Chapter Ten

The tribe gathered together in their playground area for a trial-type thing. Once again the reader is reminded about the major separation of genders when it states that it is a man's ceremony, not a woman's. The trial was between Mgbafo and her brothers against her husband, Uzowulu. They claim that Uzowulu beats his wife excessively and has even caused her to miscarriage. The egwugwu (spirits) come out for the trial. Everyone is afraid of them. I found this kind of odd because one would think that everyone knew that they were merely spirits portrayed by men. But no, everyone is terrified. They also have a weird way of speaking and greeting each other. Mgbafo's brothers tell the spirits that she will go back to Uzowulu if he begs her to come back. However, if he beats her again, they will cut off his genitals. The spirits agree to this after some deliberation. In the end, one elder tells another that he does not think that such trivial matters should be brought before the egwugwu. This kind of made me angry because I did not find it such a trivial matter. It really irritates me that domestic abuse is so common that it is seen as a trivial matter.