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Chike
Chike’s father. Amos, originally, was a member of the powerful “free-born” social group in the village, but because he chose to marry Sarah, a woman of the lowest-ranking Osu class, he is no longer respected by the community or even his family. He chose his wife because he converted to Christianity, and Mr. Brown, an English missionary in the village, convinced him that Christian values didn’t align with traditional class structures. Amos’s marriage to Sarah caused a rupture between him and his mother, Elizabeth, who vehemently opposed the union even though she herself had already converted to Christianity. In marrying an Osu woman, Amos accepts the fact that his children will be Osu as well. At the beginning of the story, he is especially happy that his wife has given birth to a son, Chike, after five daughters.
Amos Quotes in Chike’s School Days
The Chike’s School Days quotes below are all either spoken by Amos or refer to Amos. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chike’s School Days
Quotes
It was unheard of for a man to make himself Osu in that way, with his eyes wide open. But then Amos was nothing if not mad. The new religion had gone to his head. It was like palm-wine.
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The only person who supported Amos in his mad marriage venture was Mr. Brown, the white missionary, who lived in a thatch-roofed, red-earth-walled parsonage and was highly respected by the people, not because of his sermons, but because of a dispensary he ran in one of his rooms.
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A few days later he told his widowed mother, who had recently been converted to Christianity and had taken the name of Elizabeth. The shock nearly killed her. When she recovered, she went down on her knees and begged Amos not to do this thing. But he would not hear; his ears had been nailed up.
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The diviner was a man of great power and wisdom.
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Old Elizabeth performed the rites, but her son remained insane and married an Osu girl whose name was Sarah. Old Elizabeth renounced her new religion and returned to the faith of her people.
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Amos Quotes in Chike’s School Days
The Chike’s School Days quotes below are all either spoken by Amos or refer to Amos. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chike’s School Days
Quotes
It was unheard of for a man to make himself Osu in that way, with his eyes wide open. But then Amos was nothing if not mad. The new religion had gone to his head. It was like palm-wine.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The only person who supported Amos in his mad marriage venture was Mr. Brown, the white missionary, who lived in a thatch-roofed, red-earth-walled parsonage and was highly respected by the people, not because of his sermons, but because of a dispensary he ran in one of his rooms.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
A few days later he told his widowed mother, who had recently been converted to Christianity and had taken the name of Elizabeth. The shock nearly killed her. When she recovered, she went down on her knees and begged Amos not to do this thing. But he would not hear; his ears had been nailed up.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The diviner was a man of great power and wisdom.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Old Elizabeth performed the rites, but her son remained insane and married an Osu girl whose name was Sarah. Old Elizabeth renounced her new religion and returned to the faith of her people.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
