The Analysis Of Achebes’ "Things Fall Apart"

Whenever the norm is changed or questioned in society it causes a disturbance in that society. Our world has evolved since the beginning of time and will continue to evolve throughout its existence. It is inevitable that there will always be some type of disturbance in our society because our world as we know it will continue to evolve throughout its’ existence. It is hard to believe but the most influential part of a change is the reactions of the people it affects. Everyone reacts to situations differently and some of it has to do with the type of morals one possesses. Certain works of literature, when analyzed next to each other, help one better understand the deeper meaning.

There are many elements in W. B. Yeats’ poem, The Second Coming, that allude to, serve as symbols, and directly correlate to Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart. When someone is going to take a stance against something there must be a justifiable reason as to why. In Achebe’s’ Things Fall Apart it is not surprising that the impending change in Umuofia will bring with it a multitude of effects. Even though the novel does not start out with the arrival of the colonists, their arrival sheds darkness over some people. The members of the clan know “surely the second coming is at hand” but what they do not know is “some revelation is at hand” too (Yeats). The poem implies what the second coming and revelation will bring is unknown to all.

In Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart the second coming and the revelation mentioned in Yeats’ poem get further explained. The revelation Yeats mentions in his poem is interpreted differently by the each of the people in Umuofia. The revelation the people of Umuofia experience is a wide range of new ideas. Such as the idea of worshiping one god or for Okonkwo it is a revelation that he cannot turn back time and undo what is done. The idea of worshipping one god is completely foreign to the people of Umuofia, since they believe Chuckwu “made all the world and the other gods” (Achebe 179). It is a constant struggle for some of the clan members to accept the concepts of Christianity whereas for others it is easy. Some find it easier than others because they have an interpretation that is deeper than just the surface level of understanding. Also, the revelation helps Okonkwo discern something very important, the fact that one cannot undo what one has done. Okonkwo makes this discovery after his second coming, his return from exile. Yeats’ idea of the second coming carries a countless number of connections to what is happening in Umuofia.

The most important connections between the poem and the novel in relation to the second coming is Okonkwo’s return from exile. Since his goal of returning to Umuofia after a seven-year exile is “that his return should be marked by his people” it causes the revelations to have the most effect on him (Achebe 171). The revelations that Okonkwo experiences slowly lead him down a to his demise. Yeats words his poem to show how important balance is in life and in a community. When “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy” is “loosed upon the world” (Yeats). This is an allusion to the similarities between what effects Okonkwo has on Umuofia as well as the effects the colonists have on Umuofia. When this so-called anarchy is loosed upon Umuofia, Okonkwo becomes dead set in his belief system that the anarchy which is loosed upon Umuofia is the colonists. What Okonkwo does not realize is that he too is the anarchy that is loose in Umuofia.

The word anarchy serves as a reference to the actions Okonkwo takes and the affects they have on his fellow clan members. It is funny that Okonkwo believes the anarchy that is loose is the colonists, but Yeats’ poem helps the reader connect the dots and realize that Okonkwo is the anarchy. This is true because he is willing to be so ruthless that it is hurting both the clan members and himself. It is Okonkwo’s ruthless actions that lead to his roughout hour. Yeats’ poem implies that when “things fall apart; the center cannot hold” this reveals why Okonkwo has such a large effect on Umuofia with his actions. Since Okonkwo falls apart emotionally it can be inferred that he is not mentally stable. The reader is able to see the connection between the poem and the novel because when things start to fall apart the center cannot hold and that is exactly what the reader sees in the book. The worse and worse Okonkwo gets, the more off-balance Umuofia becomes. It is at this point that Okonkwo as well as Umuofia begin merging into chaos.

There is a right and a wrong way to go about handling change and Yeats’ poem helps the reader discern how well the people in Umuofia are handling their changing society. Most of the people in Umuofia are handling colonization well, considering how immense of a change it offers. Unlike most of the people, Okonkwo is not handling it very well seeing that he is not open minded to new ideas. When handling change “the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity” (Yeats). These lines from Yeats’ poem shed light on a key concept when it comes to understanding why Okonkwo is having a hard time with the idea of change to the principles of the clan. Okonkwo is an example of someone who is passionate about their beliefs. Yeats’ poem helps us better understand why Okonkwo is struggling the most out of everyone in the clan when it comes to accepting that Umuofia is evolving. Okonkwo’s unwillingness to accept new ideas all stems from the fact that he is dead set in his beliefs and why he cannot envision Umuofia any other way. Therefore, he is the worst type of person to convince to try something new.

