The spectacle of the wrestling matches illustrates the value that is placed on physical agility and strength in the Igbo culture. In ways similar to today's sports, the wrestling events — even in their violence — provide vicarious pleasure for the spectators who consider the victors heroes and often carry them on their shoulders. Many years earlier, Okonkwo himself sparked his reputation as a powerful man by defeating an opponent who had wrestled undefeated for seven years.
This scene also displays the sense of community and kinship among members of the village, as in the brief exchange between Ekwefi and her neighbor Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle Agbala.
The conversation between Ekwefi and Chielo includes several puzzling references to Ezinma:
Chielo: And how is my daughter Ezinma?
Ekwefi: She has been well for some time now. Perhaps she has come to stay.
Chielo: I think she has. How old is she now?
Ekwefi: She is about ten years old.
Chielo: I think she will stay. They usually stay if they do not die before the age of six.
Ekwefi: I pray she stays.
Except for the marketplace and gatherings such as the Feast of the New Yam, the women get little opportunity to visit other villagers who are not in their family. However, note the concern that Ekwefi has for Ezinma, as well as the Chielo's particular fondness for Ezinma, whom she calls "daughter." This scene implies that Chielo, the priestess, perhaps knows more about Ezinma's fate than she is revealing.
