Things Fall Apart, Chapter 19 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Why could the red earth for building walls not be trodden earlier in the year?

   • Correct answer: The rains were too heavy and would have washed the heap away
   • The men were all busy clearing new farms in the bush
   • The earth goddess forbade building during the planting
   • The red-earth pit had been closed by the village elders

   Earlier the rains were too heavy and would have washed away the trodden earth; later, harvest and then the dry season would set in.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How does Okonkwo describe the men of Umuofia, the land of his fathers?

   • Wise and patient in all their counsel
   • Rich in yams and generous to strangers
   • Correct answer: Bold and warlike, unlike his motherland
   • Gentle and quick to forgive their kinsmen

   He believes he would have prospered more in Umuofia, where men were bold and warlike, which is why he regrets his exile.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What does Ezinma do to each cassava plant before cutting its stem?

   • Pours water around its base to soften the soil
   • Correct answer: Shakes it violently with a long stick
   • Cuts away its leaves with her machete
   • Asks Obiageli to hold it steady for her

   Ezinma, who dislikes cold water on her back, shakes every tree violently with a long stick before bending to cut and dig.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Why does Ekwefi say the cassava tubers are so small?

   • They were planted only a few months earlier in the season
   • The heavy rains have rotted most of the larger roots
   • Correct answer: The soil is poor, though the farm is nearly two years old
   • Thieves dug up all the best tubers during the dark night

   Obiageli thinks they are young, but Ekwefi says she planted the farm nearly two years ago and the poor soil keeps the tubers small.

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5. 5

   Question 5. After breaking the kola nut, what does Uchendu do with one of the lobes?

   • Hands it to Okonkwo as the giver of the feast
   • Correct answer: Throws it on the ground for the ancestors
   • Places it in the shrine of Okonkwo's chi
   • Gives it to the youngest kinsman present

   Uchendu prays, then breaks the kola nut and throws one of the lobes on the ground for the ancestors.

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6. 6

   Question 6. How is the meat shared among the umunna at the feast?

   • Okonkwo's sons carry a portion to every man where he sits on the ground
   • The women divide it by household after the men have eaten
   • Correct answer: Every man rises in order of years, and absent kinsmen get shares too
   • The eldest takes his share first and then divides the rest freely

   Every man rose in order of years to take a share, and even kinsmen who could not come had their shares taken out for them.

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7. 7

   Question 7. Why does the elder say he fears for the young men rather than for himself?

   • Correct answer: He has only a short while to live, like the other old men
   • His own sons have already joined the church in Umuofia
   • He believes the young men will soon be forced into exile
   • Okonkwo has asked him to warn the young men before he leaves

   He says he, Uchendu, Unachukwu and Emefo have only a short while to live, but the young do not understand the bond of kinship.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Which of these events happen in Chapter 19?

   • Obierika sends word that the two huts have been built.

     Happened

   • Okonkwo leaves for Umuofia before the rains end.

     Didn't happen

   • Two rainbows appear, like a mother and her daughter.

     Happened

   • Okonkwo asks Obierika to build his obi for him.

     Didn't happen

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9. 9

   Question 9. Which of these events at the feast happen in Chapter 19?

   • Okonkwo's sons bring out the pots of palm-wine.

     Happened

   • Uchendu prays to the ancestors for great wealth.

     Didn't happen

   • Many kinsmen whistle in surprise at the amount of food.

     Happened

   • Nwoye returns from Umuofia to attend the feast.

     Didn't happen

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does 'utmost' mean as used in: 'he would have climbed to the utmost heights'?

    • Lowest or most humble
    • Correct answer: Greatest or highest possible
    • Most dangerous or full of risk
    • Nearest or most familiar

    Utmost means the greatest possible; Okonkwo believes he would have reached the top of Umuofia's society.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does 'openhanded' mean as used in: 'how openhanded our son, Okonkwo, is'?

    • Honest in all his dealings
    • Quick to strike in anger
    • Correct answer: Generous and free in giving
    • Careful with every cowrie

    Openhanded means generous; the kinsmen expected a big feast because they know Okonkwo's generosity.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What does 'sires' mean as used in: 'consider themselves wiser than their sires'?

    • Their teachers
    • Their rulers
    • Their priests and diviners
    • Correct answer: Their forefathers

    Sires are fathers or forefathers; the elder complains that the young think themselves wiser than the generations before them.

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