An Analysis Paper on Chinua Achebe’s

ARROW OF GOD

Arrow of God: Conflicts Brought by Colonialism Through the Lenses of Culture,

Society, and Politics

Professor Connie Raymundo

Bagunas, Vnette Shania

Betancor, Mark Ian
Bulledo, Xena Cristine Mae
Calusor, John Lorenz
Chua, Aleah Razel Anne
Coro, Jan Marchan
Dagumo, Shannen
Dela Cruz, Danica
Eli, Princess Jan Erika

II-1 BEE
 INTRODUCTION

Through the years, colonialism has been a widely known phenomenon that has
affected many countries worldwide. Western countries primarily pioneered it to
spread and acquire the so-called 3G - God, Glory, and Gold. Even Africa, the
second largest continent in the world, was not spared from the plan of the
colonizers to expand their territory and influence. It resulted in fierce resistance
of Africans to colonial rule and their struggle in standing on their own feet again
after having the taste of independence.

Colonialism puts the colonized under immense pressure, and in some

cases, resistance seems futile at best. In Arrow of God, we see how colonialism
divides the Ibo, they take varying stances on how to deal with the colonizers,
and to us, this is the powerful trait that colonialism holds. It can put an entire
nation with a set belief system on its head, and the division of the people does
most of the work as to why British colonialism became a success in the book.

In terms of religion, there is a significant fault in the belief system of the Ibo.
Ezeulu (as the head priest of Ulu) isn’t a perfect individual, and some of his
extensive mistakes push his people towards considering Christianity more and
more. By the day, the Ibo people see plenty of reasons that make their native
belief system pale compared to Christianity. The manipulation of the British to
force their religion onto the townspeople is subtle. Still, it mainly puts Ezeulu
under a microscope in which they can judge each of his actions, and every one
of those actions may or may not turn a couple of natives towards the other faith.

Then we see the theme of tradition playing a significant part in letting the
story come to fruition. Desperation is the first word that comes to mind when the
topic of tradition in Arrow of God gets tackled. There is a sense of this that
becomes obvious as the story unfolds. The Africans are fiercely loyal to the belief
they have established, but as they come into their own and see that what the
colonizers have brought isn’t that bad, hostility rises. From there, we can see how
much the Ibo fought to stay loyal, but certain events lead them to let go of the
tradition they have preserved from the roots of their past.

These instances were evident in the whole novel, which shows the
upholding of Africa’s raw tradition, beliefs, way of life, religious system, and a
constant battle for preserving and protecting the culture they grew up with. It
can be inferred that in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God, they used colonialism to
control the Ibo people through exploiting cultural, societal, and political flaws.

ANALYSIS

Summary

Arrow of God is included in Chinua Achebe’s trilogy delineating the challenges

posed by the colonial presence afflicted towards the traditional culture. The
narrative of the novel is set after the pacification period in Igboland,
Southeastern Nigeria. The novel introduces the conflict of land ownership
between Umuaro and Okperi. Umauro is a six-village community linked by a
single deity- Ulu and led by an adviser, Ulu’s chief priest, Ezeulu. The people of
Umuaro, influenced by Nwaka, are determined to claim the land. They
encourage to start a war between Okperi and to defy Ezeulu’s advice. The
bitter feud between the two turns to catastrophe as the Umuaro’s emissary
faced death during the mission. Many of Umuaro’s citizens go to war to avenge
the emissary’s death, resulting in casualties to both ends. The unrest comes to a
sudden halt when Captain T.K. Winterbottom- an English Colonial Officer,
attempts to mediate and enforce peace by destroying all the guns in Umuaro.
To settle the land dispute, He arrives with a decision in favor of Okperi after
Ezeulu testifies that Umuaro has no right to claim the land. Some of Umuaro’s
people mark this event as Ezeulu’s betrayal.

Following five years, Umuaro regains a sense of normalcy. During that

period, people believed that Nwaka possessed a great power to defy Ulu. For a
long time, no one knew that Nwaka's praise singer is none other than the priest
of Idemili, the personal deity of Umunneora. Nwaka and Ezidemilli have been
friends since their youth. It is his friendship with Ezidemilli that made him Ezeulu's
mortal enemy.

Meanwhile, Christian Missionaries take significant measures in convincing

the people to convert their beliefs. When Ezeulu realized that the movement
gained ground in Umuaro, he sent his son Oduche in the new religion to be his
eyes. The tension in the community arises when Oduche attempts to kill a
python to prove a point but ends up locking the serpent inside a box. A python
represents Idemili; any action that causes harm to the holy snake is considered
an abomination. At sunset, a young man from Umunneora pays a visit to Ezeulu's
village. The chief of Idemili wants to know what actions Ezeulu will take to purify
his house against the abomination that his son committed. It only fuels the anger
of Ezeulu; he threatened and sent the visitor away from the village.

