ipl-logo

Oracle Decrees In Things Fall Apart

454 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cultural disintegration in Things fall apart

In the novel, Things Fall Apart, the book portrays the life of the Igbo people in Nigeria before the arrival of European colonizers. The book explores the conflict between traditional Igbo values and the changes brought about by colonialism. One of the key themes in the novel is the importance of the oracle in Igbo society. The oracle decrees that Ikemefuna must be sacrificed to appease the gods for a crime committed by a member of the Umuofia clan. When the oracle's message is delivered to the clan, they are deeply troubled. The clan is divided over what to do with Ikemefuna. Some members argue that he should be spared because he has become like a son to the clan. Others believe that the oracle's message must be obeyed to avoid angering the …show more content…

First and foremost, the Igbo people believe in the power of the oracle and the importance of obeying its decrees. As one character notes, "The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves had pronounced it. They had pronounced it, and it was final" (Achebe, 57). This belief in the oracle's infallibility is central to Igbo society and shapes many of their decisions. The clan's decision to sacrifice Ikemefuna also reveals the importance of communal values. While some members of the clan were hesitant to kill Ikemefuna, they ultimately agreed to the sacrifice in order to preserve the harmony of the community. As one character notes, "It is not bravery when a man fights with a woman. The woman has nothing to fight with" (Achebe, 30). This quote illustrates the importance of cooperation and the idea that the strength of the community is greater than the strength of the individual. Finally, the clan's decision to sacrifice Ikemefuna reveals the importance of tradition and the past in Igbo society. The clan's adherence to the oracle's message is a reflection of their deep respect for tradition and their belief that the past should inform their present

Show More
Related
647 Words | 3 Pages

The Oracle is a powerful force in the clan, and its decisions are considered final. In chapter nine of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's daughter Ezinma

Read More
387 Words | 2 Pages

Next, Okonkwo is warned that he will be told to kill Ikemefuna, a boy who has become like a son to him. When the time comes, Okonkwo, Ikemefuna, and a few other men set out on their journey. When the men move to kill Ikemefuna, Okonkwo trails behind them so he will not have to be a part of

Read More
1027 Words | 5 Pages

Because the missionaries do not respect the Igbo religion, tension in villagers like Okonkwo increases. Once the white missionaries arrive in the village of Igbo they immediately start criticizing the natives religion. One missionary even told the people that “they worshipped false gods, gods of wood and stone.” completely

Read More
1600 Words | 7 Pages

We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” In which achebe’s purpose was to condemn the white colonists for altering the Igbo culture, religion, "Igbo." - Introduction, Location,

Read More
786 Words | 4 Pages

When Ikemefuna runs towards him, “Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 13). Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna because he is afraid someone will believe he is weak and similar to his unsuccessful father. He lets this fear of compassion and failing control his life and his decisions. When he is faced with a difficult choice he completes the action that will portray him as a man and not as an agbala, a woman.

Read More
452 Words | 2 Pages

Lastly, the missionaries catch the son of Okonkwo 's attention. Furthermore, the missionaries are rising to make their entrance into the clan, establishing the theme change is inevitable.

Read More
1359 Words | 6 Pages

Okonkwo’s machete descended twice and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body. The waiting backcloth jumped into tumultuous life and the meeting was stopped. Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

Moments after Ikemefuna yells “My father, they have killed me!” Without a response Okonkwo himself cuts Ikemefuna once more ultimately killing him. This action brings the reader to heartbreak after feeling that Ikemefuna was beginning to fit in with the family and was killed by the man who he called father. Okonkwo’s only motive for this action is to keep his strong public figure and not be looked to as weak (Achebe 61).

Read More
1083 Words | 5 Pages

Many aspects of their lives have men as the prominent heads of their households, but women also have some importance in many of the concepts. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe presents the idea of how Igbo culture and religion define the roles for each gender and examines how unequal roles in society can lead to conflicts between each gender in order to illustrate how they can lead to permanently damaged relationships. The main driving forces behind gender role beliefs in Things Fall Apart are a result of the ideologies set by the Ibo people. Their culture dictated men as stronger people who did more work, while women were dictated as individuals who were weak and inferior because they did household activities.

Read More
325 Words | 2 Pages

However, Okonkwo went against the elders; he came to Ikemefuna’s execution and did nothing to stop it. Achebe explains, “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe

Read More
1794 Words | 8 Pages

Chinua Achebe’s 1958 literary classic, Things Fall Apart (Achebe, 1958), is renowned for its authentic account of the black African experience. Set in post-colonial Nigeria, the fictional novel discusses the cultural roots of the Igbos and follows the life of the tragic hero, Okonkwo. This acclaimed novel deals with strong patriarchal ideals of masculinity within the Igbo culture and how Okonkwo is a direct manifestation of this. Achebe depicts the relationship between masculinity and both male and female characters, and how this, in turn, has an effect on Okonkwo’s relationships. The strongest relationship in the novel is between father (Okonkwo) and daughter (Ezinma); their bond is strong because Ezinma is everything Okonkwo would want in a son.

Read More
784 Words | 4 Pages

Without understanding the real Igbo culture, the District Commissioner in the novel decides to title his book “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.(Achebe, 209)” As Nick Knudsen mentions in his Prezi, Irony in Things Fall Apart, this shows the Commissioner’s ignorance of how culturally sophisticated the Igbo are, and demonstrates the fact that Europeans are clearly in the wrong, without passing judgement on them. Throughout the novel, Achebe suggests that just because Igbo society pass on knowledges orally, does not mean that they are primitive. By using Western literary tradition, the author implies a message

Read More
837 Words | 4 Pages

Achebe’s goals for Things Fall Apart is to counter the single story and portray a more cultured and complex of Africa opposing westerners ideals with the inclusion of Igbo folktales, Igbo proverbs, and 3rd person narration. Igbo folktales are an important piece of what makes Igbo culture complex, and unique. One Igbo folktale from Chapter 11 tells the story of a greedy tortoise who wants to join some birds in the sky for a feast. He tricks them and tells them his name is “All of you” then the birds say the meal is for all of you the tortoise takes all the food. The bird then punishes him by taking his feathers to fly away, the tortoise tells the birds to deliver a message to his wife.

Read More
1297 Words | 6 Pages

Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna despite being warned not to. His fear of appearing weak, caused him to kill someone he considered a son. This is important because it shows how much Okonkwo’s fear of failure controls him and causes him to make irrational decisions. Eventually, this fear led to his demise. When missionaries began to invade Umuofia, Okonkwo wanted to go to war immediately but his clan members refused.

Read More
878 Words | 4 Pages

Feminist Theory In Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, they recognize the life of the Igbos which are a tribe in the village of Umuofia during European colonization. There are many topics brought up in this book like the effects of colonization, culture and tradition, religion, race, etc. It is relatively easy to read “Things Fall Apart” as an anti-feminist text due to the face that the Igbo clan’s customs and traditions seem to side towards masculine features, such as power and strength. The novel is told through a male protagonist’s point of view in nineteenth century Nigeria, while women there do not have much rights, they do wield heavy influence over the leaders of the clan.

Read More

More about Oracle Decrees In Things Fall Apart

Related Topics

Open Document