Unlike Okonkwo, there are a great deal of people in Umuofia who do not possess a set of concrete opinions or beliefs, so they are able to maintain an open mind to the new ideas the colonists are introducing. The introduction by the colonists of their church is intriguing to some of the people and “not only the low-born and the outcast but sometimes a worthy man” would decide to join (Achebe 174). These differences between Okonkwo and the rest of the clan are why the clan is unable to comprehend Okonkwo’s actions. A similar interpretation could be made as to why “the falcon can no longer hear the falconer” (Yeats). The falcon in the poem is a symbol of the people of the clan and the falconer is a symbol for Okonkwo. The clans people struggle understanding why Okonkwo is unwilling to consider these new ideas. This provides further reasoning behind why Okonkwo’s concrete opinions cause his fellow clan members to question his actions.

One major aspect that connect The Second Coming to Things Fall Apart is the use of symbolism. The lion in Yeats’ poem serves as a symbol for Okonkwo animalistic behaviors. Some of Okonkwo’s actions make him come across as animalistic, acting fast without thinking. Okonkwo turns into a “startled animal with ears erect, sniffing the silent, ominous air and not knowing which way to run” when the colonists first arrive (Achebe 196). The reader better understands Okonkwo’s actions when they view him as “a shape with a lion body and the head of a man” (Yeats). Yeats’ poem helps the understanding of how far Okonkwo is actually willing to go so he can save his clan from colonization. It is only fit that Okonkwo symbolizes the lion with the head of a man in Yeats’ poem. Lions are the kings of the jungle and explain why Okonkwo sees himself as a savior king of Umuofia if he succeeds with the eradication of the colonists. It is when the dark shadows of colonization appear that Okonkwo truly transforms into an animal with actions “even more sinister and uncanny in the dark” (Achebe 9). This side of Okonkwo is troubling in the eyes of his fellow clansmen, they fear not just for the colonists but for themselves and the clan. As time goes on Okonkwo continues to show no mercy for his actions. He loses what little compassion he already had when he admits that if a “brother tale the side of evil then [he] must root them out too” (Achebe 204). This provides valid reasoning as to why the clan is worried about Okonkwo’s animalistic behaviors he expresses.

Another connection between the two literary works is near the end of the book when Okonkwo is under the impression that things are starting to go his way, he believes that he has if not all, most all of the clan on his side. At this point, Okonkwo is feeling a sense of accomplishment because he believes that it is because of him the clan is now wanting to take a stronger stance against colonization. As people from the different villages are coming together “it warmed Okonkwo’s heart to see such strength of numbers” (Achebe 201). The feeling of warmth Okonkwo experiences is the last time he is going to be able to feel anything that is derived from happiness or hope because “the darkness drops again” over Okonkwo’s life (Yeats). When Yeats talks about the how the darkness is going to drop again, it creates an allusion as to why Okonkwo believes his fellow clansmen’s opinions are starting to return to normal. The ominous darkness that lies ahead in Yeats poem is connected to the book because that darkness talked about in the poem is the conclusion that Okonkwo comes to which is, the only way he can end his misery is suicide. The darkness becomes “vexed to nightmare” meaning that for the “rough beast, its hour come round at last” (Yeats).

The end of Okonkwo’s life is directly correlated to the ending of Yeats’ poem. Okonkwo’s biggest fear turns into a reality the moment he realizes he cannot save Umuofia from the colonists. He works so hard to try and save everyone only to realize that he was hurting them and he is the one that needs saving. Okonkwo is in need of saving himself from his biggest nightmare of all, change. He is the rough beast that Yeats refers to, and it is Okonkwo’s final hours that have “come round at last” (Yeats). Okonkwo’s final hours start counting down as soon as he kills a messenger. As “Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man” he figures out that it was himself all along that was in need of being saved (Achebe 205). So, he “wiped his machete on the sand and went away” (Achebe 205). The last hour in Yeats’ poem in relation to Achebe’s novel is the final defeat of Okonkwo. The poem implies Okonkwo’s death because his demise is only way for it to be over and for the darkness to be out of Okonkwo’s life for good, he must end it.

The connections between W. B. Yeats’s poem The Second Coming and Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart are unique because they were they were written during different times. Yeats poem was published in 1919, 39 years before Achebe’s novel was published in 1958. The unquestionable connections the novel has in relation to the poem makes it seem as if Achebe used Yeats’ poem during some point in the writing process. On a surface level the two literary works seem to have nothing in common. But upon reflection one can see that the poem carries a deeper meaning that Achebe more clearly expresses in his novel. When reading the novel one can make many different interpretations and connections to Yeats’ poem, the options are endless. The most important connections that can be made between the two literary works are the majority of the people in Umuofia are able to accept the ideas that the colonists introduce because they “lack all conviction” and that Okonkwo’s actions are a troubling sight to his fellow people of Umuofia (Yeats). It is even seen that parts of the poem carry multiple connections to the book. The influential marks of change are reflected most in the people whose existence is affected by the shifting of the social norms.