During times of unwanted change, people tend to retaliate and create chaos. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe describes the harsh effects of British colonization on the culture of the Ibo village in Africa. Originally, the novel was inspired by William Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming.” The poem depicts the arising of an apocalypse resulting from an invasion. The two brilliant pieces of literature display the theme of conflict and confusion upon the arrival of unwanted control using similar symbolism, imagery, and different perspectives.
In order to represent a strong force gaining control over a weaker force, both pieces of literature use strong symbols. In the novel, the first British man to arrive in the village is considered …show more content…
To stop the invasion of the white people, the Ibo people burned down a church, leaving it as “a pile of Earth and ashes,” to purify their culture (Achebe 191). Originally, the Ibo people would never fathom of hurting another person or their belongings; however, the extreme control of the British men led to the harsh actions by the villagers. The villagers actions prove that the control was so forceful that the villagers felt the need to break their own religious customs to regain their control. In the poem, “shadows of the indignant desert birds [are revealed as] the darkness drops again” in order to purify the earth of evil (Yeats lines 18-19). The descriptive imagery alludes to the day of judgement when Jesus is to arrive on the earth and clean the earth of bad spirits. When the author uses “allusions to biblical sources,” they are “[illustrating] a disparity or disruption” (Foster 52). The allusion exemplifies and exaggerates the strong force that takes over the people. The use of imagery depicts the harsh violence that takes place when the weaker force, the Ibo villagers, attempts to stop the stronger force, the white …show more content…
The novel is written in the perspective of Okonkwo’s life before and after the arrival of the British men; therefore, the author emphasises the aspect of change that occurs due to a shift in power. The reader is able to see the British men “put a knife on the things that held [the Ibo clan] together” and watch the tragic downfall of the clan (Achebe 176). In the beginning of the novel, the clan is one and united; however, things change and the clan begins to fall apart. By revealing both sides of the story, the author creates an emotional appeal which the reader is able to witness the extreme change. Unlike the novel, the poem does not create a backstory for the reader to follow. The poem begins by describing the “anarchy that [has] loosed upon the world,” only describing the violence. According to Foster, “violence is one of the most personal and even intimate acts between human beings” (88). By addressing only the violence, the author is only emphasising the importance of the harsh actions. Knowing the background allows for the reader to observe change and focusing on the aftermath allows for the focus to be on violence. Both works express the theme of control; however, they focus on different aspects of control.
In conclusion, symbolism, imagery, and perspective display the theme of chaos during times of change in Things Fall Apart and “The Second Coming.” Both
In order to represent a strong force gaining control over a weaker force, both pieces of literature use strong symbols. In the novel, the first British man to arrive in the village is considered …show more content…
To stop the invasion of the white people, the Ibo people burned down a church, leaving it as “a pile of Earth and ashes,” to purify their culture (Achebe 191). Originally, the Ibo people would never fathom of hurting another person or their belongings; however, the extreme control of the British men led to the harsh actions by the villagers. The villagers actions prove that the control was so forceful that the villagers felt the need to break their own religious customs to regain their control. In the poem, “shadows of the indignant desert birds [are revealed as] the darkness drops again” in order to purify the earth of evil (Yeats lines 18-19). The descriptive imagery alludes to the day of judgement when Jesus is to arrive on the earth and clean the earth of bad spirits. When the author uses “allusions to biblical sources,” they are “[illustrating] a disparity or disruption” (Foster 52). The allusion exemplifies and exaggerates the strong force that takes over the people. The use of imagery depicts the harsh violence that takes place when the weaker force, the Ibo villagers, attempts to stop the stronger force, the white …show more content…
The novel is written in the perspective of Okonkwo’s life before and after the arrival of the British men; therefore, the author emphasises the aspect of change that occurs due to a shift in power. The reader is able to see the British men “put a knife on the things that held [the Ibo clan] together” and watch the tragic downfall of the clan (Achebe 176). In the beginning of the novel, the clan is one and united; however, things change and the clan begins to fall apart. By revealing both sides of the story, the author creates an emotional appeal which the reader is able to witness the extreme change. Unlike the novel, the poem does not create a backstory for the reader to follow. The poem begins by describing the “anarchy that [has] loosed upon the world,” only describing the violence. According to Foster, “violence is one of the most personal and even intimate acts between human beings” (88). By addressing only the violence, the author is only emphasising the importance of the harsh actions. Knowing the background allows for the reader to observe change and focusing on the aftermath allows for the focus to be on violence. Both works express the theme of control; however, they focus on different aspects of control.
In conclusion, symbolism, imagery, and perspective display the theme of chaos during times of change in Things Fall Apart and “The Second Coming.” Both