanje child and Ekwefi is her mother. Since an ogbanje child is on whom dies but comes back to cause the mother pain, this shows that this was what Ezinma was supposed to do. Ezinma is the only child Ekwefi had and this was why. Because she is the only child, Ezinma and Ekwefi are very close.