The Colonial Administration ran out of funds to continue building the new
road connecting Okperi to Umuaro. Mr. Wright, the man who supervised the
construction of the new road, demands free labor. Ezeulu’s son Obika is one of
Umauro’s men who are the recipient of the petition. There was a time when
Obika drinks too much palm wine the night before work, he arrives late, and he
receives a whip as a punishment. The event circulated in the village, but Ezeulu
assumes that Obika deserves the chastise. Edogo, Ezeulu’s firstborn, realized the
aftermath of Ezeulu’s tendency to choose favorites. Oduche’s mission in the
new religion puts Edogo into deep thinking if it is his father’s way to disqualify
Oduche to be the next Chief Priest, leaving Nwafo in the position. Edogo starts
to wonder what will happen if the deity refuses Nwafo to fill the role.

While the tension and division among Ezeulu’s family and villages
continue, Captain T.K. Winterbottom appointed Ezeulu to carry out the British
policy of “indirect rule,” and he sends emissaries to fetch the Chief Priest, but the
conflict arises when Ezeulu refuses to come. Winterbottom, enraged by the
news, releases an arrest warrant for Ezeulu. After consulting with Umuaro’s elders,
Ezeulu decided to set out for Okperi and meet the Captain. Unfortunately,
Winterbottom becomes ill and delirious, which requires him to be admitted to
the hospital. The servants speculate that Ezeulu’s power made the Captain sick.
Due to Winterbottom’s order, Ezeulu was detained for a couple of months but
later freed due to a lack of legitimate reason to be imprisoned.

The Chief Priest went home and plotted revenge against his people for
defiance five years ago during Umuaro's most vulnerable season. Ezeulu refuses
to announce the Feast of the New Yam. The people of Umuaro are not allowed
to harvest any new yams before the feast, which leaves them in a state of
famine. The village elders visited and confronted the Chief Priest, but Ezeulu
explained that he could not announce the New Yam's Feast unless he finished
all his spare sacred yams. The yams are left untouched due to his detention in
Okperi. Ezeulu stood his ground to follow the rules and eat one yam a month to
avoid the wrath of Ulu. The Christian Missionary, John Goodcountry, exploits the
situation to gain more converts. He let people believe that anyone who will offer
their yams to the Christian God will receive protection against the wrath of Ulu.
As Umuaro denies being in a state of hunger, they flocked to give offerings to
the Christian God.

The occurrence comes with Obika's untimely death, which turns out to be
a big blow to Ezeulu's reputation and his deity. The villagers assume that it is a
judgment made against Ezeulu as he becomes stubborn and proud. In that year
forwards, the crops reaped in the name of the Christian God.
Conflicts Brought by Colonialism: Culture, Society, and Politics

Achebe's Arrow of God depicts conflicts in Igbo society partly caused by the
impact of European colonialism and partly by tensions within the society itself
(Bhatt, 2014). The novel focuses on the chief priest of various Igbo villages in
colonial Nigeria, Ezeulu, who defies colonial powers and Christian missionaries.
In Arrow of God, there has been a mutual agreement between locals and
whites, though gradually and situationally, unfolds as both have their motives.
The Europeans try to seek cover behind their myths and rituals as they strive to
administer this control of the empire. In reality, they are looking for a power
structure they can understand and promote. Thus, this sort of mutual
understanding results in the separation of the two worlds. As PremaNand Kumar
noted, "In Arrow of God, we witness the spectacle of an increasingly devitalized
and self divided Igbo clan pitted against a foreign government."

As an African novel, "Arrow Of God" centers on the problem of the

postcolonial Nigerian community. The theme focuses on the conflict between
the African culture and the Western culture and the dispute between the
Christian ideology and Traditional religious doctrine. The events emerge with the
political dispute between the two Nigerian bordering regions of rural Igbo:
Okperi and Umuaro, on their borders to show superiority. The interference of the
civilized British colonizer solved the conflict, which Okperi thought of as an ideal
model. At the same time, the British interference has played a vital role in ending
the political war, and the religious and cultural strife last until the end of the
novel. Consequently, by the end, it was the triumph of Christianity after the
death of Ulu, the god of the traditional religion, which means the death of its
faith.

