Things Fall Apart Poisonwood Bible Symbol Analysis

A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. Between the two books Things Fall Apart and Poisonwood Bible, there is much symbolism. These symbols include: fire, yams, locusts, a bird, and a homonym. Each of these symbols plays a role in the greater purpose of the novels. In Things Fall Apart, fire plays a big symbolic role involving Okonkwo. The fire symbolizes masculinity, anger, and destruction. Okonkwo only allows himself to show anger for fear of being seen as feminine much like his father Unoka; it so happens that Okonkwo’s rage is so known that he is nicknamed “Roaring Flame”. “‘Nwoye struggled to free himself from the choking grip.“Answer me,” roared Okonkwo, “before I kill you!” He seized a heavy stick that lay on the dwarf wall and hit him two or three savage blows.”’ This is one example of his brutality towards his children. Sadly, his …show more content…
They represent wealth manhood and prosperity. Okonkwo went to ask Nwakibie for 400 yam seeds and Nwakibie was known for being stingy with his yams because he thought that the boys that came to him for help were lazy and unworthy. This one time saw potential in a man because he had become great in spite of his father’s terrible reputation. So Nwakibie gave Okonkwo 800 seeds when Okonkwo only asked for 400. The harvest that year was rough but Okonkwo worked harder than the others and pulled through whereas another killed himself for lack of prosperity. In that town, wealth and manhood meant everything. Okonkwo being able to provide for his family in hard times proved him to be a very strong and respectable man. It helped him to prove to others that he isn’t his father, which is the reason that Okonkwo is the way that he is throughout the entire novel. In turn, the other who had killed himself shows that the men would rather be dead than show failure and that says a lot about Umuofia