The only women who are not treated or described as less than men are those that are shrouded behind the veil of magic. These women are the only ones who receive any sort of respect from the men of Umuofia. Though they are above regular women, their respect is derived from their connection to the gods that decide the fate of men and “because the "annual worship of the earth goddess" falls on a Sunday, the Christian women cannot go home from church: women are expected to stay inside, out of fear and reverence, as long as the spirits roam the village” (Osei-Nyame 160). Christian women are not allowed to be outside on Sunday due to a ritual that they have. One woman who lives this double life is Chielo. “She was the priestess of Agbala, Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. In ordinary life Chielo was a widow with two children . .
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Anyone seeing Chielo in ordinary life would hardly believe she was the same person who prophesized when the spirit of Agbala was upon her” (Achebe 49). “In ordinary life” she was just an average woman. The only time women receive significant attention in the novel is when they are under the influence of spirits or something supernatural. In the middle of the night Chielo comes to Okonkwo’s compound “possessed” chanting spells. Every few words among the chants she says Ezinma’s name. She happens to be Okonkwo’s favorite child who he complains is not a boy several times throughout the novel. One night when she takes away his dish after dinner he thinks to himself, “She should have been a boy” (Achebe 64). It's ironic that Okonkwo would say something like that because he holds his daughter every highly. It shows that even through Enzima is important to him, it would have been better for him to have a
Anyone seeing Chielo in ordinary life would hardly believe she was the same person who prophesized when the spirit of Agbala was upon her” (Achebe 49). “In ordinary life” she was just an average woman. The only time women receive significant attention in the novel is when they are under the influence of spirits or something supernatural. In the middle of the night Chielo comes to Okonkwo’s compound “possessed” chanting spells. Every few words among the chants she says Ezinma’s name. She happens to be Okonkwo’s favorite child who he complains is not a boy several times throughout the novel. One night when she takes away his dish after dinner he thinks to himself, “She should have been a boy” (Achebe 64). It's ironic that Okonkwo would say something like that because he holds his daughter every highly. It shows that even through Enzima is important to him, it would have been better for him to have a