Literary Analysis

“Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (2067)

Metaphor

·       Chinua Achebe uses this metaphor to help the reader transition into understanding the mentality of Okonkwo’s tribe. The words palm-oil help set the scene of exactly what the tribe considers to be affluent, which clues us into their setting. Such words help us picture Okonkwo’s environment and people

 

“Gome, gome, gome, gome, boomed the hollow metal” (2068)

Onomatopoeia

·       The author uses onomatopoeia here to help the reader visualize his descriptions. He appeals to sound by using an African-based word to describe hollowed metal. It creates a unique style of writing for the author and thus makes his story more appealing, especially to the senses.

 

“A snake was never called by its name at night, because it would hear” (2068)

Personification

·       Achebe here describes a sort of superstition held by many of his tribesmen and helps the readers understand why the characters go about more superstitious paths. With personification, Achebe makes the snake more human, and seem much more dangerous. This literary device was used because Okonkwo’s fear of this superstition was very real.

 

“The earth burned like hot coals and roasted all the yams that had been sown” (2075)

Simile

·       This simile is rich in African culture, and describes the sort of sustenance farming prevalent in the area. It describes Okonkwo’s grief in finding his hard toil wasted, yet he does not give up. The words used to describe the summer are used because that is how he felt the earth to be.

 

“Even Okonkwo himself became very fond of the boy – inwardly of course. Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (2077)

Characterization

·       This use of direct characterization on Okonkwo is to show his mentality and what he believes to be important. It demonstrates that Okonkwo acts tough, yet has a heart about him, even if his own wives cannot see it. Additionally, this lets us preview Okonkwo’s wrathful side, something that may play against him later on.

Literary Devices: p2124: “It said that other white men were on their way. They were locusts, it said, and that first man was their harbinger sent to explore the terrain. And so they killed him.” This metaphor relating white men to locusts is saying that the whites were like a swarm taking over Africa and destroying everything in their path. It also likens the locust’s ravenous hunger to the Europeans’ insatiable greed for riches, the main reason why they colonized Africa. This metaphor puts a very negative spin on the European colonization of Africa as opposed to the civilizing force many at the time saw it to be.

2131: “Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.” This is an example of foreshadowing as well as a metaphor for Okonkwo and his son. The fire is meant to represent Okonkwo and his aggressiveness and drive. This quote could be foreshadowing that Okonkwo’s “fire” leads to his rash killing of the messenger which leads to his death in Part 3. In this, the ash represents death, the inevitable result of Okonkwo’s fiery behavior. However, this quote also shows the relationship with Okonkwo and his son Nwoye, with Okonkwo still being the fire and his son Nwoye being the ash. Cold ash is definitely an accurate way to describe lazy Nwoye and he was created by Okonkwo.

2128: “But there was a young lad who had been captivated. His name was Nwoye, Okonkwo's first son. It was not the mad logic of the Trinity that captivated him…It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul – the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed.” This quote shows how Christianity appealed to Nwoye and others who doubted certain aspects of Igbo religion. It also helps to further Achebe’s point that the Africans were civilized before the Europeans arrived. Nwoye shows how the Africans were interested in the art and beauty of Christian songs and stories, and how they appreciated the fine arts.

2130: “Why, he cried in his heart, should he, Okonkwo, of all people, be cursed with such a son? He saw clearly in it the finger of his personal god or chi. For how else could he explain his great misfortune and exile and now his despicable son's behavior?” This shows personification of Okonkwo’s luck as his personal god. It also shows how Okonkwo is blaming his bad luck or fate for the bad things happening to him, unlike earlier where he accredited his success to hard work, rather than luck.