Although, the villages and characters in the novel are all fictional.
However, the depiction of colonial Nigeria is accurate in portraying the dispute
between the traditional religions and beliefs of the Nigerians, alongside the
foreign values introduced by the Europeans, such as Christianity.
This paper will further explore colonialism through the lenses of culture, society,
and politics:

Culture

The villagers of Umuaro spend their lives according to their culture. Every season,
people are obligated to observe rites and festivals overseen by priests of the
different deities affiliated with each township. The cultural aspect of Achebe's
novel focuses on the religious ceremonies and rituals associated with "The New
Yam Feast" and "The Fest of Pumpkin Leaves," which are celebrated by the six
communities. These ceremonies serve as numerous indications of cultural and
political solidarity and bravery. Ezelulu, the chief priest of Ulu, was appointed by
the six Umuaro villages to govern the said festivals. He is therefore held
accountable for upholding the people's traditions and rituals. The new Yam Fest
is significant for the people of Umuaro because it signals the beginning of a new
season or month for harvesting and planting. It is their way of life; it marks the
start of a new chapter as they harvest their plants and grow anew for another
forthcoming celebration. Following this practice has allowed them to go years
without their wives and children starving to death. This traditional practice has
contributed to making the six communities united.

However, this solidarity shattered when a dispute between communities

arose as a result of claiming land. It began a war, which led to the death of one
of the village leaders, which resulted in another battle due to one's desire for
vengeance. This conflict that arose among African cultures was viewed as an
opportunity by the foreign authority to rule over them. They took advantage of
the situation, which had already deteriorated. With the African people divided
and apart, the white Europeans attempted to impose a new religion. As Ezelulu
prolonged the celebration of the New Yam Fest, the villagers grew concerned
that their crops would become worthless, resulting in hunger and, in the
worst-case scenario, the death of their families.
 The Europeans then used this predicament to effectively establish Christianity
on the land of Africa by persuading the locals to give thank-offerings to the
Christian God from their crops to be secured from the impending peril, to be
safe from the wrath of Ulu. They had no other option but to leave their traditional
faith and embrace the new religion.

The presence of white Europeans in Africa created dispersion among its

people, as they assailed traditional cultures, customs, ceremonies, and rituals.
They generated cultural disintegration and fragmentation among Africans while
attempting to impose a new religion that is Christianity (Khanal, 2016).

Society
In Chinua Achebe’s novel, the social setting is in the rural villages of the Igbo
people of Nigeria. Where in, the piece’s societal view is highly patriarchal. Aside
from the evident patriarchy in society, there is also an apparent social divide. In
the novel, there are two settings; rural Umuaro and the British colonial station.
The contrast between the two is distinguished well. Hence, creating conflicts
and various dilemmas among the people. The rural life of Igbo, its old culture
and tradition is transitioning to new cultural norms and belief systems due to the
British colonial station where specific ideologies such as “indirect rule” is present.

Before the act of colonizing, competition and thirst for power are the conflicting
social factors of the Igbo people. For example, the competition for the attention
of Ezeulu’s wives. Ezeulu, the chief priest of Ulu, and Ezidemili. The conflict
between the communities of Okperi and Umuaro. The rivalry between Ezeulu’s
and Ezidemili’s village. Although the struggle is prominent within the characters,
the most known opposition is between the God Ulu and the Christian God, from
which colonization thrived. In terms of power, men realized that it was limited
when the Europeans came and “stopped” the war with Okperi. The power
struggle between the discord of Ezeulu and the people of Umuaro catechists
and yields to the Christians. As the region roils in the division, Christianity takes
the wheel and grasps the respect and honor, once belonging to Ulu. The
imbalance within their society that resulted in tidal waves became calm. And
the said calm only happened as they submerge in the authority of the Whites
(British rulers).

It is visible that the act of “saving” had a hidden agenda-- colonization. The
colonizers maneuvered the masses. They believe that they have been saved
and liberated from war. Wherein fact, it was just another chapter of colonizers
acting as heroes. Peace will only be just once the Igbo people struggle and
break the chains the Europeans had locked. Their society is not truly free. And
they are not aware of that yet. Although the people of Umuaro still disapprove
of the imposition of “white rule.” With this, they still authorize it due to the conflict
that mandates their lives.

The novel closes by suggesting that Christianity will triumph over the
traditional religion of Umuaro. Blindfolded by the fact, the people negligently
humiliated their priest. The time will come when they will see the effects of
welcoming Christianity in their culture and daily lives. In the end, exploitation
takes place as they believe the European’s façade of domination as peace.

