Things Fall Apart, Chapter 9&10 - 'Which Heals You Best?'

"Okonkwo returned from the bush carrying on his left shoulder a large bundle of grasses and leaves, roots and barks of medicinal trees and shrubs. He went int Ekwefi's hut, put down his load and sat down" (Achebe 85).

Okonkwo is notified by his second wife Ekwefi that their daughter Ezinma that she is supposedly dying but, Okonkwo concludes that Ezinma has got iba which is a fever. Okonkwo goes to a large amount of grasses and leaves, roots and barks to use to make some medicine for Ezinma which will help her recover from her sickness iba. In rural countries such as Nigeria which Umuofia is located in it is common to find that the medicine that they use is made from plants and herbs whereas in Western civilizations medicine is more advanced. In these Western civilizations they would mock the kind of medicine that the village of Umuofia uses to heal their illnesses. Any imperialist European would replace this form of medicine of using herbs and plants their more modern form of medicine to heal the sick. Although Okonkwo's medicine made of herbs and plants is different from the imperialist countries form medicine is should not matter which is better as long as they will both heal the person who is sick.