He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape.
This is when Okonkwo knew that even though he had worked so hard his whole life to prove himself he still managed to do the wrong thing, and is in the wrong in the eyes of the clan.
return early enough to cook the afternoon meal.
Below is a photo of what Igbo women might look like when cooking. In the description, it says that these Igbo women are "making water and cooking pots." https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiemLCn76_PAhUHzIMKHUYtC3MQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fukpuru.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F113355716272%2Figbo-women-making-water-and-cooking-pots&bvm=bv.133700528,d.amc&psig=AFQjCNFQp4laTDyF6UzrBCRn_YqWOeUlPA&ust=1475076616513756
Source: http://ukpuru.tumblr.com/post/113355716272/igbo-women-making-water-and-cooking-pots
Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable anger by his youngest wife, who went to plait her hair at her friend's house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal. Okonkwo did not know at first that she was not at home. After waiting in vain for her dish he went to her hut to see what she was doing. There was nobody in the hut and the fireplace was cold.
I feel like in the Igbo culture that women have some sort of power over men in a way since they are the ones that are expected to cook meals for the men every time they come home. Meals feed men and give them their strength so I think that since Ojiugo didn't make him his afternoon meal, in a sense she deprived him of his strength which is also a type of power for men, thus Okonkwo beat Ojiugo because of it.
Umuofia was feared by all its neighbours. It was powerful in war and in magic, and its priests and medicine men were feared in all the surrounding country. Its most potent war-medicine was as old as the clan itself. Nobody knew how old. But on one point there was general agreement--the active principle in that medicine had been an old woman with one leg. In fact, the medicine itself was called agadi-nwayi, or old woman. It had its shrine in the centre of Umuofia, in a cleared spot. And if anybody was so foolhardy as to pass by the shrine after dusk he was sure to see the old woman hopping about. And so the neighbouring clans who naturally knew of these things feared Umuofia, and would not go to war against it without first trying a peaceful settlement.
In the Igbo culture, if the priests and medicine men were powerful in war and powerful in magic, then the clan itself was very powerful. Since Umuofia were powerful in both, they were powerful overall, so much so that other clans feared it and knew that if they went to war against Umuofiaa that they would lose. This kind of power in the Igbo culture is a physical power that is known by other clans.
Ogbuefi Ezeugo was a powerful orator and was always chosen to speak on such occasions. He moved his hand over his white head and stroked his white beard. He then adjusted his cloth, which was passed under his right arm-pit and tied above his left shoulder.
It seems to me that if one can speak very well, then one is chosen for important tasks on certain occasions, which gives that speaker a certain level of power in the Igbo culture.
Okoye said the next half a dozen sentences in proverbs. Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten. Okoye was a great talker and he spoke for a long time, skirting round the subject and then hitting it finally.
Using only proverbs in a conversation indicates some kind of level of power since it is considered an art.
Nneka had had four previous pregnancies and child-births. But each time she had borne twins, and they had been immediately thrown away. Her husband and his family were already becoming highly critical of such a woman and were not unduly perturbed when they found she had fled to join the Christians
This poor woman is probably so sad because she's thrown away eight children already, and she knows she is going to have to throw away two more. Which is so sad to think about because they're her babies and in this culture they think having twins is evil, and she's looked down because of it. At this point she probably just wants answers to why she keeps having them, and why she has to keep throwing them away. Same goes with Nwoye, he is running to the Christians because his whole life he's grown up in a household where he was looked down on because he isn't man enough. In his mind Okonkwo is unfair and abusive, so he believes these new men can save him . So sad but also happy for Nwoye's story.
Then kill yourself," said Obierika.
I have already read this book, but I didn't see this before! Certainly foreshadowing