Summary

Chapter Nine

In Chapter Nine, Okonkwo is finally able to sleep. He is awakened the next morning by Ekwefi banging on his door telling him that Ezinma is dying. Okonkwo goes with her to where Ezinma is suffering with a fever. Ekwefi has had ten children, nine of which died before they turned three. The people of the village believe Ekwefi is haunted by an ogbanje, an evil child who dies but enters its mother’s womb to be born again. The family follows all sorts or rituals to keep the ogbanje from returning, but each time they are disappointed. It was not until Ezinma had lived past her sixth year that her mother had believed the child which still became ill intermittently, would really survive. Okonkwo tries to doctor the child with barks from medicinal trees and shrubs. The girl finally...