Karina Guerrero
Ms. Fuentes- H. English 10a
Period. 3
December 16, 2013

Tradition: When Is It Past It's Limits?
With many traditions that Umuofia has, the Week of Peace must be the most important. Everyone has to depend on a god to grow crops every season for the village to harvest. Their religion is supersticious yet very faithful. Chinua Achebe's "Thing's Fall Apart" is about gentrification, traditions, and culture within a community, but in this case, a village. Okonkwo is know very well because of his great titles, strength and the small capacity that his villaeg has. Being said that his village is small, it has many restrictions, beliefs, and traditions. During the Week of Peace, the whole village is supposed to honor the great gods and their blessings."We live in peace with our fellows to honor our great goddess of the earth without whose blessing our crops will not grow." (29). During this time, Okonkwo has already passed the litmits and broke the sacred peace that was suppose to last for a week. This quote was said to Okonkwo for disobeying, disrespecting, and putting his gods to shame. Okonkwo was thinking about himself and the anxiety that he had when he was beating his wife up. He was not thinking about his village or the Week of Peace. One of Okonknow's wife went to her friends house to get her hair done and he was mad that she has not cooked his meal and that she left her children with one of his other wife. When his wife returns, he beats her up and Okonkwo was punished by a priestess for destroying the peace. "And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace."(29). It is important for the tribe to have a mature and kind behavior during the Week of Peace . Everyone depends on a god to grow their crops. Okonkwo cares about his identity but not too much that he publicly beats his wife and has people witness it. Okonknow broke tradition and now the priest of the earth goddess, Ezeani, believes that he should be punished or the earth god would not grow the villages crops. If there is poor plantation, Okonkwo is going to be the one to blame. "...the Week of Peace began. And that was also theyear Okonkwo broke the peace, and was punished. As was the custom, by Ezeani, the priest of the earth goddess." (29).This quote is important because tradition and culture is a big deal for Umuofia. The village depends on the earth goddess to grow their crops but becasue she was insulted, she has a