No act of violence is to be committed during the week of peace.
Okonkwo beat his wife during the week of peace, the one week of the year in which no violence was to be committed. As this week of peace was a tribute to the gods, this was considered sacrilege and an offense to the gods.
Okonkwo commits the crime of beating his wife, Ojiugo, during the Week of Peace by violating the rules of the sacred week. This action angers the gods and disrupts the peace and sanctity of the community.
The Week of Peace is a tradition in Igbo culture to honor and show respect for the earth goddess, Ani. It is observed to maintain peace, harmony, and order within the community. Breaking the peace during this week is seen as a serious offense that requires atonement through sacrifices and rituals.
Because it is a sacred time of peace to respect the gods and ancestors.
Okonkwo beat his third wife, Ojiugo, during the week of peace for her negligence in failing to prepare meals for either himself or her children.
The punishment for breaking the week of peace, in older times, was death. Okonkwo got off lightly in comparison.
During the week of peace, no work is to be done. People are to be at peace with each other, inflicting no violence at all. People generally talk with each other in their huts during this week.
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The week of peace is a tribute to Ani, the Earth mother. It is not only a time of peace, but a time of thankfulness to the goddess for her bounty. It teaches men to be humble and grateful, as well as peaceful.
Okonkwo breaks the sacred Peace of Ani, also known as the Week of Peace, by beating Ojiugo, his third wife. He is forced to sacrifice to the goddess and repent. His neighbours look down upon Okonkwo for the sacrilege, and also for not being outwardly repentant, as they think he is not genuinely repenting.
The week of peace was origanated after a unusally large swarm of locust wiped out the crops of many tribes in Africa including the Igbo tribe. After the loss it was decided that they sould take one week a year to pray for crops.
Before, any person who broke the week of peace would be killed. However, villagers found that the act of killing itself was an affront to the gods and goddesses. Thus the punishment afterward was much lighter, and involved sacrificing to the gods and goddesses and repenting.