Question
[Okonkwo] took a pot of palm-wine [ . . . ] to Nwakibie. Two elderly neighbors were sent for, and Nwakibie's two grown-up sons were also present in his obi.ยน He presented a kola nut and an alligator pepper, which were passed round for all to see and then returned to him. He broke the nut saying: "We shall all live. We pray for life, children, a good harvest and happiness. You will have what is good for you and I will have what is good for me. Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break."
After the kola nut had been eaten Okonkwo brought his palm-wine from the corner of the hut where it had been placed and stood it in the center of the group. He addressed Nwakibie, calling him "Our father." [ . . . ]
Everybody thanked Okonkwo and the neighbors brought out their drinking horns from the goatskin bags they carried. Nwakibie brought down his own horn, which was fastened to the rafters. The younger of his sons, who was also the youngest man in the group, moved to the center, raised the pot on his left knee and began to pour out the wine. The first cup went to Okonkwo, who must taste his wine before anyone else. Then the group drank, beginning with the eldest man. When everyone had drunk two or three horns, Nwakibie sent for his wives. [ . . . ]
Anasi was a middle-aged woman, tall and strongly built. There was authority in her bearing and she looked every inch the ruler of the womenfolk in a large and prosperous family. She wore the anklet of her husband's titles, which the first wife alone could wear.
She walked up to her husband and accepted the horn from him. She then went down on one knee, drank a little and handed back the horn. She rose, called him by his name and went back to her hut. The other wives drank in the same way, in their proper order, and went away.
The men then continued their drinking and talking. Ogbuefi Idigo was talking about the palm-wine tapper, Obiako, who suddenly gave up his trade.
"There must be something behind it," he said, wiping the foam of wine from his mustache with the back of his left hand. "There must be a reason for it. A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing."
"Some people say the Oracle warned him that he would fall off a palm tree and kill himself," said Akukalia.
"Obiako has always been a strange one," said Nwakibie. "I have heard that many years ago, when his father had not been dead very long, he had gone to consult the Oracle. The Oracle said to him, 'Your dead father wants you to sacrifice a goat to him.' Do you know what he told the Oracle? He said, 'Ask my dead father if he ever had a fowl when he was alive.'" Everybody laughed heartily except Okonkwo, who laughed uneasily because, as the saying goes, an old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. Okonkwo remembered his own father.
1. the living quarters of the head of the household
From Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart. Copyright 1959 by Chinua Achebe
Based on the passage, what is most likely true about Nwakibie's value system?
After the kola nut had been eaten Okonkwo brought his palm-wine from the corner of the hut where it had been placed and stood it in the center of the group. He addressed Nwakibie, calling him "Our father." [ . . . ]
Everybody thanked Okonkwo and the neighbors brought out their drinking horns from the goatskin bags they carried. Nwakibie brought down his own horn, which was fastened to the rafters. The younger of his sons, who was also the youngest man in the group, moved to the center, raised the pot on his left knee and began to pour out the wine. The first cup went to Okonkwo, who must taste his wine before anyone else. Then the group drank, beginning with the eldest man. When everyone had drunk two or three horns, Nwakibie sent for his wives. [ . . . ]
Anasi was a middle-aged woman, tall and strongly built. There was authority in her bearing and she looked every inch the ruler of the womenfolk in a large and prosperous family. She wore the anklet of her husband's titles, which the first wife alone could wear.
She walked up to her husband and accepted the horn from him. She then went down on one knee, drank a little and handed back the horn. She rose, called him by his name and went back to her hut. The other wives drank in the same way, in their proper order, and went away.
The men then continued their drinking and talking. Ogbuefi Idigo was talking about the palm-wine tapper, Obiako, who suddenly gave up his trade.
"There must be something behind it," he said, wiping the foam of wine from his mustache with the back of his left hand. "There must be a reason for it. A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing."
"Some people say the Oracle warned him that he would fall off a palm tree and kill himself," said Akukalia.
"Obiako has always been a strange one," said Nwakibie. "I have heard that many years ago, when his father had not been dead very long, he had gone to consult the Oracle. The Oracle said to him, 'Your dead father wants you to sacrifice a goat to him.' Do you know what he told the Oracle? He said, 'Ask my dead father if he ever had a fowl when he was alive.'" Everybody laughed heartily except Okonkwo, who laughed uneasily because, as the saying goes, an old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. Okonkwo remembered his own father.
1. the living quarters of the head of the household
From Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart. Copyright 1959 by Chinua Achebe
Based on the passage, what is most likely true about Nwakibie's value system?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Based on the passage, it is most likely true that Nwakibie's value system places a significant emphasis on community, family, and tradition. The reading describes a communal gathering that involves rituals such as breaking the kola nut and sharing palm-wine, which indicate a strong cultural adherence to practices that foster unity and well-being among family and friends. The invocation of blessings for life, children, good harvests, and happiness suggests that Nwakibie values prosperity and the well-being of his community.
Moreover, the presence of both elderly neighbors and the family's grown sons signifies respect for elder authority and the importance of lineage. Nwakibie's treatment of his wife, Anasi, who is depicted as an authoritative figure herself, highlights the values placed on gender roles within the family structure. Additionally, the anecdote shared about Obiako indicates that Nwakibie respects and believes in the significance of spiritual guidance and the Oracle, which further underscores a traditional framework and respect for the ancestral past.
Overall, Nwakibie embodies values that prioritize community bonds, respect for traditions, and an interconnectedness within family and social networks.
Moreover, the presence of both elderly neighbors and the family's grown sons signifies respect for elder authority and the importance of lineage. Nwakibie's treatment of his wife, Anasi, who is depicted as an authoritative figure herself, highlights the values placed on gender roles within the family structure. Additionally, the anecdote shared about Obiako indicates that Nwakibie respects and believes in the significance of spiritual guidance and the Oracle, which further underscores a traditional framework and respect for the ancestral past.
Overall, Nwakibie embodies values that prioritize community bonds, respect for traditions, and an interconnectedness within family and social networks.