Politics
The political aspect that is evident in Achebe's novel could be seen in the light
of political mythology that the colonial rule of the British took advantage of. As
per Joseph (1989), political myth is a widely-believed set of unquestioned
political beliefs that gives events and actions a particular meaning. Ritual is the
practical acting-out of the values expressed in myth. For people to believe
something, they should be told a believable story and shown concrete
evidence to prove the existence of a belief. The reasoning behind every
political myth does not have to use pure logic and rationality as the basis.
People would follow something as long as what was said could be proven in the
naked eye, even if it was a mere coincidence. For instance, in Arrow of God,
Ulu, the god, was accepted by people due to the chief priest, Ezeulu, telling
that Ulu could protect and save them if they continue to honor the god; their
crops would prosper if they did a ritual before planting and before harvesting. It
has been proven multiple times in Umuaro that the rituals they conduct during
the two major festivals— Festival of the Pumpkin Leaves and the New Yam Feast
were effective because, throughout the existence of their village, they avoided
famine. However, the crops not dying out on them was due to the calculations
of Ezeulu using the calendar. It was fully calculated by him when it is
appropriate to plant and harvest crops.

At the time when Chinua Achebe wrote Arrow of God, Africa was under a
severe political crisis. They used political mythology to ground Africans and the
crumbling political state of Africa. For a continent and a people going through
a prolonged season of anomie, these insights may yet prove to be lifelines
(Armah, 2006). For Africa to build a bit of stability and a better future, they
needed something to grasp at; rationality is damned. As per Houston (1992), "it is
only the mythologically wise community that finds ways to meditate and refocus
the repressed and unacknowledged aspects of self and society."

Now, the role of colonialism in Arrow of God was, the British colonial rule
told and showed well-curated political mythology. In the latter part of the story,
Ezeulu failed to eat three sacred yams in time for the Feast of the New Yam
because they imprisoned him in Okperi. Ezeulu insisted that they had to wait for
another three months, so he could eat all the yams before proceeding with the
Feast of the Yam. However, if the village had to wait so long before harvesting
their crops, famine would prevail in Umuaro. The colonizers in the story saw the
unrest within Africa's society as an opportunity to present their hidden agenda.
Using the Christian God as an excuse, Mr. Goodcountry told the villagers that if
they offer their yams to the Christian god instead, they will receive the
protection of the Christian god as well. Hanging by a thread, the people bit the
bait, and so, they began to reap the crops in the name of the Christian god,
completely replacing Ulu. As per Aning and Nsiah (2012), if leaders fail in this
crucial duty of providing the people with cohesive political myths, fringe groups
would take the opportunity to construct myths for the nations. In Arrow of God,
the effect of the political myth told by Ezeulo in the name of Ulu started to lose
its ramification on people as hunger started to spread. It's why the said myth,
crafted by the colonizers, took over the long belief of Africa.
 The hero complex of the British tried to paint that they saved the political
state of Africa from falling apart. However, they just brought more conflict to
Africans by dividing their beliefs and enforcing a new one that barely benefited
Africans.

CONCLUSION

Achebe’s Arrow of God fictionalized real-life Nigeria in the 1920s. It gave readers
a glimpse of its political and cultural point of view. Nigeria, or Africa in general, is
experiencing political turmoil. There’s a conflict between communities, deficient
leaders, and misuse and abuse of power. Throughout the story, readers could
see how these substandard political factors generate negative repercussions on
society. Apparently, it is the people who face adversity. Aside from the political
conflict, the novel also depicts how European colonizers tried to integrate their
beliefs, specifically religion, into the people to successfully suppress their
authentic identity and eventually lead to massive cultural and social change.
Indeed, obliterating one’s concept of religion is one decisive move by colonizers
to create chaos within one society.

The novel accurately represented the traditional communities in Nigeria

before colonization, such as; social hierarchy within the community, its belief
system, conflicts among villages, and warfare. But their traditional ways
gradually changed as the Europeans slowly crept in and intervened with how
they did things. Power suddenly went into the hands of the Europeans. They
used conflicts within the villages to increase their powerful influence. Without
knowing it, the Igbo people got tricked by the so-called "indirect rule," which we
can interpret as a form of benevolent assimilation. Although they managed to
detect the root of the conflict within their society, they failed to solve it. The
colonizers see it as an opportunity to present their ulterior motive: effectively
putting Igbo's tradition on the brink of extinction. Chinua Achebe's "Arrow of
God" is a perfect representation of how colonization takes place and the
aftermath that it leaves behind. It showed how the tradition and norms of a
community could change because of the intervention of the colonizers. That
shapes the culture according to how the colonizers want it to be, which results in
the colonizers gaining power over the people and the culture they colonized.
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